Monday, August 29, 2005

IMBB 18 Frying!



When I heard about the fried food required for this month's Is My Blog Burning (IMBB) my head was full of all sorts of fabulous deep fried goodies, Ayam Goreng, Fish and Chips, Donuts. But then I remembered that I have implace a vieto on homemade deep fried goodies, to much fat everywhere and it can only be a sliding slope from there (I mean to deep fried goodnes all the time ;) ). So when I found my Chapati Press last week I new that FRIED BREAD or Chapati would be in my near future and would be perfect for this IMBB! YAY! The recipe/method I used is courtosey of Nupur who lovingly left her longest and most useful comment which contained everything I needed to make this yummy bread! To go with the yummy bread I needed something Indian that was smooth and would be perfect to be picked up with the tender Chapati. I found a recipe for Dudhi Channigewhich was perfect to eat with the Chapati, it was actually not only perfect but delicious and one of the best meals I have made in awhile :).

To make the Chapati I found a HUGE Indian Grocer in Ashfield which had the required 'Atta' flour for $1.30 for a Kilo! The Chapati where very easy to make, whilst I was kneading the dough I was delighted with how smooth and tender the dough became, the dough was alittle wetter than you would normally make it for bread, but as I kneaded I noticed that this was good, I think it also prevented the dough from drying out as I pressed them later on. I made sure to knead the dough til it was really smooth and stretchy which is important when you are trying to make the Chapati really thin later. Whilst I don't yet have a griddle pan I used my Le Creuset Saute dish which when really hot worked really well, I found out that the thinner I could make the dough the better they puffed up. Even if you don't have a Chapati press I would definately recommend making them as they are so easy and delicious.

Thanks Linda for choosing such a yummy theme for IMBB
Chapati Dough( Courtesy of Nupurs comment :) )
Chapati dough is simple enough to make: simply whole wheat flour, pinch of salt and water kneaded together to make a soft smooth-as-a-babys-bottom dough, cover with a damp towel and let it rest for 20-30 minutes, then make golf-ball size balls and roll ( or press) out the chapatis. Bake them over a hot griddle/ frying pan. After dry-roasting the chapati, remove it from the fire and drizzle with a few drops of oil or ghee so it stays soft till it is eaten. Having said that, here are a few notes:
1. The flour that is used for chapatis has a texture coarser than all-purpose flour and finer than the whole wheat flour found in Western groceries. A good idea would be to locate an Indian grocery and buy a package of flour there. It is called "atta".
2. Some people add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil while kneading the dough to make it more pliable.
3. Authentic chapatis are not merely flat breads, they are LAYERED flat breads. Here is how you could do it. Make a ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll it out a bit till it is a small circle. Dab some oil all over the circle. Now fold the circle into half and then quarter. Pat this shape into a ball and then press it out into a chapati. what happens is: after cooking , the layers seperate and puff up, helped by the dab of oil between the layers and you get an authentic chapati.

Dudhi Channige
250 gms chana dal
1/2 kg bottlegourd (dudhi) ( I didn't use this I use a chopped sweet potato and a chopped red capsicum)
3 onions, chopped finely
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 cm piece ginger
4 green chillies
2 tomatoes
1 lemon
2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
oil as needed
salt to taste

seasoning:
1 clove garlic
1 red chilli
a pinch of cumin seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
a small piece of ginger, sliced

Heat 2 tbsps oil and fry the onion till golden brown. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chopped ginger, green chillies and chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes. Add the channa dal and water enough to cook till dal is soft. Peel and cut the bottlegourd into small pieces and add to the dal mixture. When the vegetable is cooked, add the garma masala powder and salt to taste. Squeeze in lemon juice. Heat 2 tbsps oil, fry the whole red chilli, sliced ginger, crushed garlic, asafoetida and cumin seeds. Pour over the dal mixture. Garnish with coriander leaves.

I also had a Cucumber Raita you can find my recipe here

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Clare, they look oh so good! I love chapatis.

aiks, I forgot to give u the tortilla recipe, will do it afterwards. 

Posted by boo_licious

Anonymous said...

Hi Boo :)
They were really good! Soooooo easy you have to make them!

I would love the recipe thanks :) 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Clare, I am impressed, look delicious, both the chapatis and the curry.
Have you ever tried Puris, the deep fried version of small round chapatis? 

Posted by Indira

Anonymous said...

Hi Indira
You don't know how much that means coming from you :)
No, I have never had Puris before :(

Is the curry reasonably authentic? It tasted soooooo good! Casey claimed all the left overs for hisself at work tomorrow (which makes me very happy) 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Hi Clare - Looks great!  

Posted by Kirk

Anonymous said...

Of course it does Kirk :P 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Clare, I think you have satisfied the criteria for honorary Indian citizenship! Girl, you are putting me to shame here, making chapatis and all ( lazy me, I usually end up buying mine ready-made). It was a total pleasure to give you those little tips, it was a good use of a dull Saturday morning.  

Posted by Nupur

Anonymous said...

Hi Nupur :)
I am so glad you think I did a good job :) They tasted soooo good! Pity you don't live in Oz so I couldn't make(or get you to make it!)

I really like the atta flour, it had such a nice texture and taste, I think it would make great yeast bread too.

I have some dough leftover wrapped in the fridge... hopefully it should be still ok tomorrow ?

Thanks again for taking the time to write the instructions to make chapati! I think that they would work great with mexican just like that :) 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Your chapati and dudhi look so authentically delish, clare! Hmmm, I'll probably be too lazy to make my own chapatis, though, cos they're so easy to get here in SG. 

Posted by Julia

Anonymous said...

Clare,

Everything looks really good. I love Indian food, so I think I better find some atta flour!

