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Khambir
Khambir: thick, round leavened wholewheat bread from Ladakh, made for butter tea
Khambir is the everyday bread of Ladakh: a thick, round wholewheat loaf with a dent pressed into the middle, browned on a griddle and finished in the heat of the kitchen stove. In homes in Leh and Kargil it appears at breakfast, torn into chunks and dipped into salty butter tea, or spread with apricot jam made from the region's dried apricots. The crust is chewy and toasty, the inside dense and slightly sour. Bakers in Leh's old town still sell it warm in the mornings. Chef's tip: let the dough rise until truly doubled; under-risen khambir is heavy and gummy in the middle.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz wholewheat flour (atta), ⅛ oz instant yeast, ½ tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, then add 1 ¼ cups warm water and knead for 8–10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Wholewheat dough feels stickier than white; dust lightly rather than adding lots of flour.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1½–2 hours, until doubled and a floured finger leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
105 minStep 3: Divide into 4 balls. Flatten each into a round about 13 cm across and 2 cm thick, and press a deep dent into the centre with two fingers. Rest for 10 minutes under a cloth.
10 minStep 4: Heat a heavy tawa or frying pan over a low-medium heat. Cook 2 breads at a time, covered with a lid, for 6–7 minutes a side, until the crust is dry and patched with brown. The usual mistake is high heat, which burns the outside while the centre stays raw.
14 minStep 5: To finish, toast each bread directly over a gas flame with tongs for 30 seconds a side, or bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (fan 400°F). It is done when it sounds hollow when tapped underneath.
5 minStep 6: Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before tearing. Khambir keeps for 2–3 days in a cloth and revives well on a hot tawa.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does khambir take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 120 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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