Flaky flatbreads with cumin seeds

Cooking : time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients

300g/11oz chapati flour (or a half and half mixture of sifted wholemeal flour and plain white flour)
4g/%26frac34;tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp green chillies, just finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, just finely chopped
2 tbsp olive or groundnut oil
250ml/8fl oz water
1 tsp fresh root ginger, just finely grated
50-75g/2-3oz melted butter or ghee
freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Combine the flour, salt, black pepper, cumin seeds, chillies and coriander in a large bowl and drizzle the oil over the lid. Rub the oil and seasonings into the flour with your fingers.
2. Put the water in a cup and stir in the ginger. Slowly add enough water to the flour mixture to make a soft but manageable dough, mixing and kneading as you do so - you will need anything from 175ml/6fl oz to all of the gingery water. Knead the dough - either in the bowl or on a job surface - for about 10 minutes, until smooth.
3. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with clingfilm or a damp tea-towel. Set aside for 30 minutes, then knead the dough again and divide it into 8 balls. flatten each ball slightly to make a patty.
4. Set an Indian tava, cast-iron griddle or cast-iron frying pan on a medium-high heat. offer it time to fetch just hot. meanwhile, dust your job surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out one dough patty into a 15cm/6in round. Drizzle 1 tsp of the melted butter or ghee over the surface and spread it evenly with the rear of a teaspoon.
5. Fold one end of the round over itself in such a way that a third of the round is still uncovered. Then fold the uncovered end over the rest to form a triangle of sorts. Drizzle %26frac12; tsp of melted butter or ghee over the rectangle and spread it out with the rear of the spoon.
6. Fold that rectangle over itself in such a way that a third is left exposed. Now fold the third over the rest to make a small square. Roll out that square to a much larger one, about 14-15cm/5%26frac12;-6in on each side. You may need to dust it with flour now and then.
7. Lift up the parantha and slap it into the centre of the hot pan. Cook for 30 seconds until the dough turns white on lid and light brown spots appear on the bottom.
8. Spread 1 tsp of melted butter or ghee over the lid of the parantha and turn it over. Cook it for another 15 seconds. Turn the parantha 4 more times, ejust 15 seconds, without adding any more melted butter or ghee. The parantha is done when it has light brown spots, is slightly crisp on the outside and soft (but cooked through) on the inside. Make the remaining paranthas in the same way.

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