Nupur,

Thanks for the tips to make Chapati I have always wanted to make some, now I can! :D 

Posted by mIlgwimper

Anonymous said...

Hi Julia
They probably are easy to get there too, we can buy them in the supermarket here too but they don't taste nearly as good!

Hi Milly
I think so too, now go and get some :) You should make the curry too, it is soooo good!!! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Clare,
I've been reading your blog for about a month now.
I must say, I enjoy the wonderful writing with the fantastic photos.
Keep 'em coming.
 

Posted by Al

Anonymous said...

Those look excellent! I have wanted to make these for a long time but just haven't gotten around to it. Now I don't have an excuse. Although, I will no doubt have to go find me one of those gorgeous looking chapati presses!

I have only seen them made by hand. Do you think the press makes it particularly easier? Is it a worthwhile investment for someone who will only make them once in a while? 

Posted by plum

Anonymous said...

Hi Al
That is so sweet thank you! It is great to now that the effort is appreciated :)

Hi Plum
I have wanted a tortilla press for ages! I figure that the chapati press will make it easy to do both! I haven't tried rolling the chappatis out by hand but they were very easy to squish in the press! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

i lurve chapatis esp straight off the girdle 

Posted by babe_kl

Anonymous said...

How good are they! It would be nice to live somewhere fresh ones are easily avaliable! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Hi Clare,

Oooh chapati. YUMMY! Great job! 

Posted by Reid

Anonymous said...

Hi Reid!
Thanks :) So glad you approve! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

thanks for your comment, quite flattering really since i have been a fan of your blog for such a long time :)
i suppose on the weekend i will follow suit with my cat photos. im still kind of new at this food blog thing :) take care 

Posted by Catesa

Anonymous said...

Hey Clare
refrigerated chapati dough should be just fine for a day or two ( I have seen that being done at my mom's home many times). As a variation you could try stuffing the dough with vegetable or cheese fillings to make stuffed parathas. 

Posted by Nupur

Anonymous said...

Hi Catesa
Not a problem as we were all new once.... I haven't been at this that long yet :) Anytime you feel like posting a pic of your kitty will be cool with me :)

Hi Nupur
I am so glad, I was planning on giving it ago anyway :)
OOOOH I like the way you think ;)! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Clare, it's authentic alright. You enjoyed it, right, that's really what matters, I think. 

Posted by Indira

Anonymous said...

Hi Indira
I definately enjoyed it, but it is nice to know if it authentic or not too :) 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

I've got a craving for the Chinese Flatbread the Missus makes - only thing is, she's permanantly "retired" from making it.... 

Posted by Kirk

Anonymous said...

Kirk
that is so sad :( not even if you ask really nicely?

Perhaps you need to learn to make it yourself! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Hi, Clare. Missed me, lol. I am so very impressed with you! This looks amazing, and I've never tried anything like it. 

Posted by Amy

Anonymous said...

Of course I did! how could I not miss you?

You have to try it! or at least the curry it is soooooo good! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Hi Clare. i'm really just stopping by to say hello. I got my power last night, so I am back on-line. Sorry but I am still to tired to really read, but your picture looked great!!!!  

Posted by Cara

Anonymous said...

I've tried to make it myself and it never comes out right....I'll just wait until the MIL is back in town. 

Posted by Kirk

Anonymous said...

Hi Cara
I am so glad your power is back on and you are ok.

Hi Kirk
That sucks... oh well maybe you wll need some lessons next time the MIL is in town? 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Oy! I finally am able to post comments again on your blog.. Im impressed with your chapati making skills. I once made my own pita bread before and was quite pleased with myself when they turned out perfectly, with big fluffy pockets for filling them up with..I'll have to try the chapatis! Nice work on the IMBB for this month!  

Posted by Michele

Anonymous said...

Hi Michele :)
Thanks soooo much! I am so glad you can comment again on your funky little new laptop ;)... this would have been perfect for your vegatarian friend ;) 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Chinese flat bread? Not the pancakes served with mushu right?

Clare! I tried the goreng last night! I had a few problems though and I'll have to give it another shot =o( First off, I ran out of salt a few days ago and I keep forgeting to pick some up. |oP Then, the recipe says to add galangal, but galangal isn't listed in the ingredients. I just doubled the ginger. Also, no chilies? I went ahead and pan toasted a few and added them anyway just in case. I will plan to brine the chicken next time.

I REALLY liked this and so did Mike & my neighbors. I had 3 nice zuchini from the garden and while the chicken simmered, I tempura fried them. I love tempura! Pepper loved the chicken as well! Since it wasn't very spicy, I gave him a couple pieces. Scarf city! 

Posted by Jo

Anonymous said...

Attention: SECOND REQUEST that you come up here and be my personal chef! Do not make me show up on your doorstep with my little knapsack and a flock of starving sheepsies. : ) 

Posted by farmgirl

Anonymous said...

The MIL believes I'm a hopeless bread and dumling maker - though loves everything else I make. It's not the Chinese Pancake - I can't think of the Chinese name right now for the life of me.... 

Posted by Kirk

Anonymous said...

hi clare, that chapati looks divine! and so beautifully blistered...lovely lovely entry, as always 

Posted by J

Anonymous said...

Hi J
you are so sweet :)
I think I can still perfect it yet though ;) but they sure tasted good! 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Hey Clare. Both the chapati and dudhi look great! I love the dudhi dish (though in my family we call it goes by a different name) but completely had forgotten about it. You've inspired me to track down some dudhi and make this :-) 

Posted by tanvi

Anonymous said...

Hi Tanvi!
I think you just made my day :) 

Posted by clare eats

Anonymous said...

Hi Clare,
I am actually making the dudhi right now!It smells so good! I was thinking of buying a tortilla press and wanted to know if you could suggest a good brand.

Thanks! 

Posted by Praveena

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