Chickpea Flour Country Bread

Combine onion and cumin seed in food processor and process until onion is very finely chopped. Add chickpea flour, salt, and oil, and process 25-30 seconds. With motor running, add water, a little at a time. Let batter rest for 15 minutes in processor.

Add flour and process until dough has formed. Process another 45 seconds, and turn hard sticky dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead briefly until smooth.

Divide dough into 1 piece per roti. Pat each piece between well-floured palms to a disc 3-4" in diameter. Set aside; do not stack. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 20-30 minutes.

Place quarry tiles or baking sheets on bottom rack of oven, leaving a 1" gap between tiles and oven walls. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Begin rolling out breads. Roll each into a thin round approximately 8" in diameter. Roll firmly but carefully, as dough tears easily. Flour your rolling pin as needed. Roll out as many breads as you can fit in your oven at one time.

Place breads on hot tiles or baking sheets. Bake 2 minutes, until tiny bubbles rise across entire surface of bread and it is pale yellow in color; bottom should be flecked with brown. Remove breads and wrap in towel to keep warm while you bake remaining breads.

Authors' comments: This thin, pale-yellow bread, flavored with chopped onion and cumin seed, is at its best with served with a curry and a cool raita.

As with many cornmeal and other non-wheat-flour breads, be sure to let the chickpea batter sit 15-20 minutes before adding wheat flour and beginning to work batter into a dough, so the chickpea flour can fully absorb water. This dough is best made in a food processor. The breads are best served warm.

Recipe Source: "Flatbreads and Flavors"