Sindhi Flatbreads With Black Pepper (Kali Mirch Ki Loli)

Submitted by KateL

"Entered for ZWT. From Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian". The pepper should not be too fine nor too coarse. Serve these with any meal. They are also excellent with scrambled eggs and, when eaten plain, with a little honey, ham, chutney, or hot pickle on them. Good with tea."

 

• Ready In: 51mins
• Ingredients: 5
• Yields: 4 flatbreads

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups chapati flour or 3/4 cup wheat flour and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a little extra
• 1⁄2 cup water

directions

1. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large, wide bowl. Slowly add the 4 tablespoons oil, rubbing it into the flour.
2. Now, slowly add about 1/2 cup of water or enough to form a firm dough. Knead well until the dough is smooth and forms a ball. Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.
3. Set a cast-iron griddle, cast-iron frying pan, or Indian tava over medium-high heat.
4. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Oil your hands lightly and make 4 balls. Flatten the balls to make 4 patties. Keep 3 balls covered while you work with the fourth.
5. On a lightly oiled surface, roll out the patty into a 5 1/4-inch round. (The edges might be slightly rough but that is as it should be.) Prick a few holes on the bread with a fork.
6. Slap the bread onto the hot griddle. Cook about 1 minute on the first side. Turn the bread over and cook the second side for a minute.
7. Turn it over again. Reduce heat to medium. Now dribble about 1/2 teaspoon oil on the griddle very near the circumference of the bread. Cook 30 seconds, pressing down on the bread with a spatula.
8. Turn the bread again, dribbling another 1/2 teaspoon of oil near its circumference. Cook 30 seconds, pressing down on the bread again.
9. Keep turning every 30 seconds or so until the bread has a few brown spots and is cooked through, 4-5 minutes in all.
10. Remove and keep covered.
11. Turn the heat up to medium-high again and make the second bread. Make all the breads this way.