Chapatis - flour

Method

• Put the flour into a bowl, add the salt, and mix together.
• Make a well in the middle, add 3 tablespoons of oil, and mix, using your fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Pour in 1 cup of the water, then add the rest little by little you may not need to add all of it until you can knead the mixture into a soft and pliable dough, which will take around 6 to 8 minutes.
• Lightly rub the dough with a teaspoon of oil (so it wont dry out) and put to one side while you get your chapati rolling station ready.
• You will need a clean surface or a floured board like a chapati board, ideally on one side of the stove top.
• Youll also need a rolling pin, a bowl of flour in which to dip the balls of chapati dough, a spatula (or chapati press), a frying pan, and a plate for your cooked chapatis.
• Once all is ready, divide your dough into 16 pieces.
• Put the frying pan on a medium to high heat.
• Take one piece of dough, roll it into a ball between your palms, coat it generously with flour, flatten it into a disc, and then roll it out to around 4 inches in diameter.
• Lightly coat both sides in flour, roll it out to around 6 inches, and put it face side down on the hot pan.
• Wait for the edges to turn white and for the chapati to start to bubble (30 to 40 seconds), then turn it over and cook the chapati for the same amount of time.
• Turn it over again it should start to puff up at this point, so press it down gently with the flat side of the spatula for around 10 seconds, then turn it over again and do the same.
• Check that all the dough is cooked (any uncooked spots will look dark and doughy) and put onto a plate.
• Cover with a towel or wrap in foil to keep warm, then repeat.
• Many Indian women have mastered the art of rolling out a new chapati in exactly the time it takes to cook one, keeping a close eye on both the cooking and the rolling.
• Its enormously efficient and rewarding, but many burned chapatis have been sacrificed in getting there, so dont worry if it takes a while.