Chapati
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Chapati
- 300 g whole wheat flour rounded
- 180 ml water, lukewarm, plus more as needed rounded
- 5 g fine salt rounded
- 15 ml neutral oil rounded
- 20 g butter or ghee, for brushing, optional (optional) rounded
Method
Method
- Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the water gradually, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead in the oil for 5 minutes, until smooth.
- Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes, so the gluten relaxes.
- Divide into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball. Roll each ball out thin on a lightly floured surface, into a circle about 18 to 20 cm across.
- Heat a dry, heavy pan over high heat until very hot. Cook one chapati at a time, about 30 to 45 seconds per side, until small brown spots appear.
- Using a folded cloth, gently press the edges of the chapati while it’s still in the pan, working around the circle. This encourages it to puff up with trapped steam.
- Brush with butter or ghee if using, and keep warm, wrapped in a cloth, while cooking the rest.
Notes
- Rest the dough for the full 30 minutes. Skipping this leaves the gluten too tight to roll out thin without springing back, resulting in thicker, tougher chapatis.
- Get the pan properly hot before the first chapati goes in. A pan that isn’t hot enough won’t create the burst of steam needed to puff the bread; it’ll just dry out and go leathery.
- Press the edges gently with a cloth, not your fingers. This is the traditional technique for encouraging the steam pocket that makes a proper chapati puff up like a small balloon.
- Best eaten fresh and warm, though leftovers reheat reasonably in a dry pan.
Ingredient substitutions
- Whole wheat flour is traditional; a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour gives a slightly softer result if you prefer.
- Ghee is the classic finishing brush, giving a richer flavour than butter or oil.
- Serve alongside any curry or dal as a scooping bread.