This Homemade Chapati Recipe is one you’re going to want to make on repeat once you realize how easy they are to make. This stove top unleavened bread is great for wraps, as a side to Indian dishes and sauces or even on it own with Cucumber Raita. Give it a try the next time you’re looking to try something new.
What is a Chapati
Chapatis are an unleavened flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent and are a staple in India as well as many other places including Africa and the Caribbean. They are also known in some other places as roti, rotli and safati and many other names.
However you refer to them, they are fantastic and go great with so many dishes, like the Spicy Chickpea Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, Spiced Moroccan Soup or Red Thai Chicken Curry and so much more.
Pretty much every time I make Indian food at home, I make my Stovetop Nann Bread. We all like it and it is reasonably easy to make. This time around, I decided to shelve the Nann for once and give the Chapatis a whirl. I have made them many times but have kind of left them in the past.
For this recipe, I decided to a step-by-step photo and explanation to make it a little easier. You can easily skip straight to the bottom to the recipe as it is all covered there as well.
How To Make This Homemade Chapati recipe
Once you sieve your integral flour, this is what is left over
Combine the flours, salt and start adding the warm water until it starts to become a shaggy dough.
Note: I used both white and whole wheat flour in this recipe. You could just as easily use all white flour if you prefer or don’t have any whole wheat on hand.
Once you are ready to knead the dough, it will look something like this. It is very sticky to start with but as you knead it becomes more and more elastic. This dough contains no fat, so I used olive oil on my hands to knead the bread so it didn’t stick
After about 10 minutes of kneading your dough should look something like this. It will bounce back when touched and be very elastic.
The dough all ready to rest. As this is unleavened bread, it doesn’t really require rising time. Just leave it to rest for about 15 to 20 minutes.
You can measure out your dough however you find easiest. I like to form it into a log shape……
…..then cut it into 10 equal parts. This will give you chapatis approximately 8 inches
Place each piece of dough in the palms of your hands and roll it around until a ball forms like pictured below. Repeat this for all the dough.
Roll out each ball to about an 8 inch diameter. It isn’t an exact science and doesn’t have to be a perfect circle as you can see from mine below.
I use a cast iron skillet to cook my chapatis. It is fantastic for holding heat and cooking evenly without having hot spots. Once it is on the skillet for less than minute, bubbles will start to appear. Flip it over when it looks like this and continue flipping until air pockets start to form.
Pictured here you can see the air starting to fill up inside the chapati. Gently push down the side that is filled up with air to allow the air to move through the entire chapati. I use a tea towel to do this as it is quite hot.
Ready To Enjoy This Homemade Chapati REcipe
Chapatis ready to serve or store. As I cook them, I store them in a tea towel and continue to stack as each one cooks. Once they are all cooked, you can transfer them, still wrapped in the tea towel, to a zip lock bag or a airtight container.
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Get the recipe!
Chapatis
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups strong white flour
- 1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup warm water
- Oil for your hands and extra flour for dusting your work surface
Instructions
- Sieve your whole wheat flour through a fine sieve. In a large mixing bowl, combine the white flour, whole wheat flour and salt. Mix well. Gradually start adding your water and with a fork or your fingers start incorporating it to form a dough. This process will only take a moment. Mix for another minute until you have a dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle a little flour over the dough. Oil your hands and start kneading the dough. Knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic and springs back when touched. Form into a ball, cover and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Form dough into a log and cut into 10 equal parts. Rolling between the palms of your hands, form each piece of dough into a ball. Repeat for all of the dough. Roll out each ball to an 8 inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the chapatis one at a time to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then flip it over. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 – 20 seconds until large air pockets start to form. Gently push down the air pockets to allow air to move through the chapati. Remove from heat and wrap in a tea towel. Repeat for all chapatis, storing in the tea towel as they cook.
- Store in the tea towel secured inside a zip lock bag or airtight container. Can be reheated in the oven on a low heat. Will last a few days, but are best the day they are made.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
