1,000 Indian Recipes (296 page)

Here are some tips for working with the dough:

1.
Make a semi-firm dough that doesn't stick to your fingers. If the dough is too firm, the bread made from it will be hard, and if it is too soft, it will stick to your fingers and you will not be able to work with it.

2.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl and let it rest 1 to 4 hours to allow the gluten to develop. This makes breads that are crisp outside and soft inside.

3.
Whole-wheat dough stores well about 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use it preferably at room temperature, or chilled straight from the refrigerator. Chilled dough will be firm and a little harder to use.

4.
Dough can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. Do not microwave. This cooks the dough, rendering it useless for any breads.

Basic Whole-Wheat Dough

Gundha Hua Atta

Makes 10 to 12 breads

In Indian bread making, this whole-wheat flour and water dough, with no other additives, is the most basic.

2 cups stone-ground durum whole-wheat flour

About 1 cup water, or nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

To make in a food processor:

1.
Place the flour in the work bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal S-blade. Turn the machine on, add the water or yogurt in a thin stream, and process until it just gathers into a ball.

2.
Continue to process until the sides of the bowl look clean, 20 to 30 seconds. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough sticks to the sides of the work bowl, and some water if the dough seems hard.) Stop the machine, remove the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and let rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours. (This allows the gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.

To make by hand:

1.
Place the flour in a bowl and add
³
⁄
₄
cup water. Stir lightly in round circular motions with clean fingers until it starts to gather. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough seems sticky, or some water if it seems too firm.)

2.
Knead for about a minute, pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, then gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers and pressing the center down. Repeat kneading a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. If, while kneading, the dough sticks to your hands, put a little oil or water on them.

3.
Cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl and let rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours at room temperature. (This allows the gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.

Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads

Chapati, Roti, aur Phulkae

Makes 10 to 12 breads

Made with the basic whole-wheat and water dough,
chapatis
are also called
roti
and
phulka
. These unleavened flatbreads are the Indian daily bread, a versatile staple all over the country, at just about every meal. Served with vegetables, meats, or just pickles, they can go from being center stage during a major meal to being side dishes during breakfast and tea.

Typically,
chapatis
are rolled out and cooked while people are eating, so everyone gets to enjoy them fresh. As each
chapati
is picked off the griddle, it is lightly basted with melted
ghee
or butter and then crumpled like a piece of paper, before it is deposited in front of a hungry diner. The
chapati
stays crumpled and the
ghee
seeps into the cracks formed by crumpling, spreading the flavor. If you wish to crumple them, first put each on a clean kitchen towel and then do so; they can be very hot on bare hands.

1 recipe
Basic Whole-Wheat Dough

1 cup stone-ground durum whole-wheat flour in a medium bowl or a pie dish, for coating and dusting

Rolling pin

3 to 4 tablespoons melted ghee or butter, for basting (optional)

1.
Heat the tava or griddle over medium-high heat until a sprinkling of the flour immediately turns dark brown. Wipe off the flour and proceed. While the tava is heating, with lightly oiled hands, divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 round balls and cover with foil to prevent drying.

2.
Working with each ball separately, place it in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips and coat well with the flour. Then transfer it to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface, and, with a rolling pin, roll it into a 6- to 7-inch circle of uniform thickness. If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust lightly with more flour. (Chapatis can be rolled on a lightly floured surface also, though this is not a common practice in India.)

3.
Place the rolled chapati on the hot tava and turn it over when it is dotted with tiny golden dots on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Once the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over again. Soon the chapati will start to puff up. With the help of a small clean kitchen towel crumpled into a ball, press lightly on the puffed parts and gently guide and push the air into the flatter parts until the whole chapati puffs up into a round ball. (Your first few puffing attempts may not be successful, but don't be disheartened; the taste and texture will still be wonderful.) Transfer to a plate, baste lightly with the ghee, if using (and crumple it if you wish), and serve hot.

Multi-Flour Griddle Breads

Millae-Jullae Aatton ki Chapatiyan

Makes 10 to 12 breads

An array of flours ground from different grains and legumes can be found in health food stores and Indian markets all over the country. Experiment with them; they are easy to use. Make a dough, mix in some flours, and see how delicious the breads turn out. Here, I give you a basic blend of flours, but mix them in any proportions. The bread density may change, but the breads will still be wonderful and nutritious.

¹
⁄
₃
cup whole-wheat flour

¹
⁄
₃
cup oat flour

¹
⁄
₃
cup soy flour

¹
⁄
₃
cup fine-grain semolina

¹
⁄
₄
cup ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

1 teaspoon dried mint leaves

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon coarsely ground carom seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach, or any other greens

²
⁄
₃
to
³
⁄
₄
cup water or nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1.
In a large bowl, mix together everything except the water (or yogurt). Then add the water (or yogurt), a little at a time, mixing lightly with clean fingers in round circular motions until the flour starts to gather. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough seems sticky, or some water if it seems too firm.)

2.
Knead for about a minute, pressing your knuckles lightly into the dough, spreading the dough outward, then gathering the ends together toward the center with your fingers. Push down the center, then repeat pressing and gathering a few times until you have a soft and pliable dough that does not stick to your fingers. If, while kneading, the dough sticks to your hands, put a little oil or water on them.

3.
Cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl and let it rest at least 1 and up to 4 hours at room temperature. This allows the gluten to develop. If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.

4.
To make the chapati breads, with lightly oiled hands divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 round balls, cover with foil to prevent drying, then follow the directions for
Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads
from Step 2.