Chapati za Kusukuma

Ingredients

• 3 cups (390 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) hot water, just off the boil
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee for frying

Before you cook

• Whisk the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.
• Pour in the hot water in a steady stream while stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and leave the dough until it is cool enough to touch.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes until smooth, soft and elastic.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and rest it for 30 minutes.
• Divide the rested dough into 8 equal balls.

Steps

1. Roll one ball into a thin circle about 20 cm across on a lightly floured surface.
2. Brush the whole surface with oil and dust it very lightly with flour.
3. Fold the circle back and forth into a concertina, like folding a paper fan.
4. Stretch the folded strip gently, then coil it into a tight spiral and tuck the end underneath.
5. Set the coil aside and shape the remaining seven balls the same way.
6. Cover all the coils with a damp cloth and rest them for 20 minutes.
7. Press one coil flat with your palm and roll it into a circle about 20 cm across, keeping the pressure even.
8. Set a heavy frying pan or tawa over medium heat until a drop of water skitters across it.
9. Lay the chapati into the dry pan and cook for 40 seconds, until pale blisters rise.
10. Flip the chapati and brush the cooked side with oil.
11. Cook for another 40 seconds, then flip again and brush the second side with oil.
12. Press the chapati around its edges with a folded cloth for about 30 seconds a side, until golden freckles appear all over and it puffs.
13. Stack the finished chapati in a clean cloth or lidded pot so it steams and stays soft.
14. Roll and cook the remaining chapatis the same way, and serve them warm.