East African Chapati
Soft, layered East African (Kenyan) flatbread made with ghee and cooked until golden.
Ingredients
| 3 cups | 720 ml | all-purpose flour |
| 1 teaspoon | 5 ml | sugar |
| 1 1/2 teaspoon | 7.5 ml | salt |
| 3 tablespoons | 45 ml | ghee (clarified butter) or oil |
| 1 1/4 cup | 300 ml | warm water |
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the flour and make a well, then add the sugar and salt, followed by the water and ghee or oil.
- Knead to form a soft and sticky dough.
- Place the dough on a heavily floured board and knead for about 8-14 minutes. Continue to flour the dough as needed to facilitate kneading. Be careful not to overdo it - the dough should be soft, elastic and smooth.
- Divide the dough into 6 or 8 pieces according to preference and let it rest. The resting relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to work with, producing tender chapati.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle. They do not have to be perfect circles.
- At this stage you may proceed to cooking. However, if you want chapatis with layers, do the next steps.
- Lightly oil the chapati dough with ghee. Be gentle with the oil.
- Place the dough on a heavily floured plate and press it down. Turn the dough over and press down - lightly shake off the excess flour.
- Shape the dough like a paper fan, starting at one end all the way to the opposite end. Then coil it up.
- When all the dough has been coiled up, cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Gently flatten out the coiled dough and roll out, beginning from the center working outwards. Rotate the dough each time you roll it to help make a perfect circle. Do not roll too thin - 1/4 inch thickness is good.
- Oil the pan (a crepe pan or skillet works). Place the dough on the pan.
- Heavily oil the other side of the dough, making sure to oil the edges too.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes, rotating as needed until golden brown. Serve warm.