Chapatis
Pooris
With our trip to India, Nepal and Tibet just weeks away, I thought I'd start to experiment with some of the more common foods of the region. I do this before all of our adventures begin and, more often than not, the first dish I attempt to make is the bread of the area. I adore bread and was delighted to find that the dough I worked with for this post actually makes two Indian classics. In India, a whole-wheat flour called atta is traditionally used make these breads. The flour can be hard to come by, but a reasonable facsimile of it can be made by combining three parts of whole-wheat flour with two part of white flour. The difference between chapatis and pooris lies in how they are cooked. Chapatis, which resemble tortillas, are a flatbread that is cooked on a griddle. Pooris are deep fried to produce hollow and delicious pillows that are perfect for scooping up food. Both breads are best eaten shortly after they are made, but the dough can be made up to a day before it is cooked, if it is refrigerated in an airtight container. Here's the recipe for these tasty and easy to make breads.
Chapatis and Pooris...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Nancie McDermott
Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water
Directions for Chapatis:
1) Sift both flours and salt into a medium bowl.
2) Add water and mix with hands to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead, adding flour as needed, until no longer sticky and dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
3) To cook chapatis, roll dough into a thin cylinder and cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Cover balls until ready to roll. Flatten each piece into a disk and place on a floured board. Roll it into a thin disk that is 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
4) Using a medium frying pan set over medium-high heat, cook chapatis one at a time, turning after 1 minute and cooking second side for another 30 to 60 seconds. Press quickly and firmly at various spots on the surface to encourage it to puff.
5) Remove and set aside. Cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm. Continue with remainder of dough balls, stacking them together until ready to serve. Yield: 12 chapatis.
Directions for Pooris:
1) Sift both flours and salt into a medium bowl.
2) Add water and mix with hands to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead, adding flour as needed, until no longer sticky and dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
3) To cook pooris, roll dough into a thin cylinder and cut into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Cover balls until ready to roll out. Place a cookie sheet on work surface to hold pooris as they are rolled.
4) Flatten a ball into a thin disk. Place on a floured work surface and roll into a pancake 3-inches in diameter. It should be 1/4-inch thick. Place on cookie sheet and continue to roll remainder of dough.
5) In a medium frying pan set over medium heat, bring 2 cups vegetable oil to 360 degrees F. Slide a pooris into oil. When it begins to puff, use a slotted spoon to press it into oil. Move spoon around the edges to help it puff. Turn it over when first side browns, about 15 to 30 seconds. Remove pooris from pan when second side is browned. Drain on paper towels. Continue with remainder of disks. Serve while hot. Yield: 16 small pooris.
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Puffy, Fluffy Spinach and Green Chilli Pooris - Ko Rasoi
Naan Indian Bread - Food Lovers
Bhatura - Tigers and Strawberries
Parantha: Onion Stuffed Indian Bread - Cook @ Ease
Garlic-Chard Roti - eCurry
Indian Dosas - One Perfect Bite
This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday
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