Now that everyone is house bound and with a lot of free time in our hands, its easy to hone cookery skills. One of our favourite foods is chapati. Chapati is prepared by first making the dough and then shallow frying.
However, many consume Chapati soon after preparation due to lack of a preservation method.
Now its possible to store chapatis and keep consuming bit by bit.
If Chapatis are preserved, they can be consumed over a very long period of time up to six months. One way to preserve chapatis for very long is by freezing.
I learnt how to freeze chapatis after I received some from Kenya while I was living in Belgium. I threw them in the freezer and they kept for a while. I was able to enjoy the frozen chapatis for over a month, eating just one at a time.
How to freeze Chapati
Put chapatis in freezer bags or just any polythene bag to prevent chapati from absorbing water in the freezer. Now that plastic bags are banned in Kenya, use aluminium foil to wrap chapati. Throw them in the freezer until the time you need them.
Thawing Chapatis.
- The best way to thaw chapati is to transfer chapati from the freezer to the fridge atleast three hours before consumption. This way they will thaw slowly minimising the risk of bacteria proliferating in the chapati.
- To quickly thaw chapati use a microwave oven. Cover the chapatis nicely and use the defrosting option in the microwave oven setting.
- If you have to use the warming setting in a microwave oven, cover chapatis and thaw for a very short time; less than a minute, otherwise they will dry out into crackers.
- Thawing at room temperature for several hours could increase a risk of bacteria multiplication and growth in the chapatis.
You can now preserve your chapati as long as you want during this period of social distancing