This homemade chapati recipe produces super-soft chapatis every time!
Stay away from those shop bought chapatis! You can make this homemade chapati recipe in no time and the results are out of this world delicious. This is a simple chapati recipe that only requires four ingredients. Chapatis are made with chapati flour which is a mix of white and whole wheat flour so they are healthy and perfect for serving with curries, tarka dhal and/or used as a wrap for meats and vegetable.
This could just be the perfect chapati recipe! I guarantee perfect results every time! Add a little ghee at the end and the chapatis are even more delicious!
What are chapatis?
When you try this chapati recipe, you will be preparing one of the most popular Indian flat breads around. In fact chapatis are so delicious, they have made their way into other cuisines around the world.
For this chapati recipe, you will be making chapatis as they should be, with chapati flour. You can serve your chapatis with curry, pickles, chutneys or dals. Another popular option is simply to enjoy chapatis drizzled with butter or ghee.
Is it difficult to make this chapati recipe?
Not at all though it might take some practice to get them perfect. Even if your chapatis don’t look like mine when you first try, I can assure you that they will still taste amazing! So what are you waiting for? Try this chapati recipe today!
If you have ever made tortillas, you’ll find that this chapati recipe is made in a similar way. The only difference is the type of flour used and where flour tortillas often include pork lard, chapatis can be made with vegetable or rapeseed (canola) oil.
How do you make chapatis?
After the dough has been prepared, you need to roll it out into flat round discs. It is important the chapati discs be as flat and round as you can roll them. This is probably the most difficult thing to do for beginners.
You could use a tortilla press if you have one as it make the job much easier.
How do you cook chapatis?
You can make chapatis in a frying pan or flat tawa. The flat chapati is first placed in the pan and cooked until light brown spots are beginning to form on the underside. You then flip it over to cook the other side until light brown spots colour the chapati. It is then flipped over again and pressed down with a flat spatula.
Doing this will cause bubbles to form. Continue pressing in the places where bubbles have not formed and eventually, the chapati should puff right up.
What you need for this chapati recipe.
Only four ingredients are required to make this chapati recipe.
Chapati flour: You need to look for chapati flour or atta flour which is a mixture of whole wheat and plain white flour.
Warm water: Room temperature or warmed water will suffice. You do not need to use hot water.
Salt: Add a little salt to taste to the flour.
Oil: I recommend using rapeseed (canola) oil. Just a little will do the trick.
Storing Cooked Chapatis
You can cook your chapatis up to 3 days ahead of serving. To do this, ensure they are tightly wrapped and placed in the fridge.
To warm them up, dampen lightly with a little water and place in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
Pro Tips
- Be sure only to use chapati or atta flour for this recipe. Other flours such as plain white flour can be used but they will not taste the same nor will they be as healthy.
- Ensure your dough is soft and pliable. You should easily be able to make an indentation with your thumb.
- Make sure that the dough is not too sticky. If it is sticking to your hands, then you have added too much water. Simply adding a little more flour will fix that problem.
Frequently asked questions…
Can cooked chapatis be frozen?
It is best to eat the chapatis made with this chapati recipe right out of the pan. You can, however freeze the cooked chapatis to enjoy later. They will still be delicious and much better than anything you can purchase from the supermarket.
How many days ahead of cooking can I prepare the dough?
You can prepare the dough up to 3 days before cooking. In fact, you might even get better results as the longer resting time will give the chapatis more flavour.
Why aren’t my chapatis puffing up?
This will most likely be down to using a dough that is too sticky or you haven’t rolled the dough out flat enough. Practice makes perfect! Roll your chapatis out as flat and uniform as you can. This is important as they will not inflate when cooking if not flat and will be much more stodgy in texture.
Chapati recipe in step by step photographs…
Get your ingredients together before starting. That should be easy. There are only four!
Pour the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
Slowly begin to add water. I only use about 3/4 cup but flours do vary. In should look quite crumbly at first.
Continue drizzling in water until you can form a soft dough ball.
Knead it all into a soft dough ball for about 3 minutes. Wet your hands with the oil and continue kneading for a further 2 minutes.
Place the dough ball back into the bowl.
Cover and allow to rest for about 30 minutes or longer.
Roll the dough into a rope and divide into about 8 pieces of equal size.
Then form the pieces into smaller balls.
Roll into flat chapatis and place over a medium heat.
After about 40 seconds, small bubbles will begin to form on top. Flip it over.
You will see brown marks where the chapati cooked. Cook on this side for about 30 seconds and flip over again.
Begin pressing the chapati down with a spatula or towel. As you can see, it will puff up a shown. The chapati will be light, flaky, chewy and delicious.
Once off the heat, the chapatis will deflate but still be really light. This recipe is so easy and good!
Chapati Recipe
Ingredients
- 500g (2 cups) chapati flour
- 190ml - 250ml (3/4 to 1 cup) warm water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil
- Ghee (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the flour into a bowl and then add the water a little at a time. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands until you have a soft dough.
- Knead the dough for about three minutes and then wet your hands with the oil and continue kneading for another 2 minutes. Form into a dough ball and set aside covered to rest for about 30 minutes.
- Dust the work surface with a little flour and divide your dough into about eight to ten smaller balls. Flatten each ball between your hands and then flatten them more with a rolling pin until they are about six inches in diameter and 3mm thick. Try to keep the chapati as round as possible by rolling from different angles. Dust off any excess flour.
- Now heat a large frying pan or tawa over a medium heat and add one of the chapatis. Cook until bubbles
begin to form and then flip it over to continue cooking for 30 seconds. Flip it over again and begin pressing down on the chapati with a flat spatula or dish towel. Larger bubble will begin to form and then it should puff right up. - If cooking over gas, you could also place the chapati directly on the flame in it will puff up.
- If you are cooking on an electric stove, turn the chapati over one last time and apply pressure to the surface, concentrating on the areas where there are no bubbles. It should puff up completely or at least look nice and bubbly.
- For best results serve immediately. Chapati breads can also be warmed up in the microwave if necessary.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 292mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
I hope you enjoy this chapati recipe. If you do try it, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.