Best 6 Homemade East Indian Chapati Bread Recipes

CHAPATI (EAST AFRICAN BREAD)

Steps:

• Mix 2 cups flour and salt together in a bowl. Slowly mix in enough water to make a thick dough. Mix in oil until combined.
• Knead dough on a cool surface for a few minutes, adding a few spoonfuls of flour. Return dough to the bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
• Divide dough into orange-sized balls. Flatten into 6-inch circles. Fry in batches in the hot skillet, turning once, until golden brown and spotted, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Keep chapatis warm in the oven.

CHAPATI BREADS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and, if desired, garlic powder. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 10 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 6-in. circle. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook breads over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Keep warm.

INDIAN WHOLE WHEAT GRIDDLE BREADS: CHAPATIS

Steps:

• Pour the flour and salt into a large bowl. Slowly pour water into the flour, moving your other hand through the flour in circular motions, until it starts to come together. Then, either in the bowl or on your counter (which you might want to lightly flour to prevent sticking), knead the dough for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and pliant.
• Return the ball of dough to the bowl and rub the surface of the dough with a little oil to keep it from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and allow to rest about 30 minutes.
• When you're ready to make chapatis, assemble your tools: a small, flat bowl of whole wheat flour, a small bowl of olive oil or melted butter with a small spoon in it, and a paper towel-lined plate or container for the finished breads.
• Heat a flat griddle or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, on a lightly-floured surface, work the ball of dough into a long log. Cut into 12 equal pieces by cutting it in half, and then half again. Cut each of the quarters into 3 equal pieces. Return to the bowl and cover with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out.
• To roll the chapatis: Roll a piece of dough between your palms to form a ball, and then flatten with your palm. Dunk this puck in the bowl of flour, and then roll until it's a 4-inch circle. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of oil in the center of the circle, and spread it out almost to the perimeter of the circle using the back of the spoon. Fold the circle in half, then in half again, so it forms a triangle. Seal the edges, and dunk in flour again if it's sticky.
• Start rolling, turning the triangle a quarter turn after each roll, until it's about 6-inches wide, with an even thickness. After some practice you'll be able to roll the chapati and rotate it without picking it up; I do this by weighing down a little on my right hand and pushing the chapati around that way.
• Test the griddle by sprinkling a little flour on it; if it turns brown immediately, it's ready. Flapping the chapati between your hands to remove any excess flour, slap the chapati onto the griddle. It should start darkening almost immediately.
• When small bubbles start to form, spread a little oil over the surface of the chapati, then flip. It should start to puff up. Spoon a little oil over this side too, and when it's puffed up a little more, flip. Press down on the edges of the chapati with your spatula or (if you're brave!) with a dry rag. This will seal the edges and encourage the entire chapati to puff up. If you spot any holes, press down on those too so the air doesn't escape. Allowing the air to stay inside the whole chapati makes it flaky and light. But don't fret if your first few don't puff up; it takes practice! It will still taste delicious.
• Remove to your container. Repeat with the remaining dough, and serve the chapatis hot.

CHAPATIS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 mins until it is smooth. Divide into 10 pieces, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for a few mins.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot, and grease lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough until very thin like a tortilla.
• When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds, then flip and cook on the other side. Put on a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest of the chapatis.

HOMEMADE EAST INDIAN NAAN BREAD (MADE EASY)

Steps:

• STIR one (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast into warm water; LET sit for 10 minutes.
• MEASURE 2 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl; ADD 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; MIX well; ADD 2 tablespoons oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt; MIX until crumbly.
• POUR the water and yeast mixture over flour; and make into soft dough; KNEAD the dough until smooth.
• COVER dough with a kitchen towel; KEEP in a warm place until dough doubles in volume, between 3 - 4 hours.
• SET oven rack in center position; PLACE a pizza stone in center of rack (NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PIZZA STONE, A CAST-IRON DUTCH OVEN OR GRIDDLE MAY BE USED); PREHEAT the oven to BAKE at 500°F , for at least twenty minutes until pizza stone is properly tempered; SET the BROILER to HIGH.
• LUBRICATE hands lightly with canola oil; KNEAD dough 2-3 minutes; DIVIDE dough into 6 equal portions.
• FLOUR a rolling board; ROLL each piece of dough on floured board with a rolling pin, into rounded shapes about 1/4-inch thick and no wider than 8 inches (they don't have to look perfect); RE-DUST board with flour as needed; REPEAT with remaining dough portions.
• WET hands lightly; TAKE Naan discs and flip them between your palms before placing them CAREFULLY onto hot pizza stone in oven without touching the stone (do not set more than two Naan at a time over stone); CLOSE oven door.
• BROIL-BAKE Naan on pizza stone in closed oven for 2-3 minutes (keep a close watch on timing); REMOVE baked Naan from stone with a spatula and/or tongs, wearing oven mitts; BASTE with suggested additions if desired (RE-TEMPER pizza stone for 3 minutes before continuing with your next batch).
• BASTE baked Naan with suggested BASTE; KEEP warm in lined bread basket until serving; SERVE with dipping sauce if desired and ENJOY!

HOMEMADE EAST INDIAN CHAPATI BREAD

Steps:

• MEASURE the dry CHAPATI RECIPE ingredients first into large bowl of a food processor (omitting butter and water); PROCESS for 10 seconds; LEAVE processor running.
• ADD butter through feeder tube; PROCESS 10 seconds; WHISK the yogurt together with the water; SLOWLY pour yogurt/water mixture through feeder tube of processor while running; PROCESS dough ingredients until it forms a ball, about one minute.
• REMOVE dough from processor.
• DIVIDE the dough into 8 equal portions; ROLL out each piece to a circle between 1/16-1/8 inch thick on a well-floured surface (for crispy chapatis roll dough to 1/16''); SPRINKLE one side with desired toppings and/or seeds; LIFT chapati gently with a metal spatula; SPRINKLE other side with toppings; GENTLY roll top surface with a rolling pin.
• PLACE a heavy iron skillet over high heat until steam rises from it: LOWER heat to medium; ADD the first chapati to the pan.
• TURN the chapati over with a spatula when it begins to brown and bubble slightly (press down any high bubbles with spatula if necessary).
• TURN chapati once again.
• REMOVE the cooked chapati from the pan; BASTE lightly with melted butter or ghee; KEEP warm in foil lined with a paper towel.
• REPEAT the same cooking process for the remaining chapatis.
• SERVE warm with your favorite Indian entree with CUCUMBER-MINT YOGURT SAUCE or Major Grey chutney and enjoy!