Page 1 of 2

Chapatti Flour

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 4:08 pm
by fatgit
Picked up a 20kg bag of Chapatti flour for £5 at tesco not long ago as we eat a lot of the things (but didnt think we'd use all £20kg) and wondered how the flour would do in a loaf, but have never seen anything on suitability, despite numerous searches etc.
Finally got around to testing last night. I used Wheels Soft Rolls recipe, just substituting the flours, and SWMBO couldn't tell the difference between the chapatti flour loaf and the usual wholemeal flour we use. Result!

We often see chapatti flour selling cheap round here (certainly cheaper than £1.20 for 1.5kg), and now I can happily use the flour for more than one thing, which means none will go to waste.

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:57 pm
by wheels
That's handy to know, thanks.

Phil :D

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:22 pm
by saucisson
Nice tip, thanks :)

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:36 pm
by grisell
Isn't chapatti flour just sifted graham flour?

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:49 pm
by wheels
If Graham flour is wholemeal flour, certainly sifted wholemeal is suggested as a substitute for atta flour(Chapati flour). This link may help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atta_flour

Phil

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:04 am
by Gill
I'm wondering if Graham flour isn't a confusion with gram flour, a flour made from chickpeas. If so, it is quite different from atta flour, which is wheat-based.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 12:37 am
by wheels
No, the US have Graham crackers which seem to correspond to cream-crackers - in any case they're totally different from Besan which is gram flour. I'm sure that both Graham and Atta (chappati) are wheat based.

Phil

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:30 pm
by saucisson
Graham flour is a a whole wheat grain flour named after a Presbyterian Minister.

I'l leave you good folks to guess what his name was :lol:








Yes, it was Sylvester 8)

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:08 pm
by Gill
Well, I never knew that! Another little gem to tuck away in case I ever appear on Pointless :) .

PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 10:55 pm
by mitchamus
I think the confusion arises because in some places in the US,

'Graham' is pronounced 'Gram'

not 'greyham' like other English speaking countries.

I'm not sure why...

PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:23 pm
by fatgit
Gram flour doesnt last long here, it gets turned into bhaji's very quickly :)

PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 6:15 pm
by wheels
...but gram flour isn't what is known as chapatti flour.

...at least I don't think it is!

PostPosted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 7:01 pm
by fatgit
Nope. gram flour is made from chickpeas. Atta flour is an Indiam Durum wheat flour with a high gluten content.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:17 pm
by Dogfish
What recipe do you use for chapati? We use just straight wheat and water rolled flat and cooked in a dry, hot pan. Tried chickpea flour once and it was abysmal.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:09 pm
by fatgit
I use 2 cups of Atta flour to every 1 cup of water and mix (sometimes we just make enough to use there and then, others we make loads up to freeze). I then oil my hands and separate into balls and leave them to rest in the fridge for 30mins before rolling thin.

I use a frying pan on the hottest light I have and cook on each side just until it starts to blister, then pop onto another gas burner on high until they puff up.

I used to brush with ghee, but now I'm not allowed to because of my cholesterol :(