Can you make chapati dough in advance

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Cultures around the world eat flat bread such as chapati along with a main meal and as a snack. A common flat bread of Indian cuisine, chapati also figures prominently on dinner tables throughout East Africa. Chapati dough can be mixed quickly, and the flat bread can be rolled and fried minutes before a meal. But chapati tastes best when you make the dough hours in advance.

Three Simple Ingredients

There are many ways to make chapati dough. The simplest recipe requires three basic ingredients: flour, salt and water. To make small batch, add a heaping cup or so of flour and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Mix in about a cup of water -- you may need more or less -- until the dough gets thick; it should be sticky and wet, but not runny. You can melt a pat of butter and add it to the dough if you wish your chapati to have an extra buttery taste. If you have a stand mixer, save time and mix up the ingredients using a dough hook.

Make It Bounce

Kneading chapati dough gets rid of the flour lumps. Spread a generous handful of flour on the counter, coat your hands with flour and knead the dough into a balluality. Press your palm lightly on the dough ball to test its elasticity; it should bounce right back up. If it doesn't, knead in more flour. If you used white flour to make the dough, enhance the chapati's flavor and texture by kneading the dough in another type of flour, such as whole wheat.

Give it a Rest

Letting the dough rest results in a more tender chapati, a desirable quality whether you plan to serve the flat bread with stew or eat it plain. Simply cover the dough ball with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest right on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour before rolling it out. Dough tends to ferment and develop a hard crust if left at room temperature for long periods of time, so if you mix your chapati dough the night before, place it in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature 1 hour before you roll it out.

Fry It Up

Once the dough has rested, break it up into balls measuring 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Dust more flour on the counter and roll out the balls of dough. Generally, you roll a ball flat, then roll it back up like a fruit roll-up, then coil it and roll it out again; this creates the chapati's signature layers. Spread a small amount of your oil of choice in the bottom of a skillet and fry the chapati on one side. When it puffs up, flip it over and let it puff up again. Chapati cooks very quickly, in about 3 to 5 minutes, tops.

Prepare your dough in bulk and use it throughout the day with these tips

Whole wheat chapatis are an everyday staple in regions across India. The perfectly round, soft, fluffy and light Indian bread that can be consumed along with any number of curries and dals, is also quite nutritious in nature. This is why it is considered healthy when included in daily diet. A whole wheat chapati, or phulka or roti, is made from simple dry flour, water and oil dough that is first divided into small rounds and then flattened into perfectly even rounds with the help of a rolling pin. This flattened dough is then cooked atop a cast iron griddle or cooked in tandoors to get lightly toasted and warm chapatis. Chapatis can be enjoyed with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, or can even be eaten with dry subzis. Chapatis taste the best when they are paired with desi ghee.You can stuff sabzis inside the chapatis and make rolls out of them.

Making the perfect chapatti is considered something of an art that requires some practice. One must be able to achieve a certain perfect thickness that allows the dough to rise just enough to form the thin upper layer that is characteristic of the bread. Then it must be toasted on the tawa or the griddle for just enough time to allow the dough to cook through. Chapatis are wildly popular across the Indian subcontinent and are prepared at least two times in the day. This is why the dough is prepared in bulk and can be used throughout the day.

Also Read: 11 Best Indian Bread Recipes | Types of Roti with Recipes

Chapati (Roti) Nutrition

A whole wheat chapati is low in calories and contains good amounts of fibre. It is great for people looking to lose weight. This is because it helps fill you up and satiate your enough to prevent frequent hunger pangs between meals. When prepared fresh, a warm chapati accompanied with a vegetarian subzi, dal or any protein, makes for a complete meal with sufficient amounts of essential macro nutrients.

Also Read: Roti Or Rice: Which One Is A Healthier Option?

How To Keep Chapati Dough Fresh For Longer

Since chapatis are such an important part of the Indian diet, it can be tedious to prepare fresh chapati dough from scratch for every single meal. A much more efficient way to do it is to rather knead dough in quantity that is sufficient enough to last you a day. However, it can be a problem to keep your dough fresh for 24 hours, as this dough is susceptible to mould. It may even turn greyish black, rendering all your efforts wasteful. Additionally, a spoilt chapatti dough yields dry and flat chapatis that may not taste good.

But if you store your dough properly, you can increase its shelf-life and make sure you don't have to prepare it more than once a day. Here are some steps you can follow to achieve the same:

1. Use Cling-Film or Aluminium Foil

After you're done using the dough, you can cover it with aluminium foil or a clean cling film before placing it in a container and refrigerating it. Cover the dough completely, making sure there are no air bubbles left inside.

Also Read: Ghee On Your Chapattis. Yes or No?

2. Use An Air-Tight Container

You can store your dough in a zip lock bag or an air-tight container as well before placing it in the fridge, to prevent it from spoiling.

3. Use Water Judiciously

Adding too much water to your dough while kneading it, can also make it spoilt faster. Make sure you only add water in small quantities. If you feel that the consistency of your dough is too loose, add some dry flour to correct it.

Also Read: How to Make Crisp Tandoori Rotis at Home Without a Tandoor

4. Cover The Dough Surface With Oil/Ghee

You can also prevent your dough from spoiling by covering it with a thin layer of oil or ghee before placing it your container and refrigerating it. The grease may prevent blackening and drying of the atta, keeping it soft and fresh for the next batch of chapatis.

Never leave your kneaded dough uncovered or in out of the refrigerator for long hours, especially during summers. This can result in growth of bacteria that may cause food poisoning. Make sure you store your dough in a good quality high grade plastic container and keep it refrigerated at all times.

How far in advance can you make chapati dough?

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