How to make the perfect Chapatti in minutes

The chapatti is one of the most popular food items to people living in India and East Africa. It has also been exported to many parts of the world, thanks to human migration around the globe. No meal is complete without it; two hefty discs and a mug of steaming tea or coffee are usually all one needs for breakfast. Come lunchtime or supper, you can enjoy it with fried beans, beef or chicken stew, green grams or milk.

For the legions of chapatti fans all over the world, the greatest challenge to making the perfect chapatti lies in the preparation of the dough. The following technique has been tried and tested by diehard chapatti aficionados, and found to work perfectly, especially in outdoor cooking.

What you need; One kilo of fine sifted all-purpose wheat flour, a quarter kilo of solid fat or margarine, a tablespoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one egg, a pinch of baking powder and yeast (only a little, unless you want make mandazi).

The method; you'll need a liter of hot water (80-95 degrees Celsius). Melt the margarine or cooking fat and mix with the water. Then mix all the other ingredients together in a shallow bowl and start kneading, preferably with your bare hands in order to achieve a perfect consistency. Remember to keep a little amount of hot water and oil aside, in case you need them (for the best results, the dough has to be as soft as possible, but firm enough not to stick to your hands). Now sprinkle some flour on the dough and on your preparation surface so that it doesn't stick when you press it with your rolling pin. You may now cut up the dough into equal round shapes (a kilo of flour will yield about fifteen medium-sized discs). Start rolling; since the dough is quite soft and pliant, the secret here is to apply as little pressure as possible with your rolling pin so make sure to push it back and forth with as little effort as possible. This way, the dough will not smudge your work top.

Now heat up your heavy frying pan and spread the first of the discs on it ( do not apply the oil yet, this procedure is meant to make the chapatti firmer so that it doesn't disintegrate in your hands (or on the pan when being turned on the other side). Repeat the process with all the other discs so that you end up with fifteen firm, soft, partly baked chapattis. The fun begins here! Now turn up the heat a notch and pour a little amount of the now-liquid margarine on it; if the oil starts sizzling gently, it means you now have the perfect heat for making your snack soft, pliant and fluffy. Spread the now-firm discs, two at a time, on the frying pan, taking care to spread the oil completely on top of each. Keep checking the chapatti underside to make sure it bakes evenly. Serve hot, with an accompaniment of your choice.
The chapatti is one of the most versatile snacks, and can be taken at mealtimes, barbecues, cocktail parties as finger food, or simply on its own.

Distinguish yourself as a chapatti expert with these easy tips.