The many shades of Bread

Hello Lovely People,

It's no surprise I love bread. Luckily besides the baked bread as an indian, bread varieties come in a bounty for us - skillet roasted, tandoor oven roasted, pan-fried, deep fried, steamed; you say it and there is a bread variety.

Even in our Eastindian community we have a couple of unique varieties. The most common being the 'handbread' and the most popular one 'fugiyas' (fried balloon bread). But the lightest one is 'Chitaps'.

Chitaps are similar to dosas or crepes. They have first cousins in the Goan variety and Neer Dosas or Appams; of course the Eastindian of Mumbai version is slightly different in the ingredients.

I had been craving Chitaps since a while now and yesterday found the perfect opportunity to make them to compliment a light and coconutty Pepper Chicken curry.

RECIPE

Time Taken : 40 mins excluding soaking time

Yield : 20 medium sized Chitaps

Method :

1) Soak 250 gms of old rice for 4 to 8 hours  with a few grains of meethi seeds.

2) Grind to a coarse paste with half cup water.

3) Add 1tsp yeast, handful sugar, salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup maida and 2 cups fresh coconut milk. Mix well and let it ferment for 8 hours or overnight.

4) When ready to make Chitaps heat a cast iron pan or a medium sized non-stick pan. Keep 2 tbsp onion in a bowl and stick half a an onion on a fork, dipped in the oil. 

5) Mix the batter well, baste the pan surface with oil using the onion as a brush. Pour half ladleful of batter and spread around the pan (tilting the pan around) to form a even and round pancake. 

6) Cover with lid and cook for max 2 to 3 mins. Once the chitap has firmed and bottom slightly brown, remove in a woodenbbasket lined with a tea towel. 

7) Make all chitaps similary, basting pan with oil using the onion between each turn. 

8) Serve warm with the curry of your choice. Some people love to make them for breakfast with coconut chutney. 

I had paired them lacy and light Chitaps with a fiery Pepper Chicken curry made with coconut milk (it was yumm). 

You could get creative and pair them with anythin of you choice actually. Try it. 

Cheers!