Indian Mint Flatbread

How to prepare indian mint flatbread

1. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the salt and water there. Gradually pull the flour over the water, mixing with your fingers until the dough comes together. Add the oil.
2. Knead the dough by hand until smooth. I kneaded it for about 2-3 minutes by hand and then in a bread machine on the kneading program for 13 minutes (or 5 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook). If kneading exclusively by hand, knead for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place the dough on a floured work surface and cover with a bowl. Let it rest for 1 to 5 hours (the longer the better; I left it for 2.5 hours).
4. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Keep them covered until you cook them all.
5. Rub the butter well until it becomes creamy and easy to spread.
6. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each ball into a thin sheet (about 18-20 cm diameter).
8. Spread a thin layer of butter on the sheet (put a teaspoon of butter in the center and spread it with the back of a spoon). Sprinkle a little flour and a little salt. Then sprinkle a generous layer of crumbled dried mint (see here how I dried and crumbled mint).
9. Fold the dough like an accordion (see photo 4). Then roll it like a snail with the mint side facing out (see photo 5).
10. Sprinkle a little more flour on the work surface, flatten the snail with your hand and then continue to roll it with a rolling pin until you have a thin sheet again (about 20 cm diameter).
11. Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan very well (5 minutes on high heat). When hot, dab the pan with a paper towel soaked in oil. Dab the pan with oil before cooking each flatbread.
12. Cook each flatbread in the pan, 1.5 minutes per side, until there are no more wet spots. Using grill tongs, take the bread from the pan and move it to a burner on maximum (directly on the flame). Leave about 5 seconds to get golden marks, then flip it to the other side.
    
14. Stack the cooked breads on a plate and cover them with foil until you finish them all. Rub a cube of butter over each bread immediately after removing it from the pan.
15. They are best immediately after cooking. If you want to keep them, fold (or roll) them and wrap in aluminum foil (or plastic wrap).
16. They are excellent alongside potato curry, lentil dal or lamb curry.

Print