chapati for one?

[easternsun]

i have a craving for tomato fry and chapati - but my recipe for chapati makes sooo many!!

i am terrible at splitting recipes - it never works out.

does anyone have a chapati for one or two recipe?

[Milagai]

i have a craving for tomato fry and chapati - but my recipe for chapati makes sooo many!!

i am terrible at splitting recipes - it never works out. 

does anyone have a chapati for one or two recipe?

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why don't you freeze the extra chapatis?

they freeze and reheat beautifully....

i always find it too laborious to make only 1 or 2 chapatis so

sorry i have no recipe for small quantity....

milagai

[Edward]

Hello easternsun,

One thing I do often is to make my regular portion of dough, take out enough for a few chapati, and then wrap the rest tightly in plastic wrap and then in a ziploc bag. The dough usually lasts up to 5 days this way. Just remember to bring it to room temperature before using the rest.

Otherwise try this proportion : 3/4 cup atta and about 1/4 cup water(more or less as needed). This will make from 3 to 6 chapati, depending on the size.

Now, I would love to hear about your "Tomato Fry". What is that all about?

Edward

edited for spelling

Edited February 19, 2005 by Edward (log)

[percyn]

Or you could just mail me the extra ones ;-)

[easternsun]

Hello easternsun,

One thing I do often is to make my regular portion of dough, take out enough for a few chapati, and then wrap the rest tightly in plastic wrap and then in a ziploc bag. The dough usually lasts up to 5 days this way. Just remember to bring it to room temperature before using the rest.

Otherwise try this proportion : 3/4 cup atta and about 1/4 cup water(more or less as needed). This will make from 3 to 6 chapati, depending on the size.

Now, I would love to hear about your "Tomato Fry". What is that all about?

Edward

thanks i will try that! i didnt make it last night. tonight i will try to make a small batch of chapati. tomato fry is my second fave after chili gobi! it is so easy to make and the best compliment i can pay a chapati!

it is really nothing more than tomatoes, onions, garlic, and ginger - fried with some chili powder, mustard seed, g. masala and red chillies. that is it.

[easternsun]

Or you could just mail me the extra ones ;-)

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well...i am still working on the perfectly round thing!! i am not sure they would hold up in the post!

[Episure]

Or you could just mail me the extra ones ;-)

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well...i am still working on the perfectly round thing!! i am not sure they would hold up in the post!

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You can always make a large one and use a pan, cake tin or such an implement to cut a round disc.

[easternsun]

Or you could just mail me the extra ones ;-)

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well...i am still working on the perfectly round thing!! i am not sure they would hold up in the post!

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You can always make a large one and use a pan, cake tin or such an implement to cut a round disc.

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ok, i admit i cheated last night and used a plate to make them round it is much easier but i still endeavour to roll them out round!

another question if i may:

last night i used canadian wheat flour (there is no indian grocery in osaka) - the first one was rock hard (is that like pancakes where the first one is always crap??), the second one came closer as i added butter to the pan. the rest were ok but i think that i need to modify the recipe. i am using about 300g wheat flour, 1 tbsp of veg. shortening and 1 cup of hot h2o. more water? more shortening? is chapati making like baking where you need to measure things out precisely?

ok, more than one question - my bad!

btw, if anyone wants me to mail them some dal - i made enough to feed the village i used to live in lets hope it freezes well.

[prasantrin]

There are a few Indian grocery stores in Kobe, though. It's not that far from Osaka and the atta is worth the trip! Plus you can dine at one of the fabulous Indian restaurants in Kobe (Osaka has good ones, too, but Kobe has better...) I think I may have an extra bag lying around should you be interested...I go to Umeda several times a month if you want to meet to pick it up.

I think the problem is your flour. Atta is finely ground whole wheat flour. I would think a coarser flour would make it harder. I also made some chappati a couple of nights ago, and I used about 1.5 cups atta, 1/2 cup water (I used to use hot water, too, but have found it doesn't make much of a difference), and a bit of oil. Didn't measure the oil or flour, though. I ended up having to add more flour so I probably had about 1.75-2 cups flour. I don't think you have to measure precisely. My chappati were excellent! Nice puffing, too!

