It is very hard to find someone who does not like chapatis ( also called roti, or Indian Flatbread). In most households the chapati is made with whole wheat flour and is served hot off the pan. It can be eaten on its own, dressed up with spreads or accompanying a meal. There is no rule that designates the chapati to any particular time of day and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or tea. Chapatis are also a childhood favorite for most kids.
However in today's environment many people have given up this treat because of a gluten intolerance. Let me introduce you to the Rice Bhakri, a chapati or roti made with rice. The Rice Bhakri is typically found in Goa as well as along the Konkan Coast. The two basic ingredients are rice flour and grated coconut which produce a lovely chapati but somewhat bland for me and in need of an accompaniment like curries or chutney.
I attempted to make the Bhakri for my one year old grandson so he could try something different. In this version the addition of cooked vegetables and a hint of spices takes the bhakri to another level of goodness and flavor. For my grandson's sake I omitted the green chilli and waited with apprehension to gauge his reaction. My son took a bite first and then let my grandson take a bite of the bhakri. His reaction was so lovable and unexpected - before my son could take another bite for himself my grandson opened his mouth and leaned towards the bhakri to get his own bite. Needless to say Grandma was elated and my son ended up giving my grandson most of the bhakri. Thankfully I got four servings out of this recipe and everyone had a chance to share in this experiment.
I encourage everyone to try this recipe especially if you are gluten intolerant. It is so flavorful and not only rich in fibre and nutrients but adds to your daily intake of vegetables.
It should be noted that the dough is a little sticky unlike regular chapati dough and does not lend itself to traditional methods of rolling out chapatis. In most of my research the bhakri dough is traditionally spread on a banana leaf and flattened into a chapati and then flipped into the hot pan. The banana leaf is then gently peeled off while the chapati cooks. In other recipes the dough is formed into a ball and placed on a hot pan or tawa and then flattened with your hands directly on the pan, which I do not recommend for your safety. In my kitchen I substituted lightly greased parchment paper for the banana leaf.
Note: While I used a food processor, you could chop your vegetables by hand and continue the process in a bowl, using a spatula or spoon to blend the ingredients.
Ingredients
1 cup Rice Flour
1/3 cup grated coconut (I used desiccated coconut))
1 small onion roughly chopped
1/3 cup cooked vegetables of choice ( I used frozen corn, peas, carrot and beans - my grandson's favorite)
1/2 teaspoon green chilli paste or fresh green chilli to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin/ jeera
1 teaspoon coriander spice powder
about 1/2 cup fresh coriander with stems, roughly chopped
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Vegetable oil or coconut oil
Method
If using frozen vegetables, cook them first. I use the microwave with a tablespoon of water and cook for about 5 minutes until done.
Cool the vegetables. Put them in a food processor with the onion, chilli, jeera,and coriander spice and fresh coriander. Use the chopping blade and pulse until they look roughly chopped. Do not mash but leave crumbly or as though it were grated.
Add the rice flour and coconut to the processor and process until well blended and mixture resembles breadcrumbs
Now add half the boiling water and turn the processor on. After this add a tablespoon of water at a time and pulse until you get a nice soft dough. The mixture will be a bit sticky when done but easy to handle and form. Between tablespoons remove the lid of the processor and squeeze a little of the dough between your fingers till it can form a dough. Do not add too much water, I used just about 1/2 cup of water.
Remove the dough into a large bowl. Knead with a spatula by pushing the dough together to form a ball. Divide in four pieces. Form into balls. You could use your hands if you cannot manage with the spatula. If you are using your hands then wet them first so the dough is manageable and does not stick to your hands. Leave aside for fifteen minutes covered with plastic wrap.
In the meantime cut 5 squares of wax paper or parchment paper. Estimate the size to be able to fit about a six to seven inch diameter chapati.
Lightly spray each paper with a kitchen oil, or grease with a little bit of vegetable oil.
When ready place a ball on one of the squares of paper. Place another square with the oiled side down on top of the ball and flatten with your hands to form a circle about a quarter of an inch thick.
Continue until all 4 balls are flattened on their individual papers.
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a non stick pan. When hot lift the parchment paper with the chapati and carefully turn it over onto the frying pan, then gently peel off the paper. Do not be discouraged if it does not turn out properly, try to fix the chapati with a spatula by lightly pushing together any pieces that broke off, and then softly pressing down with the spatula to fix any bumps. I like the chapati to look rustic and hand- formed as opposed to a totally perfect round. By the fourth chapati I was an expert at flipping them in the pan from the paper.
Let the chapati cook for about 2 minutes and then flip it over and let the other side cook. It will change color and look a little darker when cooked.
Approximate Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
- Calories225.7
- Total Fat6.4 g
- Saturated Fat0.6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat0.5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat2.7 g
- Cholesterol0.0 mg
- Sodium18.4 mg
- Potassium126.9 mg
- Total Carbohydrate38.6 g
- Dietary Fiber2.9 g
- Sugars0.6 g
- Protein3.9 g
- Vitamin A36.1 %
- Vitamin B-120.0 %
- Vitamin B-611.1 %
- Vitamin C7.6 %
- Vitamin D0.0 %
- Vitamin E3.0 %
- Calcium1.6 %
- Copper4.6 %
- Folate3.6 %
- Iron2.9 %
- Magnesium5.9 %
- Manganese29.0 %
- Niacin7.4 %
- Pantothenic Acid4.0 %
- Phosphorus6.4 %
- Riboflavin2.4 %
- Selenium8.8 %
- Thiamin6.9 %
- Zinc3.4 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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