Best Indian Flatbreads Recipes

INDIAN GRIDDLE FLATBREADS (CHAPATIS)

Steps:

• DOUGH:.
• Put the flour in a bowl.
• Slowly add about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, just enough to gather the dough together and make a ball.
• Knead the dough well for 10 minutes.
• Make a smooth ball and put it in a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. It will turn quite soft.
• Divide into 12 balls. Keep covered while you work with the twelfth.
• COOK:.
• Set a cast-iron frying pan or griddle on medium-high heat. Allow it to heat up. Make a small wad with a cloth or paper towel and keep nearby.
• Take a ball of dough and dust it well with flour. Now roll it out into a 5-1/2-inch round on a floured surface. Lift it up and slap it back and forth between your palms to shake off the extra flour.
• DO THE FOLLOWING STEPS FAST:.
• Slap the chapati onto the hot griddle. Let it cook for 45 seconds.
• Turn it over and cook the second side for another 35-45 seconds.
• Turn it over again and cook another 5 to 6 seconds, pushing down on it with the paper wad and rotating it a little with each push. Do this fast; it helps to puff up the chapati.
• Put the cooked chapati on a plate and cover it with a towel or another upturned plate.
• Make all the chapatis this way, making sure to wipe off the cast-iron pan with a paper towel after each one is made. If it takes you a while to roll out the next chapati, turn the heat under the cast-iron pan down to low while you roll it and then turn it up again. (Or have someone else form a chapati while you cook one.).
• Serve immediately.
• These can be made ahead and stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or freezer. To reheat them, wrap a whole bundle of them in foil and put them in a medium oven (350F/177C) for 15 minutes. You can also sprinkle a little water on an individual chapati and then either heat it in a microwave oven for 30-45 seconds or slap it onto a hot, lightly greased griddle for a few seconds on each side.

ALOO PARATHA (INDIAN POTATO-STUFFED FLATBREADS)

Steps:

• Boil potatoes in salted water to cover, until tender.
• While potatoes cook, mix the flours, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Add 2 tablespoons of oil, then water.
• Mix until this becomes a defined (albeit sticky) ball of dough.
• Remove and knead until smooth, adding flour or water as necessary.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside while preparing potatoes.
• When potatoes are finished (tender), remove, drain and mash them with cayenne, salt, pepper, citrus juice, olives and 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12-inch long snake and cut into 12 pieces.
• Roll each piece into about 4-inch round.
• Spoon 1-2 tablespoon of potato mixture into round, then fold over edges to enclose completely.
• Pinch dough closed and press down to distribute filling evenly.
• Heat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Add another tablespoon of oil to skillet, then pour out (you just want a thin film of oil on pan).
• Cook each bread for about 3 minutes per side, until brown spots appear.
• Repeat until all are done.
• Serve hot or room temperature.

INDIAN FLATBREADS

Steps:

• Combine the flours and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center, add 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix to make a sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Brush a bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover and let rest about 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 even balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into an 8-to-9-inch round, then layer between parchment paper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. One at a time, lightly brush each dough round with oil and place in the pan. Cook until bubbly on top and charred on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and cook 1 more minute. Remove from the skillet, brush with more oil and season with salt. To reheat, wrap the flatbreads in a damp paper towel and microwave 45 seconds.

INDIAN KOFTAS WITH MINT YOGURT & FLATBREADS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the lamb mince with the curry paste, mango chutney, garlic and ginger. Season a little and roll into 20 oval balls. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan - you shouldn't need any oil, as lamb mince is quite fatty. Cook the koftas in batches for 2-3 mins - be careful as they are quite fragile.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Transfer the koftas to a baking tray and put in the oven for 10 mins, adding the flatbreads for the final 5 mins. Mix the yogurt with the mint sauce. Serve the koftas wrapped in a flatbread with some minty yogurt, tomato and lettuce.