Flash in the Pan

In the past I've tried making chapati, a grilled Indian bread made of whole wheat flour. Although I knew in theory that it took a special flour, I tried using ordinary whole wheat, and the results were indifferent. Recently we were in an Asian market in Hadley, MA and on a whim I picked up a 5 pound sack of atta, the "proper" flour made of whole grain durum wheat. What a difference a grain can make. My wife gave it thumbs up, and it approached the version we get at a great Indian restaurant in Boston, India Quality, we've been going to for a good 20 years (long before Zagat's ever dreamt of becoming a review arbiter). The recipe is easy: flour and water, kneaded to mix and then rolled out into disks. Grill on the first side for maybe a minute, grill on the second for 30 seconds, and then back on the first side for another 15.

Checking Wikipedia, I noticed that the same bread, held in an open flame, puffs up and becomes the Gujrathi or Punjabi phulka. Unfortunately, we're cooking on electric these days, so I'll have to try the microwave variation that can leave the bread a bit soggy. But I'd like to see the puffed version.

Now, if only I had a good recipe for the onion salad the restaurant carries.

Labels: atta, baking, Boston, bread, chapati, cuisine, India, phulka