The diversity of Indian cuisine is reflected
in the sheer variety of flatbreads and crêpes.
Most Indian breads are flatbreads, that is
flattened by rolling and are mostly without the addition of leavening agent.
So what is a leavening agent?
A leavening agent also called leavening or
leaven is a substance used in dough and a batter that causes them to rise. The
triggers could be moisture, heat, acidity. The leavening agent reacts to
produce gas (often carbon dioxide) that becomes trapped as bubbles within the
dough.
In northern India breads are primarily from
milled flour, usually whole wheat flour / Atta or maida/ all purpose flour, and
water. Paratha may be stuffed with
vegetables and layered with either ghee or butter or they may be kneaded in the
dough itself.
The Atta is kneaded with salt and a little oil
with water/ milk and then rolled on the “chakla with the belan” or on a floured
board with the rolling pin and then baked on a hot tava/skillet. Puri, lucchi,
baturas etc are deep fried.
Different varieties of Indian bread include
are Chapatti, Phulka, Puri, Roti, Bajra
Rotla, Thepla, Paratha, Naan, Kulcha,
Bhatoora, Luchi, Puran Poli/ holgi
,Pathiri, Parotta and many more. The difference arises from on the kind of
grain used to prepare them, and also on the fillings they contain.
In southern India and the West Coast, most
flatbreads are basically crêpe made from Urid dal and rice, generally the kinds
of lentils used in India especially south India is mindboggling.
The batter of rice and dal is prepared and
ladled in small amounts onto a hot greased or tava/skillet, where it is spread
out into a circle and fried with oil or ghee until golden brown.
In
Western India (including the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and
Rajasthan) bread may be made from coarse grains such as bajra, sorghum or ragi,
though wheat is the staple in these regions. These breads are known by various
names rotlo (Gujarati), bhakri (Marathi), roti (Rajasthan) or rotti (North
Karnataka). Rice is also used to make rotti.
The Appam is fermented bread usually prepared
with finely powdered rice flour.
Who can forget masala dosa and its variations
also a South Indian staple food.
The famous naan and tandoori roti which are
baked in a tandoor are of Central Asian Origin. Naan is leavened with yeast.
Most of this gyan is from Wikipedia, of
course.
So let’s begin out journey about Indian breads
with the plain everyday chapatti.
Something each girl learns at her mother’s
place, the first chapatti where mum guides you to make it, the thrill of eating
“my chapatti”!
I still remember how my father in my Std. IX
used to tease me about the maps I made every day for his breakfast. Till, I gave him perfectly round circles, not
one of them smaller or bigger than the next one.
He started his next hunt how does she do it? The
mystery remained mystery till he caught me using a plate with a sharp edge and
removing the uneven edges. :D
So let us get down to make e chapattis, here
is what you need.
Chapatti
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour+ some more for application
- 1 tblspn oil+ some more for application in a bowl
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Water as needed
Method:
- Mix the
flour, oil and salt.
- Add a little
water at a time to make a soft dough.
- Knead the
dough well.
- Apply some
oil and keep aside covered for ½ an hour at least.
- After ½ an
hour knead the dough again.
- Divide into
6 portions dredge.
- Roll out
each portion into small circles the size of your palm
- Dip your
fingers in the oil and apply to the circle. Fold in a semicircle.
- Apply some
oil to the semicircle and fold again. Now you have a quarter.
- Dredge in
dry flour and roll out thin rounds. Use flour to prevent the chapatti sticking
to the board or the rolling pin.
- Cook on a
heated tava/skillet.
- Keep the
flame low and transfer the chapatti on the hot tava/skillet.
- As the
chapatti cooks you will get slight bubbles on the surface of the chapatti.
- Gently turn
the chapatti so the side on the tava/skillet is now facing up. Raise the flame
to high.
- Now your
chapatti will cook faster and if you have rolled out the chapatti well it will
fluff up.
- With a clean
kitchen cloth or a spatula press the edges turn the chapatti. The idea is that
the chapatti should be browned lightly
even on the edges. Once all the edges are done.
- Turn the chapatti
again for the final time. Repeat the
pressing of the edges.
- Set aside.
Notes:
- The rolling
of the chapatti has to be tin on the edges and thicker in the centre.
- If your
rolling is correct and even then you need not press the chapatti. But I prefer
to do it as the chapatti fluffs up and the edges are not done.
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