chapattis
I crashed and burned. Then rose like a phoenix from the ashes and made some of the best chapattis I have ever known!!!
To roll a short story long, this is what happened. Sick of eating yucky frozen chapattis I got the necessary material to make chapattis from the fundamentals. I did a search to find out how much wheat and water should I use to make the dough. Some moron wrote 2 1/2 cups for 2 cups of wheat. Very happily, I dumped 1 1/4 of water on to a cup of wheat and shock upon shock - it was no where close to what the dough should be like. It was rather fit for dosas. I panicked and tried calling anyone who might have any idea on this. Total failure. No one would answer my call - as though they knew why I was calling. It was good in one way. The worst of situations brings the best in men. I decided to do the most logical thing - add more wheat. There was very little improvement. It was more like dumping wheat into an abyss. I had no idea where all the wheat was going. (Well some went on the floor. I hate food ingredients so fine - flying all over and dirtying my kitchen. Ok let me not digress). Seeing not much improvement in the state of the dough, I put the whole thing in the fridge hoping it would solidify while I compose myself over a cup of coffee.
Came back after an hour and decided to check if it was any better. Nope. Tried adding some more wheat. Nope. The fluidity just would not reduce. I tried rolling small balls of the dough as it was. Nope. Only ended up sticking it in the rolling pin. I had to eat chapattis. I had to do something. I knew where the mistake was. Convincing myself this is an experiment and experiments do go wrong, I started afresh. This time, making sure I dint act like a moron and pour all the water in one shot. Sprinkled some water and mixed the wheat. Continued the process slowly and carefully untill I was happy with the dough and its state. I massaged it till I was convinced it was as happy as I was with it.
I let it sit for an hour. Seemed like eternity. I was growing hungry and excited about my experiment. I was imagining how my chapattis would heat up and rise like the morning sun. Yummy. After the stipulated 1 hour, I started the process of making small round balls. It was not just the end product that I was interested in. I wanted to experiment and push the limits on the process. I wanted to see how well I can manage the process of making those wheat balls, rolling those balls into flat round gorgeous uncooked chapattis and finally cook those chapattis. Due to lack of space and my aversion to doing the dishes, I wanted the three steps to be perfectly synchronized, and in parallel so that I complete the act of making chapattis using the least amount of time, energy, space and vessels. I must say it was a success. I dint burn any of the chapattis. I dint have to leave the hot plate without a chapatti on it at any time. It was a well oiled (actually well gheed;) ) process. It was like a symphony - except it was a treat to the tongue and eyes rather than the ears. I devoured the chapattis and slept like a baby. Even though the chapattis weren’t perfect. It came in all shapes - fused together in all possible permutations. Some call it imperfection. I call it creativity that cannot be replicated - even by me. It dint rise like the morning sun. It stayed put like a lazy bum on a sunday morning. Used more ghee than I would have liked to. Well there is always the tennis court.
To roll a short story long, this is what happened. Sick of eating yucky frozen chapattis I got the necessary material to make chapattis from the fundamentals. I did a search to find out how much wheat and water should I use to make the dough. Some moron wrote 2 1/2 cups for 2 cups of wheat. Very happily, I dumped 1 1/4 of water on to a cup of wheat and shock upon shock - it was no where close to what the dough should be like. It was rather fit for dosas. I panicked and tried calling anyone who might have any idea on this. Total failure. No one would answer my call - as though they knew why I was calling. It was good in one way. The worst of situations brings the best in men. I decided to do the most logical thing - add more wheat. There was very little improvement. It was more like dumping wheat into an abyss. I had no idea where all the wheat was going. (Well some went on the floor. I hate food ingredients so fine - flying all over and dirtying my kitchen. Ok let me not digress). Seeing not much improvement in the state of the dough, I put the whole thing in the fridge hoping it would solidify while I compose myself over a cup of coffee.
Came back after an hour and decided to check if it was any better. Nope. Tried adding some more wheat. Nope. The fluidity just would not reduce. I tried rolling small balls of the dough as it was. Nope. Only ended up sticking it in the rolling pin. I had to eat chapattis. I had to do something. I knew where the mistake was. Convincing myself this is an experiment and experiments do go wrong, I started afresh. This time, making sure I dint act like a moron and pour all the water in one shot. Sprinkled some water and mixed the wheat. Continued the process slowly and carefully untill I was happy with the dough and its state. I massaged it till I was convinced it was as happy as I was with it.
I let it sit for an hour. Seemed like eternity. I was growing hungry and excited about my experiment. I was imagining how my chapattis would heat up and rise like the morning sun. Yummy. After the stipulated 1 hour, I started the process of making small round balls. It was not just the end product that I was interested in. I wanted to experiment and push the limits on the process. I wanted to see how well I can manage the process of making those wheat balls, rolling those balls into flat round gorgeous uncooked chapattis and finally cook those chapattis. Due to lack of space and my aversion to doing the dishes, I wanted the three steps to be perfectly synchronized, and in parallel so that I complete the act of making chapattis using the least amount of time, energy, space and vessels. I must say it was a success. I dint burn any of the chapattis. I dint have to leave the hot plate without a chapatti on it at any time. It was a well oiled (actually well gheed;) ) process. It was like a symphony - except it was a treat to the tongue and eyes rather than the ears. I devoured the chapattis and slept like a baby. Even though the chapattis weren’t perfect. It came in all shapes - fused together in all possible permutations. Some call it imperfection. I call it creativity that cannot be replicated - even by me. It dint rise like the morning sun. It stayed put like a lazy bum on a sunday morning. Used more ghee than I would have liked to. Well there is always the tennis court.
posted by d'na | 7:57 PM
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