I've seen chapaties being made in the home and usually its the lady of the house (or her daughters), sat with a large bowl (washing up bowl size thing) all the dough is rolled into small balls (size of a golf ball) and then sort of patted and turned between the two hands. Using a sort of twist and clap technique...

do you think after I've left they got the press out ?... LOL

Steve

:-)!

Those ladies have probably never considered buying a chapatti press, considering it an affront to their cooking abilities! What you are describing Steven is a technique used to make Roties. They are much thicker than the chapatties. In our family, they are called .pani ke hath ki roties.. Translated, it means .roties made with wetted hands.. You wet your palms by dipping them in a bowl of water and pick the ball. Then you just slap the ball around between palms, with a little pressure to press and enlarge it, moving it around all the time. They are then cooked until they are crisp and eaten immediately, with a thin layer of ghee or butter. This technique is often used for Tandoori roti, Kachauri, Corn and Millet roti. Village women will almost always make their roties this ways, but then they cook their roties old fashioned way too, on wood fire!

Every time I go to India, it is on my list to eat things. You see, I can.t eat them crisp, if I am the one who is making them! It is not that difficult to make them and you can do it too.

Mamta

So its made just like a chapati only thicker (is it thinner at the edges?)

and do you cook it in the oil ? or dry pan like chapati?

as for crispyness.. is it a dry/hard crispyness like a cream cracker (so you would do it on a lower heat to dry out the moisture?

or a crisp outer edge with a soft middle, so on a very high heat, maybe with a little oil in the pan to help the heat get in? (I find when making bread (traditional English type) that leaving it out uncovered while proving helps to create a crispy outer crust (similar to bread made in Malta as it dries out in the heat while proving)...

Steve

Sorry, my hand slipped on 'enter' there!

You cook it without oil, on a hot griddle and then directly on a flame. Use tongs to turn or back and forth. It is crisp on the outside and soft inside. Butter melts as you put it on the surface! You are making my mouth water, I think I will make it tonight. I have a few people coming around for a vegetarian meal later on!

:-)

Mamta

they sound like the should be stuffed with fruit and have cinnamon butter poured over with a splash of cream....

Steve

Mmmmmmm! Sounds heavenly!! A bit like Peshawri nan!

Cinnamon butter, what a good idea! Never made it!!

Mamta

As your sweet knowledge and skill is by far greater than mine I'm sure you can work something out for a cinnamon butter, maybe just sticks of cinnamon in the butter, gently warming it would be enough?

Could be you need to use some sugar and cinnamon heated into the butter to make a syrup ?

sounds like something that needs experimenting with...

and do you think you can stuff them like a naan?

Hello Steven

I am sure that if you mixed cinnamon powder and ground sugar with butter, it will work. And, I am sure you could stuff 1/2- 1 tsp. in the centre of dough ball. I might try it one day. I still have to try 'seeded chapatti', like seeded bread, one of these days. I keep forgetting every time I make chapatties! It might taste better in a paratha, rather then a roti.

Mamta

Hi Mamta,

I can spend hours rolling out chapatis especially on family occassions and gatherings when there are so many to make it gets so laborious. So the idea of a chapati press sounds fantastic. It will also be extremely useful for pressing out samosa dough - again for making samosas for a large occasion. You mentioned they were the same as tortilla presses - I have had a look on the internet and some manufacturers selling tortilla presses are saying that they are only really suitable for using with cornflour as bread flour will produce undesirable effects. Where can I find one that is suitable for use with chapatis??? I would want a large one. For those that are using them already - do the chapatis look traditional?? Are they easy to make/ use?? I think that some top notch inventor should getting inventing one quick.

Farzana

Hello Farzana

Chapatti press can be the type that only presses the dough into a chapatti or it can be the electric one, that presses, as well cooks the chapatti.

Generally speaking, you need to put a thin film of oil on the 'pressing' surfaces, to stop the chapatti from sticking. So, They are ideal for making poories, parathas and samosa base.

I bought mine in India years ago. In UK, most good Indian stores will have them. They are also available on the internet. They are usually 6-8 inch in diameter. I have never seen one that is alrger, but then I have not been looking for one, it might me around somewhere!

