Recipes from the Collection of Mark and Danielle Hughes

Indian Flat Breads - wholesome unleavened breads take many forms

By Daksha Thakkarx, SJMN 3/14/01 (Daksha Thakkar, a native of Mumbai, lives in San Jose. She wrote this article with Jan Nix of Palo Alto, a regular Food & Wine section columnist)

There is nothing less sophisticated than Indian flat breads. The dough is made by mixing water and flour, which is kneaded, rolled into small circles and cooked on a griddle for a few minutes. Yet this bread offers wholesome taste and texture and good nutrition.

The bread Mom served me and my sisters as we sat around a small dining table at our home in Mumbai, then called Bombay, was simple and comforting. The warm, puffed rounds were freshly made and brushed with a bit of ghee (clarified butter).

Typically, Indian breads are not baked in ovens like leavened Western breads. They are cooked on the stove top, over an open fire or in the wood-burning clay oven called a tandoor.

The basic ingredient of most Indian breads is unbleached white whole-wheat flour, ground from the entire wheat berry, nothing added, nothing lost. It is nutritionally identical to whole-wheat flour sold in supermarkets (which is made from hard red wheat), but because it is made from soft winter wheat, it is much milder in flavor. The beige flour cooks quickly, and unlike dough made from American white flour, rolls easily.

Most Indian breads are unleavened. There are many varieties, including chapatis, pooris, phulkas and parathas. Leavened bread like nan, cooked in a tandoor-type oven, is from North India and is popular in North Indian cuisine. This is the most common type of bread served in Indian restaurants and buffets in the Bay Area. Made from white flour, this bread has a texture close to Western breads.

Parathas, which evolved in Mogul kitchens, are a good place for the novice baker of Indian breads to start.

I recommend using chapati flour, sold in Indian stores and labeled whole-wheat chapati atta. If you use supermarket flour, mix one part whole-wheat flour (not whole-wheat pastry flour) with one part unbleached all-purpose flour.

The tools you need are simple: a rolling pin and board, griddle or frying pan, and spatula. My rolling pin is 1/2 inch in diameter; yours might be 2 inches. Either would work. Use one that gives you a great feel for the dough as you roll it.

The easiest way to mix the dough is with your hands so you can feel the texture. It should be slightly firm and pliable but not springy like leavened bread dough. The kneading and resting of the dough is key to the texture of Indian breads. The more you knead the dough, the softer the bread. Letting the dough rest allows the gluten in the flour to relax, making the process of rolling and shaping the bread easier while enhancing the texture of the bread.

As you get more comfortable with Indian breads, you can try new things. Different flour mixtures, variations in shape and a variety of cooking techniques produce a variety of breads, each with its own taste and texture. For example, using 20 percent lentil flour (there are more than a dozen kinds of lentil flour sold in local Indian markets) adds to the protein and gives the bread a unique texture and flavor. You will find that each kind of flour absorbs a different amount of moisture, but with your hands to guide you, you will be able to get the texture right.

As a child of 9, I learned to make dough by helping Mom in her kitchen. Her love for cooking and passion for passing it along made me want to do it right. Today I teach my son and daughter, and they have become a part of the Indian bread-making tradition.

Serve any of these delicious breads with soups on a cold day, with vegetable or meat dishes as a main meal, or with cucumber raita as a light lunch.

Mint parathas

Makes 8

How you bake your bread on the griddle is very important. Too high a heat burns the outside of the bread before the inside has a chance to cook. Cooking on low heat produces leathery, hard bread. A medium-high heat, with constant watching, is key to well-cooked bread.

2 cups chapati flour (available in Indian markets; or substitute 1 cup each whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup warm tap water, plus more if necessary
Extra vegetable oil for brushing bread

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in oil and mint. Add water and mix with your hands until the dough holds together. If your dough is too soft, you will have a hard time rolling it out. If the dough is very firm, you might be able to roll it out but it will yield drier, crisper bread. Adjust the water accordingly, adding a few more drops if dough is stiff or a light sprinkling of flour if dough is sticky.

Turn dough onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the dough in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. The dough is now ready to roll and cook. Or if you prefer, slip the dough into a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball. To make each paratha, press one ball to make a patty, then roll the patty into a very thin round about 8 inches in diameter.

To cook, heat an ungreased non-stick griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Place a round of dough on griddle and cook until the bottom is lightly speckled with brown, about 30 seconds. Turn over and cook until the other side is lightly browned. Brush paratha lightly with oil, turn again, and continue to cook until both sides are golden and speckled with brown. During the final cooking the bread will bubble and puff. If it does not, press edges of the paratha with a spatula to help it puff. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you make these ahead and wish to serve warm, wrap parathas loosely in a paper towel and reheat in a microwave oven for 20 to 30 seconds. (Too long a period of heating in the microwave will make the bread tough.)

Variations:

Cilantro parathas: Use 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves in place of mint.

Seeded parathas: Use 2 teaspoons untoasted cumin seeds, dill seeds, sesame seeds or poppy seeds in place of mint.

Tomato and garlic parathas: Use 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 8 cloves mashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon dry basil in place of mint. This paratha is especially good stuffed with mozzarella cheese.

Spinach parathas: In a blender, puree 1 cup spinach leaves with 1/2 cup water. Use as part of liquid when making dough.

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