Chapati (Roti)

What to Put on the Table With Chapati (Roti)

• Any Indian curry, dal or sabzi
• Ghee or oil and a little salt, eaten plain
• Yoghurt and pickle

How to Cook Chapati (Roti)

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1. Mix the flour and salt, then add the water gradually, bringing the dough together with your fingers.

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2. Knead for 8 minutes until soft, smooth and slightly tacky — softer than a bread dough. Work in the oil at the end.

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3. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten so the chapatis roll thin without springing back.

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4. Divide into 10 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball between your palms.

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5. Heat a tawa or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water skitters across it.

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6. Dust a ball lightly and roll it into a 16 cm circle, turning a quarter turn between each pass so it stays round and even. Brush off excess flour.

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7. Lay it on the dry tawa. After 30 seconds, when small bubbles appear, flip it. Cook 45 seconds until brown spots form.

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8. Flip again and press the surface gently with a folded cloth, moving around the edges — the chapati should balloon completely within 10 seconds.

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9. Brush with ghee or oil and stack in a covered container or cloth-lined basket so the steam keeps them soft.

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Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Ingredient substitutions.

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Worth Knowing Before You Cook

A soft dough makes soft chapatis. If it feels firm, it is too dry — add water a teaspoon at a time.

The griddle must be properly hot. Too cool and the bread dries out before it can puff.

Alternatively, finish the chapati directly over a gas flame for 5 seconds and it will inflate dramatically.

Keeping What's Left

Best fresh. They keep 1 day wrapped in a cloth, or freeze for 1 month interleaved with paper; reheat on a dry tawa for 30 seconds a side.

Common Questions

What's in a Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

Vegan when made with neutral oil rather than ghee. Dairy-free when made with neutral oil rather than ghee.

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