The Indian Vegan Kitchen (35 page)

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in
¼
cup lukewarm water. Set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour, salt, and oil.

3. Add yeast mixture to flour and mix. Add the remaining
¾
cup of water, and make dough. The dough should be soft and easy to roll into a ball. Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and elastic.

4. Transfer dough to a bowl and coat lightly with oil to prevent drying. Cover with a towel and let sit for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature.

5. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll between the palms of your hands to make smooth balls. Cover with dry towel and let rise for about 20 minutes.

6. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Once oven is heated, turn the oven to broil. (If you have a pizza stone, heat stone on the middle rack.)

7. Dip each ball into the sesame seeds. On a lightly oiled surface, roll out each ball to a 7- or 8-inch oval or teardrop shape. Roll out all the naan before cooking, as the process in the oven goes very fast.

8. Place 3 to 4 pieces of naan on an ungreased baking sheet or directly on the pizza stone. Prick with fork a few times. Broil in the middle of the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until they are slightly puffed and become lightly browned. Turn over and broil for another 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook the naan, as it will become dry. (If you’re using a pizza stone, you may not need to turn over the naan, as it will cook on both sides at the same time.)

9. Brush the sesame seed side lightly with oil, if desired. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

This stretchy bread, made with all-purpose flour, is a specialty of the Punjab region, where roadside stands sell it along with
Chole
(Blackened Spicy Chickpeas, page 121). My brother and sisters all requested
Chole-Bhature
for their special birthday meal. My mother made the best
bhatura
, and now my kids and nieces and nephews—the next generation—also want
chole-bhature
on their birthdays. The process of making
bhature
is easier and faster with two people—one person rolls and the other fries. Keep the oil on high heat;
bhatura
do not fry well in an electric, temperature-controlled fryer.

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in
¼
cup lukewarm water.

2. In a medium mixing bowl or food processor, combine flour and yeast mixture. Add the remaining lukewarm water and make dough. The dough should be soft and easy to roll into a ball. Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth and elastic.

3. Lightly oil top of the dough to prevent drying. Cover dough with a towel, place in a warm place, and let rise for 3 to 4 hours, until doubled in volume.

4. Oil hands and divide dough into 18 equal portions. Roll between the palms of your hands to make smooth balls. Cover with dry towel and let rise for about 20 minutes.

5. Heat 3 inches oil in a
karahi
/wok or skillet on high heat. Oil is ready when a little bit of batter dropped in the oil immediately rises to the top (about 400ºF).

6. On a lightly oiled surface, roll out each ball to a 5-inch circle. (The dough might want to stretch back; do the best you can.) Carefully drop the
bhatura
into the hot oil. Using a large flat frying spatula, turn the
bhatura
as it puffs. Slightly brown both sides.

7. Drain the
bhatura
on several layers of paper towels. Continue frying 1 at a time. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

GF, LF

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, mashed boiled potatoes, spring onions, salt, cayenne pepper, cornstarch, and baking powder. Gradually add the water. (The amount of water needed may vary slightly based on the type of flour used.) Mix the dough well with your hands; it should be soft and easy to roll into a ball. (The sorghum flour is not easy to knead, since it does not have any gluten.) Cover with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes or longer.

2. Place about
¼
cup flour for rolling in a shallow container.

3. Heat
tava
/iron griddle or a heavy fry pan on medium heat. Lightly oil the surface and wipe off excess. Adjust heat as needed. If
tava
is too hot, the roti will burn and stick to the
tava
, and if not hot enough, it will a take a long time to cook and become dry.

4. Divide dough into 4 to 6 balls. Roll each ball between the palms of your hands in a circular motion until the dough is smooth. Lightly oil hands, if needed, to prevent sticking.

5. Roll out the roti between two sheets of wax paper. Line the counter with a 6-inch-square piece of wax paper and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough ball in the center. Place another 6-inch square of wax paper on top of dough. Lightly roll out each ball into a 4-5-inch-round flatbread.

6. Remove the top wax paper and pick up the bread with the bottom wax paper (carefully dust off any excess flour on the bread) and flip it carefully onto the heated
tava
. Remove wax paper. Cook for 1 minute, until roti becomes firm and easy to pick up. Turn over with a flat turner and cook on the other side until light brown on the underside, 1 minute.

7. If you are using an electric stove, heat a burner on high and place a wire rack directly on the coils, creating a little space between the coils and the rack. If you have a gas stove, place the wire rack on the stove rack. Using full heat, place the bread directly on the wire rack. Grill roti on direct heat on both sides, turning with tongs.

8. Lightly brush top of roti with oil. Oiling keeps the roti softer and moist. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container to serve later.

NOTE:
These rotis are best eaten hot or within a few hours of preparing, as they do not keep well.

GF, LF

1. In a mixing bowl, combine millet flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix in the mashed potatoes. Gradually add water. (The amount of water needed may vary slightly based on the type of flour used.) Mix the dough well with your hands; it should be soft and easy to roll into a ball. The millet flour is not easy to knead, since it does not have any gluten. Cover with a towel and let sit for about 10 minutes.

2. Place about
¼
cup flour for rolling in a shallow container.

3. Heat
tava
/iron griddle or a heavy fry pan on medium heat. Lightly oil the surface and wipe off the excess. Adjust heat as needed. If
tava
is too hot, the roti will burn and stick to the
tava
, and if not hot enough, it will a take a long time to cook and become dry.

4. Divide dough into 8 balls. Roll each ball between the palms of your hands in a circular motion until the dough is smooth. Lightly oil hands, if needed, to prevent sticking.

5. Roll out the roti between two sheets of wax paper. Line the counter with a 6- to 8-inch-square piece of wax paper and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough ball in the center. Place another piece of wax paper on top. Roll out the dough into a 6-inch-round flatbread. (First pat the bread flat with your palms as much as you can and then lightly roll with the rolling pin.)

6. Remove the top wax paper and pick up the bread with the bottom wax paper. Carefully dust off any excess flour on the bread and flip the roti carefully onto the heated griddle. Remove the top wax paper. Cook for about 1 minute, until it becomes firm and easy to pick up. Turn over with a flat turner and cook until light brown on the underside, 1 minute.

7. If using an electric stove, heat a burner on high and place a wire rack directly on the coils, creating a little space between the coils and the rack. If using a gas stove, place the wire rack on the stove rack. Using full heat, place the bread directly on the wire rack. Grill roti on direct heat on both sides, turning with tongs.

8. Lightly brush top of roti with oil. Oiling keeps the roti softer and moist. Serve immediately or place in an airtight container to serve later.

NOTE:
These rotis are best eaten hot or within a few hours of preparing, as they do not keep well.