Khapli Wheat Chicken And Dumplings

For A Heartier, Comforting Soup

Khapli wheat does double duty in this chicken and dumplings recipe, showing up both in the roux that thickens the broth and in the drop dumplings that go on top. A roux only needs flour's starch to thicken a liquid, so khapli, which is an ancient emmer wheat with a lower gluten strength than all-purpose flour, performs that part of the job just as well as regular flour does. Whisk it into the melted butter for the full minute the recipe calls for, since khapli's coarser, stone-ground texture needs a bit longer to fully smooth out and avoid any graininess in the finished broth. The dumplings are where khapli wheat flour's lower gluten actually works in this recipe's favour rather than against it. The whole point of a good drop dumpling is a light, cloud-like texture, which depends on baking powder, which does the heavy lifting and the dough being stirred only until it barely forms. Using Aashirvaad Chakki Khapli Atta, which has more fibre, protein, plus iron and vitamin B1 which supports energy metabolism, is a great sibtitie for the typical maida or other whole wheat flour, purely because of its nutrient density. Going back to the recipe, everything stays the same from the roux being made, vegetables sautéed, herb-infused broth readied alongside the chicken. The chicken simmers in broth with evaporated milk and peas added later. Then the dumplings go into the pot. Pick a wide, shallow pot, rather than a tall one, as the former gives more surface area for the dumplings to sit in a single layer rather than crowding on top of each other. The khapli wheat dumplings will roughly double in size as they cook, so oversized drops turn into oversized, undercooked dumplings in the centre.