Chapatis Don't Have to Be Round To Taste Good

Not good Indian wife standard but never mind.

Last night I had a hot date at my friend Sophie's house. When I go to her house, we talk, lots, drink, lots, and eventually eat. Lots. It starts off with her cooking and eventually I somehow find myself prodding and poking whatever she's cooking. Thankfully she is incredibly laid back and doesn't mind, (I can't stand it when people interfere with my cooking) and a good time is had by all. Last night she made vegetable curry, I think she was worried about the lack of meat, but as I can't remember my last vegetarian supper, I was happy to go without meat. Just this once. When she announced proudly that she was making chapatis I was very impressed, and even more impressed with the results. They were very simple and quick to make, and I would never ever buy them now I know how to make them. This is how she did it...

Makes about 7 chapatis (depending on how big/small you make them). In a bowl, mix 200g flour with a glug of vegetable oil and enough water to bind it together as a dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. If it's sticking to your hands add more flour, if breaking up, add a splash of water, just use your common sense. When ready to cook, break off a little ball, roll out into a round shape (or completely not round if you can't manage it) and about 2mm thick. Dry fry (that's DRY FRY Sophie!) in a non-stick frying pan and marvel as it blisters and puffs up almost instantly. Flip over and do the other side. If you get black burnt spots very quickly, then turn the heat down, alternatively, if nothing happens after 30 seconds you need to turn it up. Proceed to stuff your face with vegetable curry scooped up in your lovely chapatis.

A friend from the Punjab once told me that a good Indian wife must be able to make perfectly round chapatis. We would make rubbish Indian wives in that case, but we had a lovely dinner, which is more important.