I grew up eating chapatis because my mother made them all the time at home. Did I have an Indian mother? No, but she was a vegetarian hippy during the 70’s, and via that culture came my backdoor introduction to the cuisine of India.

As it turns out, these gloriously easy and delicious flat breads are one of the things my Ayurvedic doctor recommended for me as a great breakfast or anytime food given my Vata/Pitta constitution, although, like ghee and kitchari, this is another tri-doshic food.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. salt

servings: 4-5 chapatis

As with so many things in life, the right equipment can make the difference between a easy, hassle-free experience and salting your flour with your tears. Be sure to have a good rolling pin on hand for this task, and I recommend marble unless you don’t mind brushing flour on your roller frequently. Use a 12″ or larger fry pan (no aluminum, per Ayurvedic recommendation), and keep handy a small, shallow bowl of olive oil to dip your hands in to prevent the flour from sticking.

Directions:

Sift flour with salt. Add water and mix thoroughly with a large fork or hands. Don’t work the dough too much—stop mixing as soon as it reaches an even consistency. Knead for a couple of minutes until the dough stops sticking to your hands. Use oil on your fingers if it is sticking too much initially. Form the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with a cloth or plastic cover. Let it sit for at least an hour, but if you need more time before using the dough, refrigerate it.

Use a good cutting board and rolling pin made of natural materials. Pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll out on the board, using a dusting of flour on the pin and the board when necessary. When you have rolled out a nice 8″ chapati, drop it onto a hot, lightly oiled (or not, if it’s well seasoned or non-stick) fry pan. You will see bubbles start to form on the chapatis, and eventually they will puff up entirely, which is fun to watch. Make sure your pan is hot but not too hot. If the chapati bubbles start to burn (like in the photo), turn down the flame.

Serve with ghee for a simple breakfast or alongside main courses. Great for sopping up sauce or as the wrapper on a vegetarian frankie.

Happy eating!

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Ghee has almost mythical properties in Indian culture and Ayurvedic cooking. It is used as a cooking fat that resists spoiling without refrigeration, but can also be used as a massage oil and elixir to pacify Vata and Pitta doshas, and to a lesser extent, Kapha, if that dosha is not in a state of vitiation, or imbalance.

Ghee is essentially the fat from butter with the milk solids removed. It is like clarified butter, but it is cooked longer so that the milk solids are completely removed to leave a golden, nutty flavored pure fat. This substance will keep at room temperature for weeks as long as you are careful not to introduce any water to the fat as that will speed the spoilage.

Like paneer, it’s simple to make but requires some patience and technique. There is only one ingredient: the best unsalted butter you can buy. I recommend butter from grass-fed cows, such as Kerrygold Irish butter.

To begin, drop the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. You don’t want the ghee to burn, so keep a close eye on it as it begins to heat up.

Once the ghee has reached a low boil, ensure that it stays boiling at this low rate throughout the cooking process.

After a few moments, you will notice the white cream part of the butter begin to foam on the surface of the liquid. As the process continues, you can move this foam aside to see the clear part of the butter underneath. Small bits of the milk solids will begin to sink to the bottom of the pan. These drippings can themselves be used in Indian recipes, but for the purpose of this recipe, we will remove them.

Once the ghee has simmered for about ten minutes, the liquid under the foam will begin to turn a rich gold and take on a nutty flavor and smell. When that happens, remove from heat. Skim off the top layer of foam until all you can see is the golden liquid. Strain though a cheesecloth or metal strainer into a clean glass jar; seal and put in the refrigerator until next use or leave out if you will be using frequently. If the ghee congeals, you can easily bring the it back to room temperature by placing the jar in a bowl of warm water until it begins to liquefy.

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I’m not going to lie, I struggled with this recipe for many months before I was able to produce an outcome that I found satisfactory. It’s not that this recipe is complex—there are only two required ingredients, after all—but it does require good ingredients, patience, and an understanding of technique.

Paneer is a simple Indian cottage cheese that is not fermented and can be made in under an hour. It’s also a great source of protein for vegetarians and one of the recommended foods for Vata/Pitta constitutions as it has a sweet taste.

You will need a heavy bottomed cooking pan to ensure the milk does not burn while you are getting it to its boiling point, and you will need a piece of cheesecloth to strain the curds. I use the same cheesecloth every time, but I’m sure to give it a good washing with a little detergent and lots of hot water in between uses. Hang it up on a line to dry in the sun if possible. You want to make sure there are no curds left stuck to the fabric.

Although there are few ingredients, it’s very important that you use the best quality. The milk in India is different from what we have in the United States, and you will find that double pasteurized milk will not work well. Also, use the full-fat option or your paneer will not be creamy; I have found the organic milk with the cream on the top is best, and I also use raw milk when I can find it.

I also recommend pesticide-free lemons and natural sea salt.

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon milk (NOT double pasteurized)
Juice of two 2 lemons
Pinch of salt (optional)

Directions:
Pour milk into your heavy-bottomed pan. I recommend a sauce pan with high sides rather than a skillet. You don’t want the milk sloshing out of the pan while you stir.

Slowly bring the milk up to a low boil, stirring occasionally as you cook. If you notice that the milk is forming a skin as it comes up to a boil, you may want to reduce the heat and increase the stirring. This skin is aesthetically undesirable in the cheese but, in my experience, doesn’t ruin the flavor.

Once the milk has reached a boil, remove it from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. If the milk does not immediately begin to curdle, add a tablespoon or more of lemon juice until you see the curds begin to form. The whey is the clear, grayish part of the milk, and the curds are the white lumps. You should see the milk separate into these two parts in approximately a 50/50 ratio.

Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to cool and ensure it’s fully curdled. Strain though a cheesecloth. I usually line a metal colander with the cloth and strain though that. The cheese will be hot, but try to wring out the whey by twisting the ends of the cloth. You will make a nice, tight bundle of the curd, which you can then hang to let the rest of the whey drip out. Leave hanging for 30 minutes.

After the whey has drained, find a clean flat surface to drop the cheese ball onto. You can leave it in the cheese cloth or take it out. You will want to press the cheese between two flat surfaces to fully express the whey, and you can accomplish this using two cookie sheets or a just a pot on top of a plate the cheese rests on. Weigh down the top cookie sheet or pot with a container of canned goods or something else compactly heavy so that it will press the cheese. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Once the cheese is cooled, you can put it on a plate until ready for serving. Cut into cubes before frying or adding to sauces. Enjoy!

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