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In every culinary world there is a certain list of basic products that form the food traditions of an entire people. One of the standard gastronomic components is bread. In France, soft, crispy baguettes are loved, in America, dense, seed-studded bagels, in the Mediterranean, they regale themselves with either fresh or spicy pita. But in India and Nepal they prefer chapati. This is a specific flatbread, which in structure is very reminiscent of a combination of Armenian lavash and tender French bread crumb.

What is chapati and can it become interesting for representatives of the Slavic culinary tradition?

General characteristics

Chapati is the national bread of India. At home, not a single meal can do without it. Bread is added to the dish not for the sake of taste, but to increase the energy value. Indians do not always manage to eat several times a day, so they try to get as much benefit as possible from one meal.

A Brief Historical Reference

The word “chapati” is characterized by Indo-Aryan origin, from the Hindi language it is translated as “flat bread”. The first mention of the product dates back to the XNUMXth century. In the book of Abu al-Fazl (vizier, biographer of one of the padishahs of the Mongol Empire Akbar) “The Code of Akbar”, the author points out the existence of unleavened cakes, their unusual taste and extreme popularity among the local population. The biographer describes the methods of preparing chapati and the features of its use.

Bread, which today is considered a traditional Indian dish, first appeared in Uzbekistan. The founder of the Kingdom of the Great Mongols, Mukhamed Babur, brought a recipe for unleavened dough from Uzbekistan to India. This country is famous for its strong culinary traditions that have remained untouched for centuries. But the rich taste of bread, the minimum number of ingredients and quick preparation bribed the Indians. Chapati has become a favorite product in every home, not only of the poor, but even of the upper castes.

Unleavened cakes are the oldest type of bakery product. The first information about the bread recipe dates back to the XNUMXth millennium BC.

Indians use bread not only as a food product. A spoon is formed from dense pieces of cakes, the first / second courses are eaten with it, and then, soaked in sauce and spices, they are eaten at the end of the meal.

Today chapati is popular in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In the rest of the world, bread can be found in authentic establishments that offer an exotic Indian menu. The industrial production of unleavened flatbread supplies the product not only to local eco-shops, but also to the shelves of large chain supermarkets. In the bread department, you can find many variations on the theme of chapati: “empty” cakes, bread with sauce / spices / herbs / additional components, from ordinary wheat / whole grain / buckwheat / chickpea flour. High-quality cooked chapati swells up to the size of a small ball (such a transformation occurs under the influence of steam), becomes soft inside and is covered with a crispy crust on the outside.

Useful properties of the product

Features of composition

Chapati is the simplest (in terms of composition) food component. A small amount of quality ingredients and determines the benefits of the dish. Traditional Indian chapati is made from atta flour (whole wheat flour ground in stone millstones). Finding her is extremely difficult. Some specialized ethnic stores supply atta to the post-Soviet space, but their number is limited due to lack of demand. The market dictates its own conditions, so atta can be replaced with any plant-based flour that your heart desires.

How to choose the right flour

The benefits of a baked product are determined by the type of flour that was used in cooking.

Rye flour contains the highest concentration of nutrients. Moreover, it contains bran, which doubles the benefits and facilitates the absorption of the product. In terms of fiber content, wholemeal rye flour is superior to barley and buckwheat. Chapati made from such flour will pass for a detox product that will help the internal organs “restart” and begin to function with renewed vigor.

Buckwheat flour can be used to make a dietary and hypoallergenic chapati. The product contains vitamins of group B, tocopherol (vitamin E), nicotinic acid (vitamin PP) and useful nutrients (iron, iodine, potassium, polyunsaturated fatty acids).

Nut flour is suitable for the most exotic chapatis. The taste of bread is intertwined with spicy nutty notes, gives off either sweetness or pleasant bitterness and may well claim to be an addition to a restaurant dish. Nut flour can be prepared by yourself, which reduces the cost of the cooking process and guarantees maximum benefit and organic ingredients.

Chapati made from chickpea flour has real healing properties: it minimizes acne, removes toxins / toxins, cleanses the intestines, is responsible for the beauty of hair / nails, strengthens the bone skeleton, promotes the absorption of calcium. Chickpea flour is great for chapatis, as it provides both a soft crumb and a toasted, crispy crust.

Corn flour is best used for anemia and problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and flaxseed for replenishing beneficial fatty acids and vitamin balance. Moreover, flax flour has a detoxifying, analgesic and healing effect.

Each type of flour will bring to the dish not only taste, but also a special benefit. Try experimenting with flour or combinations of several products to create the most healthy and tasty bread possible.