Oh, I have found that when I use too high a temperature to cook them, they get very hard. I find something less than medium works well for me (on a gas stove). You just have to play around a bit before you find the right temperature for soft, poofy chappati.

Years ago, when I wanted perfectly round chapati, I'd use a tortilla press to get the initial round shape. Much easier to keep it round when rolling it out, when it's round to begin with.

[easternsun]

There are a few Indian grocery stores in Kobe, though.  It's not that far from Osaka and the atta is worth the trip!  Plus you can dine at one of the fabulous Indian restaurants in Kobe (Osaka has good ones, too, but Kobe has better...)  I think I may have an extra bag lying around should you be interested...I go to Umeda several times a month if you want to meet to pick it up.

I think the problem is your flour.  Atta is finely ground whole wheat flour.  I would think a coarser flour would make it harder.  I also made some chappati a couple of nights ago, and I used about 1.5 cups atta, 1/2 cup water (I used to use hot water, too, but have found it doesn't make much of a difference), and a bit of oil.  Didn't measure the oil or flour, though.  I ended up having to add more flour so I probably had about 1.75-2 cups flour.  I don't think you have to measure precisely.  My chappati were excellent!  Nice puffing, too!

Oh, I have found that when I use too high a temperature to cook them, they get very hard.  I find something less than medium works well for me (on a gas stove).  You just have to play around a bit before you find the right temperature for soft, poofy chappati.

Years ago, when I wanted perfectly round chapati, I'd use a tortilla press to get the initial round shape.  Much easier to keep it round when rolling it out, when it's round to begin with.

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brilliant! thanks so much for the offer! maybe one day you could show me where these indian groceries are located

i used to be able to get indian goods at mediya near sakai-suji /hommachi - but my last trek up there was a sad one as the shop has closed

i must get to kobe! i will admit that i am clueless when it comes to your city....please be my guide

incidentally, i had gobi chili, dal and chappati for breakfast and well, lunch too time to undo the top button on my pants and time to stop eating! they are much better today after being in the fridge overnight. i agree that the flour is the problem but i also think they needed more moisture.

i had a good laugh at the gas stove comment as i think each one was cooked using a different "flame level"

do you grease the pan?

[prasantrin]

i had a good laugh at the gas stove comment as i  think each one was cooked using a different "flame level"

do you grease the pan?

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I don't grease--but I do use non-stick. Yes, it does take a long time to get the flame just right, doesn't it . I used the medium burner on my stove, with the setting at maybe medium low. Or somewhere between medium and medium low. On my stove, even medium seems to be too hot.

[Episure]

Just flour, water and TLC = Phulkas.

Knead into a tight dough, roll and cook 25% on each side and then directly on medium Flame.

Edited May 12, 2005 by Episure (log)

[easternsun]

Just flour, water and TLC = Phulkas.

Knead into a tight dough, roll and cook 25% on each side and then directly on medium Flame.

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beeeeeautiful pic episure! thanks!

i like the direct flame method - cook 25% - you got me ! how long is that or what am i looking for in the bread?

thanks for the reply and the picture.

i really think that chapati /chappati? \ chapatti is one of those practice makes perfect things..fits in quite well as that is the theme for the rest of my life

one more thing...is roti the same thing? i remember when i was a kid the neighbours were from india and they called their bread roti - is that a northern thing? or a different bread?

[Episure]

Hmmm...25%...well you cook one side without letting the spots appear and then flip it over and cook further till the spots start appearing. Then fast flip directly on a flame to your level of doneness. The chapati in the picture cooked( both sides for another 10 seconds before plopping on my plate for lunch. The aroma of a broiling chapati permeates the house and sets off a pavlovian reflex, bringing about a sense of urgency to finish current tasks and come to the table.

I need a rap me on my knuckles but there is no other way to describe this.

A phulka is a puffed up chapati/roti.

A roti may be a tandoori roti.

A tandoori roti is never a chapati.

A phulka/chapati is almost always made from wholewheat flour.

Then there are the parathas/parottas/paranthas.

Reason enough for you to visit India again?