Chapati

There are many traditional breads served in Nepal. Roti is how you say bread in Nepali (very similar to Hindi, right?) and they range from deep-fried, honey breads to light, oily paratha to naan stuffed with potatoes, onions or paneer. My favourite (and also the easiest of the breads to make) is chapati. It's a simple, tortilla-like wheat bread that pares perfectly with hearty soups, spicy curries or even as a side dish for a simple cheese-plate.

Another thing I like about chapati? They're stupid cheap and easy to make. My kinda food!

Freshly made chapati

I usually make a large amount of chapati dough (the equivalent of 30+ chapati) and freeze them. I've experimented with a few different techniques: cooking the chapati then freezing them, freezing the dough balls or rolling out the dough and layering them between parchment paper before freezing. All methods work well although I'd probably suggest the later as the easiest and most delicious way to store these suckers; that way you don't need to worry about rolling out the dough and it can thaw quickly for easy grilling.

Ingredients

Makes enough for about 10 chapatis

2 C wheat flour

Yogurt or milk (or water if you don't have these)

Salt 

2 TB oil

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour with a few pinches of salt. Start adding in the yogurt a bit at a time and knead as you go along. Add some oil and keep going. You want a smooth dough that's not too sticky and not too loose. It needs to hold up to being rolled out but you don't want it to be too tough. 

2.  Once it's too a good, rich consistency smooth it out and cover it up to let it sit for a few minutes - about 10-20 minutes or so. 

3. When it's ready to go, divide the dough into equal portions that fit in the palm of your hand - about the size of a golf ball. This is when you can either freeze the individual balls or continue on with the next step.

4. When you're ready to go on with the chapati-making, roll the balls in a bit of flour then proceed to roll them out into flat circles about 1/8" thick or so. This might take a couple of times so remember to keep coating it with flour so that it doesn't get sticky. 

5. When the chapati are thin enough, heat up a flat skillet over a medium flame. Pop one of the dough-rounds on the skillet until the top side gets bubbly. Flip it over and let it cook on the other side. The chapati ought to puff up but if it doesn't no worries, just make sure it gets browned on both sides. Serve them immediately and enjoy!

Note: Here's an excellent site that demonstrates how to make chapati with step-by-step pictures. If you're confused by the above, check out this: How to Make Chapatis.

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