Can you really eat bread and should you be afraid of carbohydrates

This terrible word makes all those who are losing weight and beginning adherents of a healthy diet give up bread. But carbohydrates are not as scary as they seem. On the contrary, without carbohydrates, the body would not be able to function qualitatively and synthesize energy for going to school / work, eating food, playing with friends and favorite hobbies.

Bread made from high-quality unprocessed flour contains the so-called “complex” carbohydrates (an acceptable name is “slow carbohydrates”). These are polysaccharides that consist of three or more simple carbohydrate molecules. Once ingested, they start the process of raising blood sugar levels. This process takes place so slowly and gradually that the body has time to spend energy on the breakdown of food, release new energy and give a signal to the brain about satiety or hunger. During the digestion of food, a gradual production of insulin occurs, which stops when all the elements have already been split and assimilated. This is a natural process that occurs daily and is the key to a quality existence of a person.

If carbohydrate metabolism is disturbed, then:

• violation of the chair;
• failures in the digestibility of food components;
• decrease in working capacity;
• increased blood glucose levels;
• increase in insulin concentration.

Do not be afraid to eat carbohydrates, learn how to properly distribute them. Calculate an individual daily KBZhU (or contact a nutritionist), enter chapatis, favorite fruits, vegetables, cereals, sweets in a small amount. The main thing – do not go beyond the daily norm of protein, fat, carbohydrate and total calories.

Fiber: in what concentration is contained in bread and how it helps the human body

Fiber is the coarse part of the plant that is not absorbed by the body. Contained only in plant products and is an integral part of the diet of a healthy person.

The fiber concentration in one chapati can vary from 1 to 5 grams, depending on the type of flour and additional components.

What does fiber do?

• normalizes stool;
• improves digestion;
• restarts metabolism;
• protects the gastrointestinal tract from diseases / infections / pathogens;
• prevents the development of breast and colon cancer;
• improves the condition of the skin, hair and nails;
• normalizes blood glucose and cholesterol levels;
• harmonizes the internal microflora;
• promotes long-term satiety.

Use component in cooking

Chapati is an integral part of the Indian culinary tradition. It must be served with the national dish thali or simply used in the daily diet. Chapati is baked in a special massive oven called tandoor. Depending on the region of the country, chapatis are served as an accompaniment to various snacks. In the south of India, flatbreads are combined with vegetable products, in the north they love to eat juicy pieces of lamb with soft hot bread, and in the west, chapatis are served with a variety of fish and seafood.

In the rest of the world, chapatis are served in local establishments that either honor tradition and make real soft cakes, or invent their own recipe and give the dish a new life. Cooking chapati does not require a huge investment of time, money and effort. One of the bread options can be prepared in your own kitchen using a regular frying pan. Try replacing rye bread or Borodino bread with an Indian delicacy, try different toppings/additional ingredients and create your own unique Indian breakfast.

Recipe for Indian chapati based on wholemeal flour

We need:

• whole grain flour of any variety – 250 g;
• sea ​​salt – 1-2 pinches;
• filtered warm water – 150 g;
• ghee (an ingredient is added to create a milder taste of the tortillas, but it can be omitted without harming the recipe).

Preparation

Prepare a deep container, mix salt and flour in it.

You can use two different flours in a 1:1 ratio to get a brighter and richer chapati flavor palette.

Pour warm filtered water into a container with a dry mixture in a thin stream. Add as much water as the dough can absorb. Once the dough is soft, pliable (but won’t stick to your hands or surfaces), transfer it to a board and knead for 5-10 minutes. Homogeneous dough must be sprinkled with warm water, covered with a damp cloth (material does not matter) and left to “reach” for 1-2 hours. Make sure that the surface of the dough does not become excessively dry. If a crust has already begun to form, then try replacing the rag and moistening it periodically with an additional portion of water.

Divide the finished dough into 2 equal parts and form them into oblong sausages. Cut the dough into 15-20 balls of the same size. Roll each ball in flour and use a rolling pin to roll into the thinnest cake possible (the diameter should be from 10 to 14 centimeters).

Preheat a frying pan (preferably cast iron with a dense bottom), if necessary, pour in a drop of vegetable oil for frying. It’s best to use a non-stick pan and skip the oil. Fry the tortillas on both sides until golden brown. As soon as small bubbles appear on the surface of the dough, and the edges begin to curl under the influence of high temperatures, turn the cake over to the other side.

Remove the finished tortilla from the pan and lightly pat it with any kitchen device to release air from the dough. Serve immediately after preparation. If the meal is to take place later, then wrap the chapati in a dry cloth and leave it in a warm place. The main thing is that the cakes do not cool down before the main meal. Cooled chapatis become hard, like bread. Consider the peculiarity of the structure of the test and try to consume the treat on time.