Mamta

I have got one of these and wouldn't be without it. I can't roll out lots of chapatties like my mum does! My hands get tired!

Divya

Hi have press of this kind in perfect condition I would like to sell it as I do not use it at all. anybody interested. Its cast iron and very solid with washable platters on each side. I think its guite old.

It depends upon where you live.

It might be difficult to sell, specially if it is an Indian one. They are quite cheap in India. However, you might try e-Bay.

Mamta

hi, this is my first time on the forum.

I have bought this electric chapatti press but can't get

the chapattis well. Moreover, when I went to buy it in india

all shopkeepers said it is a flop. my chapattis become

somehow like elastic, don't cook fully. please advice

Hello Vishu

When I went to buy one in India, the shop keeper told me the same thing, "the chapatti come out tough like papads". He suggested I use an ordinary, non-electric one to press chapatties and then cook as normal.

My sistre in-law in USA has one and she uses it to make Kachauries (stuffed poori). She presses them in the pre-heated press and immediately transfesrs them to the hot oil. Half cooked kachauries ballooon out beautifully when put in oil.

Mamta

I have read this post and was curious.. My girlfriend makes me Roti all the time and it takes her a very long time. Should a tortilla press not be used for making Roti? I know you said they are much thicker that chapatti. Is there any way to use a device like this for making Roti. Much thanks.

I have seen both in action, chapatti press and tortilla press. Both are basically the same thing, a device to press a dough ball into a flat circle. The electric ones are supposed to cook as well. As I said before, my sister in-law in USA presses the dough balls in it and then transfers the partly cooked chapatti/poori to a frying pan/griddle/tawa/deep fryer, depending upon which type of bread she is making. They come out quite nice. I am not sure if it is a good idea to cook the chapatties all the way in it. I believe they come out very hard, like ?papads/papodoms?!

It does take a while to make chapatties, specially in the beginning. Your girl friend will get better with practice. Perhaps you could help by cooking them, while she is rolling them out :-)!

Mamta

I bought one of the electric ones in India and I do the same as someone suggested and press them out on it then put into the pan. But they are brilliant for cooking poppadums without any oil or burning them on the gas ring. Did try the microwave without any success but this way is the best.

This is a new one on me. No one I know has done this, I think!

Thanks

Mamta

Hi, I'm new to this thread, it came up when I googled it. I want to buy a birthday present for my mom and I decided I want to buy a roti press, never seen one before and have no idea where to go for one. Is the tortilla press the same thing as a roti press? Don't want an electrical one though, just one that presses them into shape, is the chapati press and roti press the same thing? Don't want to end up buying something and for it to turn out rubbish!

Any advice greatly appreciated, Thank you.

Hello Aziza

Welcome to mamtaskitchen!

Yes, tortilla and chapatti press are pretty much the same. See www.themariposacollection.co.uk/products/index.php?category=9 You are wise not to get an electric one, they are no good and you get papadom like chaptties.

I am sure your mum will be pleased with your gift. I have a non-electric one that I use for making 'poori' and 'mathari'. I find chapatties easier to make the traditional way, by a roller or belan.

I would suggest shopping around, they might be cheaper in large Indian grocers, than on line. Do you live in UK?

Good luck!

Mamta

Thanks for the speedy reply. Yes I live in the UK in the North West. I will have a look in some large Indian Outlets otherwise the one you suggestd would be perfect for her (and for me - I can never get them round!) But like you suggested she could use it for poori which will be really helpful. Thank you

Please can someone help me. My mum has arthritis in her thumbs do you think one of these help her. Would she have to do any rolling out.

Is there availability in the UK.

thanks

Hello Mon

It may help her. She won't have to roll them out, but do bear in my that she will have to press it with reasonable force. So, it depends o how much strength she can use.

If someone you now has one of these, I would suggest that you borrow from them and let her try first.

Mamta

hallo Mamta,

I just came accross this forum and i think it is really really interesting. I have been trying to make samosas. They came out alright but i didnt get the base right. How to get is so thin and then folding it to become a real triangle.

