Kneading fresh chapati dough is almost an everyday process in most houses in India. Chapati is consumed with everything and is a staple in the country. It is the main source of carbohydrates for people and most people like to consume it in all meals of the day. The dough for chapatis that are primarily made of wheat gets bad very quickly, especially if one doesn't store it properly. Generally, the lifespan of this dough is not more than a day and at times it gets spoiled even before a day is completed. This leads to a lot of food wastage. Today we will share some bonafide tips that can help in extending the lifespan of your Chapati dough and keeping it fresh for a long time.
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* Cover the Dough
Always, make sure that you cover your dough with a clean cling sheet or an aluminium foil as per your preference. Just simply keeping the door in a container and storing it in the fridge, doesn't preserve its elasticity and freshness. It is very important to make sure that your door is covered completely and is not in touch with any external elements. You will see a significant difference in the way your Chapati dough tastes after covering it up properly and storing it.
* Keeping Adding Little Water While Kneading
While kneading the dough for Chapatis, it is very important to ensure that you keep on adding a little quantity of water throughout the process. Adding all the required water at once and then mixing it with wheat flour is not the correct way of going forward. The right way is to add a little quantity of water through frequent intervals and mix them properly. If you feel like the dough is too soft and sticky, then add some more flour to make it more firm.
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* Use Lukewarm Water For Kneading
Another lesser-known tip about kneading the right type of dough for chapatis is to use lukewarm water. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes and then you will get a very soft dough. Using regular water for kneading dough can make it very tight and stretch. This gives it a very unlikely consistency that is not right for making chapatis. Further, it becomes very difficult to cook chapatis.
* Cover Dough With Oil
Covering the dough with some oil is also a great idea to preserve its elasticity and freshness. You can use any kind of vegetable oil to do the same. If you want to avoid using oil then you can also go for a little quantity of Desi ghee. Remember that you have to use a very small quantity of either of the two different things to moisturise your dough from the outer surface. The batch of chapatis that you will prepare from the dough that is slathered with a bit of oil or ghee will be much softer.
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* Store The Dough In the Fridge
Leaving the Chapati dough outside the refrigerator for a long time can also lead to the spoiling of the dough and the loss of colour. Ensure that you store the Chapati dough in the refrigerator and not leave it outside in the kitchen for a very long time. You can also modify the temperature settings of the refrigerator depending on the season. For example, in winter, the air is very dry, so make sure that the humidity level in your fridge is a little more than usual. You can also modify the temperature settings for your refrigerator in summer as per the requirement.
* Store Dough In Airtight Containers
Most of us store Chapati dough in utensils and simply cover them with a plate or a lid. This is the wrong way of storing the dough and this is what leads to the dough getting hard very easily and early. The right way of storing the chapati dough is to keep it in an airtight container and then place it in the fridge. Instead of using airtight containers, you can also go for zip-lock bags. This will help in retaining the natural moisture of the dough and it will remain fresh for a long time.
You can follow all these tips at home to keep your Chapati dough fresh for a longer time. All of these tips are quite effective and you will see an instant change in the quality of dough.