Saturday, January 14, 2012

Chapatee Poem (Pulled Bread)








Make a good dough of flour and water, knead it well, after which take it in the hands and pull it for a considerable time ; then take a piece rather less than a tennis ball, and with the hands clap it till it is about an eighth of an inch thick, and bake on an iron plate, turning when one side is done.








From:  Twenty-Two Authentic Banquets From India (compiled by Robert Christie).  New York, Dover Publications, Inc., 1975.  (An unabridged and unaltered republication of the Indian and Afghanistani sections of Banquets of the Nations, published by J. and J. Gray and Co, St. James Press, 1911.)






10 comments:

  1. I love Indian food! And I always wondered how they made these . . .

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  2. There are some good step-by-step illustrations on the web and, of course, some excellent Indian cookbooks available. I've never made chapatee (or chapati, as I've usually seen it spelled), but I think I'll try. Griddle-type breads always seem like a fun way to spend some time and I always like recipes that assume you actually have acquired some basic experience in life. My favorite all-time cooking vessel (and I have some that I like a great deal) is a tradition Indian "wok" called a kh'dai. It's smaller than a typical Chinese wok, made of medium-gauge iron, easy to season, incredibly inexpensive and not tippy on the stove, the way full-size Chinese woks tend to be. As with one's favorite heavy cast-iron skillets, food just seems to taste better coming out of one. When it was just the two of us, it made the perfect sized meal. We are quite spoiled here because we have an excellent Indian grocery (which is associated with a restaurant) in the next town. Their baked goods, including breads and, my favorite, dhoklas, are astonishing. If you've never tried dhoklas, this might interest you:

    http://acravan.blogspot.com/2011/01/dhoklas-say-no-more.html

    There are even some pretty good dhokla mixes, but since they're quite inexpensive to purchase and we love our grocery, I tend to let them to the baking.

    Hard to believe I wrote that about a year ago. That was the most dreadful winter.

    Curtis

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  3. This looks delicious. Many years ago, I had a flat-mate from Trinidad and she taught me how to make roti. I loved the process and it amused the guests that the roti was made by an Irish woman. Thank you for this post and the memory

    Helenxx

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  4. Helen:

    I love the way Indian food has traveled around the world, especially to Trinidad and around the Caribbean. We once visited Nevis and the subtle influence of Indian cuisine, which was mostly experienced through the remarkable fruit glazes that seemed to be integral to the cuisine of that tiny island, is something I will never forget. I used to be an avid bread baker (I began as a form of self-therapy, which I suspect is pretty common) and enjoyed reading Elizabeth David's English Bread and Yeast Cookery a lot -- amazing to see the history of the world through the lens of breadmaking. One of the most poignant parts of the book (which is really a masterpiece) is a chapter called The Yeast Dies. If you're interested, I once posted something about that here:

    http://acravan.blogspot.com/2011/06/yeast-dies-elizabeth-david.html

    Curtis

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  5. This does look wonderful. I also was a fairly dedicated bread maker a few decades ago. It became a sort of addiction for about a year. Very soothing. One reason I stopped was that I couldn't stop eating my bread (generally with lots of butter and/or jam). I was becoming a bit too doughy myself. Lovely photos!

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  6. The things that slowed me down as a baker and eventually stopped me were finding the job I really wanted (which took all my time and concentration for years) and moving to a smaller apartment with a cramped kitchen. I don't have those excuses any more and I do have a daughter who, I know, will be a great and enthusiastic student, so I should really start again. The breads I baked were really, really great. First, however, I must begin and complete my three-month breadless tofu regimen. Curtis

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  7. Not only would Jane be an eager student and baking companion, but you might convert her into a life-long baker. Sounds like a wonderful way to take advantage of your larger kitchen and some of your free time. Three-months of tofu and no bread. I wish you the best. I couldn't do it. Nell

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  8. Curtis,

    I'm about to eat my dinner. Plenty of Chapatis.

    And the pictures remind me of another Chapatee Poem

    Come down to India and I'll make you have some real good things.

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  9. Aditya -- I LOVE IT. Thank you. I expect I will visit India sooner rather than later. I should visit my friend/client in Bangalore and will let you know. Just waiting for many unsettled things to settle down here. The recipes in the Robert Christie collection are all beautifully and brilliantly written. As I mention in a reply above, they remind me a great deal of Elizabeth David's recipe writing style, where clear instruction is balanced by beauty of form and just enough detail to make things interesting. I mean you're cooking, not building an engine. I'm going to research Christie further. The back of the book recounts that: "to entertain his fellow members at the Edinburgh Cap and Gown Club, Robert H. Christie researched, prepared and served 22 authentic full-scale banquets based each on a different tradition of the centuries-old cuisines of India." I think I bought the book in 1975 or so for the tiny sum of US $2.50. I don't remember where I bought it; it might have been in my college bookstore. But it's a gem -- every single page -- and I feel happy when I read it. Curtis

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  10. Thank You Curtis.

    It must be a gem Curtis. I'm feeling hungry now. A man cannot do much with an empty stomach I guess.

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