Chapati Bread Recipe

Chapati Flatbread – An easy flatbread recipe made from just 3 simple ingredients. Also known as roti, this flatbread is popular across India, East Africa, and more.

Chapati was a daily staple during my time last year in Tanzania. For five weeks straight, we had chapati at least once a day and used it to eat everything from curry or lentils for dinner to just smearing peanut butter or honey on it breakfast. It was a staple because of the simplicity of being made with just 3 ingredients, easy to make, and neutral in flavor so that it could be served with any meal.

Everyone’s chapati was always slightly different with a range of it being closer to pocket bread such as pita with a huge cavern in the middle from an air bubble during the cooking process to a more dense chapati with just little bubbles. My favorite was definitely the denser chapati but it was all delicious. Being able to learn from seeing different people make chapati lead to this recipe.

Chapati Recipe (roti Bread)

Keep in mind that everyone makes their chapati slightly differently so if mine doesn’t look just like others you have seen before, it is just a different interpretation. Chapati came from India via their merchants to many east African countries such as Tanzania and Kenya so it has evolved over time into the rustic flatbread that it is today.

Another thing worth noting is that Indian chapati is usually made with “atta” or a whole wheat flour. This recipe uses all-purpose because American whole wheat flour is not a fine so the texture would come out very differently. You can substitute American whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour if you want but any more than that could really impact the texture.

Chapati and roti are almost exactly the same. Both are unleavened flatbreads but the main difference comes from the method of cooking but even that varies as the difference depend mostly on what region you are in.

How To Make Chapati

While made from the same basic ingredients as a flour tortilla, the difference between a corn tortilla and chapati is that a corn tortilla uses maize.

This is a good thing, the air bubbles come from water in the dough evaporating. If your chapati doesn’t puff, don’t worry, it is still going to be just as tasty.

I love serving it with a lentil curry or with a smear of peanut butter on it but it can really go with anything from soups to shredded chicken and cheese as a wrap.

Quick And Simple Indian Chapati Bread Recipe

This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.You're going to love this softchapati recipe! This traditional Indian flatbread recipe was passed down from my grandmother to my mother and is made from whole-wheat flour (atta), water, and oil, then cooked over a hot griddle. The resulting chapatis are soft, light, and slightly flaky, perfect forserving alongside everyday dishes like dals, curries, and sauteed vegetables.

I love to make fresh breads from different cuisines. They all have the basic premise but use different fats or slightly different techniques to vary the dough. A crispy but fluffy focaccia is always a great option, as well as making your own pizza dough, either through my easy Roberta's pizza dough recipe or my 72-hour pizza dough.

Homemade chapatis are thin, whole-wheat griddled flatbreads consumed across the globe from parts of India to Africa to the Caribbean with unique variations.Though the exact origins are contested, our best guess is thatthey originated within the Indian subcontinent. Serve with butter paneer for the perfect accompaniment!

How To Make Roti (chapati / Indian Flatbread)

Ghadichi Poli variation :Besides the standard chapati recipe, I've also included my family's interpretation of the typical chapati, a Maharashtrian variation called ghadichi poli. This version has a softer, flakier texture because it's technically made from two pieces of dough folded together with a layer of oil in between.

Chapatis are a type of roti usually made with Indian whole-wheat flour called atta flour, though, in other parts of the world, they can be made with other flours. The dough is kneaded, divided into equal portions and rolled out into a thin, circular flatbread.

Chapatis cook quickly on a hot griddle that gives the dough its characteristic brown spots, often in just about a minute. The hot chapatis are then brushed with ghee or oil to keep them soft.

Goan Ghee Chapati Recipe

Note: I am not an expert like many of the elders in my family with decades of experience. My chapatis aren’t always perfectly round, but they are tasty, and yours will be too. Most of the technique required is in rolling out and cooking the chapati recipe; with a bit of practice, you can get the hang of things!

Atta is a type of Indian wheat flour ground in stone mills called chakkis. Chakkis are two pieces of stones used to grind flour. The grinding process damages the starches in the flour due to excess friction and heat.

As a result, atta flour has significantly more starch damage (what is damaged starch?) than a typical whole-wheat flour. The additional heat colors the flour and changes the flavor (it tastes toastier!). The hard wheat used to make atta is high in protein, so it’s considered a bread flour.

Paleo Grain Free Roti / Chapati / Indian Bread

Purchasing Tips: You can purchase atta (aka chapati flour) online or in an Indian store. I like Sujata brand, but it often comes in larger (10 pound) bags, so an Indian store or a specialty international shop (Christina's in Cambridge, MA also offers delivery) is your best bet for smaller amounts.

Substitutions: The unique properties of atta are difficult to replace with standard whole-wheat flour. In a pinch, you can substitute atta with a 50/50 mix of white whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour, but the texture of this chapati recipe will be slightly denser.

We add a bit of oil to the bread dough to soften the final texture. Use neutral oil, such as canola, safflower, or peanut oil.

Homemade Roti • The Curious Chickpea

Surface for Rolling: Many Indian cooks use a circular rolling board to roll out chapatis, but you don't need anything special! I recommend a large wooden cutting board, but my mom simply flips a large dinner plate upside down.

Rolling Pin: Indian rolling pins are tapered, making it easier to evenly roll the dough into a circle. A tapered French rolling pin is a great substitute, but a standard rolling pin will work fine, too!

Griddle: You can use a tawa, a comal, a cast-iron skillet, or any other pan that retains heat well and can handle high-heat cooking.

Indian Flatbread (chapati) Recipe

Steps 1 - 3: Make the dough. Add flour to a large bowl and form a well in the center of the bowl. Pour in hot water and oil, then mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms (See Images 1 - 3).

Steps 4 - 5: Knead the dough on a cutting board or clean work surface. To knead the dough, I recommend alternating between an Indian-style kneading process (Image 4) and a traditional breadmaking kneading process, where you stretch and rotate the dough (Image 5).

For the Indian-style kneading process, punch and knead your knuckles into the dough (you should see knuckle marks all over the dough), then fold, stretch, and rotate the dough using the traditional process.

Easy Homemade Chapati Recipe (indian Flatbread)

The kneading process should take you about 4 - 5 minutes, and the end result should be a fairly smooth, soft dough (Image 6). Do not over-knead, as that can lead to a chewy texture.

TIP: You may need more water depending on humidity levels. If the dough feels a bit stiff or dry, you can wet your hands while kneading.

Step 6: Let the dough rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes. This process, called autolyse, hydrates the dough and relaxes the gluten so it will be easier to work with. After resting, the dough should be very soft and smooth.

How To Make Chapatis Recipe

Note: If you notice the dough has cracks/crevices or feels hard, you can add a sprinkle of water at a time. Knead the dough again until smooth, adding more water as needed. Let rest for another 15 minutes before using.

Step 7: Divide the dough into 12 (40g) equal portions (Image 7). Take a small golf-ball sized portion of dough and roll it into a smooth ball.

Steps 9 - 10: On a lightly floured surface (your counter, a cutting board, or a plate), use a floured rolling pin to roll out the chapatis (Image 9).

East African Chapati Recipe

When rolling out chapatis, you don’t have to use much force. Start gently and take your time, as you learn how to roll it into a circle. I typically roll the dough out for a few seconds, rotate, and repeat (Image 10).

Steps 11 - 12: Preheat a griddle, cast-iron skillet, or tawa over medium-high heat. Cook each roti on a hot pan over medium to medium-high heat until bubbles begin appearing on the bottom of the surface, about 30 - 45 seconds. Brush the top with a little oil, then flip and cook the other side until nicely