from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing by Usha and Vasant Lad

Makes approximately 1 dozen chapatis Laxmi is Indian whole wheat flour and has a grainy texture. It can be purchased at Indian grocery stores. You may use whole wheat pastry flour in place of chapati flour. Doshic Notes Tridosha balancing Vata = Pitta = Kapha =

Ingredients

4 cups Laxmi brand (or whole wheat) flour 2 cupswater 3/4 tsp salt small bowl of safflower oil

Preparation

Mix the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and begin to add the water, about ¼ cup at a time. Knead thoroughly with your hands after each addition. Keep adding water until you have a stiff dough that will not stick to your hands. You may need to use more or less water than the recipe calls for, depending upon the humidity of the climate. Cover the dough and set it aside for half an hour. Now take a small handful of dough, about the size of a small egg, and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in flour and flatten a little with your palms or a rolling pin. Brush or pat one side with oil, without putting it on the edges. Lightly dip the oiled side into flour. Fold over in half, covering the oiled side, and fold in half again. Pinch the edges together. Dip both sides in flour and roll out until thin and even, about 5 inches across. To roll it into a nice round shape, it helps to give the chapati a bit of a turn each time before you roll it again. Place the chapati on a hot, seasoned—but not oily—chapati or frying pan until it bubbles up and the bottom has brown spots. A cast iron skillet works too. Dab with oil and flip it over, cooking it until lightly brown on bottom. The chapati should be cooked in 2-4 minutes. Wrap them in a clean tea towel until ready to serve.