Kenyan Chapatis - Ethnic Foods R Us

(Photo Attributed to Author: Kalyan)

Kenyan Chapatis are served, much like Ugali, with almost every Kenyan full meal. As with Ugali, Kenyan Chapatis are an “edible utensil” used to break portions off and scoop up the meal entrees and pop the morsels into your mouth. Perhaps the most simple, and easy Kenyan food recipe you will come across, Kenyan Chapatis will be essential and a fun addition to any Kenyan (or other African) meals.

Kenyan Chapatis Recipe-

Ingredients:

3 cups of water (warmed)
6 cups of whole wheat flour
3 tbsp. of ghee, melted
2 tsp. salt
more ghee, for cooking

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine and blend together the flour, ghee and salt. Stir until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Knead the mixture, little by little adding in the water, keep kneading until you have a doughy texture.
When all the water is into the dough, continue kneading for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is smooth, softened, and no longer sticks to the bowl or your hands.
Lightly flour a flat working surface. Place the dough ball onto the surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out until very thin – about 1/8″ thick. You may need to add more sprinkles of flour to the dough and flour your rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking while you roll it out.
Now roll the large flat round of dough up into a tight, long sausage shape.
Using a sharp, wet knife, slice the roll into as many individual chapatis you wish to make.
Place a large skillet on the burner over medium-low flame and heat it up. In another smaller pan, heat up the cooking ghee.
While the ghee melts and heats, roll out the chapati pieces into thin rounds, again sprinkling a little more flour on the dough as needed.
Place the rounds in the cooking skillet and cook until the bottom sides are browned and the top sides are translucent. This should only take a minute or two at most. Work in batches as necessary.
Flip the rounds over and brush some ghee on the browned side. When the other side is browned, flip them over again and brush some ghee on the newly browned side, then flip them back over and cook for just 15 seconds.
One by one or in as many at a time as the size of your skillet allows, repeat this process until all of your chapatis are finished cooking.
Serve Kenyan chapatis with most Kenyan stews, masalas, and even vegetable dishes.