Help! I am on a mission and i must know how to make them.

Thanks for your answer in advance.

Please explain like you are eexplaining to an 8 year old. I am 26.

thank you!

Hello Teenytiny

Try this recipe, Vegetable Samosa. Let me know if there are any problems.

You can also make baked samosas, using Filo Pastry; Smaosa with Filo Pastry

Mamta

Oops, you got the wrong link there! Try this one; Vagetable Samosa

Hi, I like to roll out chapatis, but I can't get them round. Is there a trick to that? I've seen women do it so that the chapati rotates under the rolling pin, while the pin stays in the same position. Is there, maybe, a special rolling pin that's used? I'd appreciate any help. Thanks!

Not specifically chapatties but if you want anything to roll out and stay round, you must keep rotating it so you roll it out a bit one way, a bit another etc..

I'm guessing you've seen someone who has a technique of rolling on a small board that they are turning while rolling out with the other hand ?

Steve

Hi Channa

Though Indian rolling pin is different from English one, they both work equally well. When rolling out chapatties, you hold the rolling pin very lightly. Only your wrists move, flicking backwards and forwards, gently coaxing it to move in a circular fashion, clockwise. It seems harder to describe it than actually doing it.

mamta

Hi, Steve. Mamta described it exactly -- both hands are on the rolling pin, short flicks of the pin, and the chapati rotates a little after each flick. Lol, but don't believe the part that it's "harder to describe it than actually doing it."

I bought a round wooden rolling board and tiny rolling pin (from India), and I'm set to try again. I notice that the rolling board is slightly concave, so maybe that's part of it. Or maybe it just wasn't made well. We'll see.

I have never seen a concave rolling pin, unless it is a really narrow rolling pin used by Gujrati people (they like their cahpatties paper thin) or Papodom makers! LOL!

I found tortilla press at Bed bath and beyond.You may try that as chapathi press.Its only $19.99 and use coupon .you will get it for $15.

Good luck everyone.

Hi kaly,

How is the tortilla press that you got from bed bath and beyond? Does it make nice thin chapathis? Please let me know as i am also planning to get one from BB&Beyond.

Are these any good? Im useless at Rotis!

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Electric-Roti-Maker.html

Cheers

Steve

My sister in-law in USA has one. I think that it is for tortilla making and makes slightly stiffer chapatties. She only uses it to roll and partly cook chapati/paratha/kachauries and then either cooks them on a tava-gridle or deep fries them(kachauries). It is a shame that you can't try it before buying!

If you decide to buy it from Spice of India, may I request you to use the link on each of my recipes? This gives a tiny renumeration towards my running of this free website. Thanks

Mamta

Hi

I am 22 now and just started learning cooking. I would like to know how to make dhaal fry as side dish for chappati. My mom did it for me but its too watery. I would like to have it thick with good taste as they supply in hotels. Could anyone guide me with step by step procedure and with exact ratios of its ingredients ?

Thanks in advance ,

Nagasri

Welcome to the pleasures of cooking :-)!

Which particular dal would you like to cook?

If you want to make it thick, you can reduce the water to your liking. There are many dal recipes on this site. select one and cook with reduced water. Then give it a spicy tarka' with onion/ginger/garlic, cumin/mustard seeds, whole dry chillies, chilli powder or even curry powder.

Mamta

Hello Mamta,

Just wanted to know if taking Tortilla Maker will serve the purpose to make Chapattis, I know there are some machine which makes Papads which are sold in India, do you think it is worth buying that.

Please advice, It is a gift for my sis, She makes 60 chapatis a day.

Vish

Hello Vis

If she makes 60 chapatties a day, she must be an expert by now. Most regular Indian cooks will consider a tortilla maker a nuisance, ordinary roller works fine for them. I presume that you are talking about the 'press' only, not the one that cooks them too? These things do not keep chapatties soft.

You could suss her out by asking what she thinks about one.

Mamta

hi there

does anyone know where you can get the hand held samosa mould from. i saw it once on you tube but have no idea where to purchase it from. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.It would make like so much easier to make the samosa's

Thank you

Never heard of it Faz! If you find out, let's see it too.

Mamta