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Spinach Chappatis: Thinking Outside My Bread Box

It is an understatement to say that B. and I love Indian food. We particularly love it when it comes from a small restaurant down our street. We have visited them quite enough to be familiar faces, but we always come back because of their sincere kindness and love of good food. You can’t be in a rush while visiting them. Everything is prepared fresh so it is not unusual to wait 45 minutes for an awesome lamb curry and a plate of piping hot naan, chappatis or parathas. It’s not that we go there every week but each time we never order from the menu and instead surrender to whatever the chef feels like cooking. There is nothing like giving him carte blanche because he then prepares foods the genuine way, does not shy on the spices and even agrees to give me some cooking secrets and tips.

Many moons ago, he told me how to make chappatis and since I make curry or other related Indian dishes a couple of times a month, I always end up calling the restaurant for an order of bread for fear mine won’t be as tasty as theirs.

It’s funny how a couple of things prompted me to make these awesome spinach chappatis. I have this big blue binder in which I collect recipes found on other blogs, cooking sites and such and every three months or so I pull it out and weed through the ones that I know I will never make, the ones I can find again easily, or the ones that have actually ended up on this blog. As I was looking for a brioche recipe (yes again), I found one I had printed exactly a year ago for 'cottage cheese and spinach chappatis". I was making lamb curry that night and since on Sundays, I usually prepare a couple of bread items, rolls, baguettes, sliced bread, brioche and things like that, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to think outside my bread box and make a batch.
I followed the recipe to the letter and ended up with six beautiful flat breads. We ate a couple that night and I have used the remainder throughout the week for lunch wraps and for individual pizzas. Perfect!

I found the recipe on Saffron Hut and since I did not change a thing from it, I will just give you the link. I followed the basic version for the chappatis (meaning no potato stuffing) but given how good they turned out, I plan on making Saffron’s full recipes for the parathas. Undoubtedly, I will still order some from the restaurant but I intend to broaden my horizons of Indian breads.

Happy baking!

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Comments


Anonymous March 23, 2007 um 5:18 am

I adore Indian food but haven’t got the courage to cook any of it as I’ve only ever eaten it at restaurants! Perhaps I can start with this chapati recipe and see how I go from here 🙂


Alicia March 23, 2007 um 5:43 am

Oh yummy!
My mom’s husband is Indian, I love going to visit his side of the family. There’s always tons of great food. I love a good spinach curry. 🙂
If you check out the Indian food section on about.com, there’s a great tutorial (with pictures) for rolling/making chappatis.
Another fabulous looking dish Helene!


Meeta K. Wolff March 23, 2007 um 6:23 am

Helene, you can imagine how ecstatic I am to see this here! I love parathas too and I look forward to seeing all your experiments with this! It’ll encourage me too LOL!


Anuhea March 23, 2007 um 8:29 am

Those do look good. I love spinach and though I haven’t eaten much Indian food, that is one ethnicity I am dying to eat more of and explore.


Gattina Cheung March 23, 2007 um 8:43 am

Helene, they really look super!


Lis March 23, 2007 um 11:16 am

I’ve never had indian food.. but it all looks so good! I am especially curious about these Chappatis – they look wondeful! I love spinach and in a bread I think it’d be so good =)

Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you got over your fear.. I know I never doubted that your attempt at making it would be just as wonderful as the restaurant’s bread!


Freya March 23, 2007 um 1:05 pm

Yum, these would be so great with Korma!


Kajal@aapplemint March 23, 2007 um 1:57 pm

Wow spinach parathas…i simply love these(and coincidently just made them for lunch, now i cant put up my pictures:-)).Next time try it with some cumin seeds ,they add a nice touch.i have grown up on these and i tell you yours look amazing.well done.


Brilynn March 23, 2007 um 2:42 pm

Those look great! I have a blue binder too! It’s labelled Bri’s Cookery and contains all the recipes I print out with the hope of someday making…


sher March 23, 2007 um 6:10 pm

I also love Indian food. Your chappatis are glorious!


Cheryl March 23, 2007 um 6:33 pm

I have never had these, but they look good enough to try right now. Love spinach.


MyKitchenInHalfCups March 23, 2007 um 9:45 pm

I also intended to make that one, maybe you’ve got me going on this one now. Years ago I did some of these and need to do them again.


Orchidea March 24, 2007 um 5:07 pm

I like chapati a lot! Nice recipe.
Ciao.


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