Whereas naan (please don’t name it naan bread) will get a lot of the glory outdoors of India, there are a lot of types of Indian bread, like aloo paratha, puri, and thepla. Chapati, an on a regular basis flatbread generally known as roti, is a staple of north Indian cooking and also you’ll discover variations throughout the cuisines of Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Caribbean. Like tortillas, they’re extremely versatile.
Some chapati recipes name merely for water and chapati flour or atta, the Hindi phrase for finely milled wheat flour; others add a little bit oil or ghee and salt. This one from the late chef Rebecca Collerton, who served chapatis at her in style Brooklyn pop-up, Mr. Curry, makes use of a mixture of flours and swaps the oil for yogurt to create a gentle dough. For those who maintain standard entire wheat flour readily available, it’ll work wonderful, however for genuine home made chapatis, hunt down sharbati atta, a high-gluten selection.
Collerton’s approach is easy: Letting the dough relaxation is an important a part of the prep time; it permits the glutens to chill out, so don’t rush it. Chapatis are historically cooked on a griddle known as a tawa, however a cast-iron skillet works nicely; if in case you have a stovetop griddle, you can also make a number of at a time. When cooking chapatis, search for just a few brown spots on one facet earlier than flipping the flatbreads over. For added richness, slick them with ghee.
Serve with Candy-and-Bitter Tomato Chutney, Curried Meatballs, Beet and Carrot Salad with Curry Dressing and Pistachios, Spiced Rice, and Scallion-Herb Yogurt Sauce.