A Rustic Dinner with Chausela/Chickpea flour flatbread

What do you do when you have had a surprisingly disappointing breakfast of gooey, overly sweet & calorie laden pancakes at iHOP ?How ? Because you were too lazy to get up early & cook breakfast in the morning! And then you go in with a lot of expectations to the International house of pancakes & end up liking the egg omelette better! Well this is what happened to me last saturday morning  when I had no bone left in me to make breakfast after late night movie show and the husband suggested a quick,tasty american breakfast at iHOP! Not to forget,I adore pancakes but not the ones which I ate there.With all due respect to iHOP fans, I felt really nauseated the whole day & settled in for a very simple, traditional dinner …something which is taste well-remembered from childhood and is so comforting all the time!

So lemme introduce my very own  uttar pradeshi cousin of thepla from western parts of India….the “”Chausela”"……clap!clap!clap! The only difference between these two being in the thickness of the rolled out dough.

I really have no idea why is it so-called, if you insist maybe I ll call back my mom and let you know.What I know is that it is very easy to make, needs simple ingredients out of the pantry and tastes delightful! Looks very rustic and can be had all on its own without any curry ! The best partner is any pickle…even the pickled jalapenos will pair great!The plain yogurt will be a good buddy too!I am always  reminded of rural women who carry rotis wrapped in cloth for their farmer husbands in a small cane basket whenever I make this. Okay I think this thought is certainly over rated ,sitting on a couch in an air-conditioned room in foreign land while watching peepli live! However..what the heck! Okay …I blabber! Here’s the quick recipe…

What I needed:

Makes 6-7 flatbreads

• 2/3 cup fine chickpea flour [besan]
• 1/2 cup whole wheat Flour [atta]
• 2  Green Chillies, finely chopped [optional]
• 2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1″ ginger shoot , finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp carrom seeds [ajwain]
• 1 pinch asafoetida [hing]
• 1/4 cup dried fenugreek leaves[kasuri methi] or 1/2 bunch fresh methi leaves[finely chopped]
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• Salt to taste
• Oil as needed for cooking
• Water to knead the dough

How I did it:

• In a medium bowl mix  chickpea flour, whole wheat flour,1 tbsp oil, turmeric powder, red chilli powder[if using], asafoetida,carrom seeds and rub softly with hands so that everything comes together .
• Next add the chopped garlic, chillies, cilantro , fenugreek leaves ,ginger,carrom seeds, asafoetida & salt and together with water make a soft dough .Add the water slowly while making the dough.
• Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface to make a soft, smooth and pliable dough.
• Set the dough aside and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.
• Heat the tava/iron girdle/non-stick skillet on medium high.
• On a lightly floured surface, with the help of floured rolling-pin , roll the balls roughly into 6 inch circles. The rolled flatbreads should not be too thick or too thin.The sides will be cracked but don’t worry about it.
• Place the flatbread over the girdle.
• When the flatbread starts to puff lightly in certain places & slightly change color, flip it.
• Spread 1 tsp oil on the flatbread and flip it,repeat this process for the other side.
• Cook the flatbread untill golden brown on both sides.
• Cool the flatbread on a wire rack so they don’t get soggy.
• Best served warm with any curry,yogurt or green chilli pickle or any pickle of your choice.

Notes:

1. Do not make the dough too much in advance else the salt will loosen it and it will be very sticky while rolling.
2. You can add onions, grated radish[water squeezed out],spinach or boiled mashed potatoes also in the dough.
3. Flatbreads can be kept outside for up to 2 days wrapped in aluminum foil or in an air tight container. For later use these can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
4. Reheat  the flatbread on a skillet or microwave before serving.

Enjoy!