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Whole-Wheat Banana Chapatis

1¾ cups (8 ounces) plus 3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour, plus more for rolling

1 tablespoon raw sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large bananas

¼ cup boiling water (see headnote)

Melted butter or melted ghee, for brushing

Combine the 8 ounces of flour, the sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the oil; work it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips.

If the bananas are not fully ripe, you can grate them using the large-holed side of a box grater; otherwise, mash them with a fork (to yield 1 cup). Add to the bowl, then knead them into the flour mixture.

Lightly flour a work surface.

Use a wooden spoon to stir in the boiling water; once the water has cooled a bit, use your hands to knead the mixture into a sticky dough. Transfer to the work surface. Work some or all the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour into the dough; knead to create a dough that's soft and no longer sticky. Cover with a damp cloth to rest for 20-30 minutes (at room temperature).

Heat a large tawa (Indian skillet) or cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts; roll each into a ball. Cover with the damp cloth.

Working with one ball at a time, first coat it in flour, then roll it out on the floured work surface to a round of chapati that's 7 inches across. Cook a chapati in the skillet or on the grill pan until craterlike bubbles start to form on the dough's surface. (If bubbles do not appear, your skillet isn't hot enough.) Once brown spots begin to appear on the bottom, turn over the chapati and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. You can press around the chapati with a slotted stainless-steel spatula to make sure it cooks evenly and make it puff even more.

Immediately brush with the melted ghee and place on a plate, then cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

Prep and cook 3 more chapatis, then use a wet paper towel to wipe out the skillet before cooking the remaining chapatis. Each finished chapati should be brushed with ghee right away and loosely stacked under the towel. Serve with a sweet chutney or even a helping of caramelized bananas.

Serves eight.

Cook's notes: Don't be tempted to add more flour to this dough to make it firm; it should be very moist. Just make sure it's not sticky. Using boiling water makes the dough more supple.

Nutrition values per serving: 150 calories, 2 g fat (0 saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 3 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 60 mg sodium.

Shulie Madnick, foodwanderings.com

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