Lentil and Spinach Chapatis

You know when you're making vindaloo and you're thinking "what goes with vindaloo?". My solution to this dilemma is to take down the Bible aka Charmain Solomon's Complete Asian Cookbook. That's what I did today, and I found this recipe for Lentil and Spinach Chapatis. Like a lot of doughs you need to prepare them in advance, but it's worth it.


Ingredients

•  2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Filling

• 1 cup red lentils
• 3 cups finely shredded spinach
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon cummin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt
• lemon juice
• ghee for cooking

Add oil to the flour and salt, and rub in with your hands. Add the warm water and mix into the dough with your hands. It will form a pliable and slightly sticky dough. Knead for between 10 and 15 minutes. The longer you knead, the lighter your chapatis will be.

Wrap the dough in Glad Wrap and rest in the fridge for at least one hour, and ideally about 3 hours.

Cook the lentils in an inch of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir through until wilted. Heat some ghee in a frying pan. Add the onion and soften for several minutes. Add the lentil and spinach mixture and garlic and stir through the onion. Add the spices, salt and a squeeze of lemon juice and stir through until all the moisture is evaporated.

Remove from the fridge and cut into 8 pieces. Take a piece and press out into a disk, then place a spoonful of filling in the centre. Pull the edges up and pinch them together.

Roll out gently with a rolling pin so that the filling remains sealed, and the dough is about the size of a bread plate. Heat a small amount of ghee in a heavy bottomed cast iron pan and cook each chapati until browned on each side.

Eat with your vindaloo, raita and coconut red rice that you made today. Probably wear loose clothing. You wont be sorry.