Similar to the commonly known pita bread, Indian chapati is a bread made from whole wheat flour. It is usually served with curry, but this bread is very versatile and can be used like regular toast. You can make your own chapati at home in under an hour. This dish is considered by many, especially in Africa, to be the main source of starch next to the corn and potato families. If you want to get this energy by learning how to make it, see Step 1 to get started.
Ingredients
- 475 g wheat flour or atta flour
- 250 ml of warm water
- 1 tsp salt (optional)
- 1-2 tsp ghee (optional) - can be substituted with butter
- For 10-12 chapatis
Step
Step 1. Pour the flour, salt, and butter/ghee into a bowl and mix them together
Atta flour will give you the tastiest results, if you can get it. While wheat flour can be used, the end result is usually a little more chewy, and a little quicker to dry. Place 475g flour or atta flour, 1 tsp salt, about 1/2 tsp butter/ghee in a bowl, and use your hands to mix the ingredients together. To make this one bread, it is better to mix by hand rather than a mixer. You can also sift the flour with the salt before adding the butter/ghee.
- If you want to be health conscious, you can omit the use of butter/ghee, but that can reduce the taste of chapati. If you can't find ghee, other than butter, you can substitute olive oil. The taste may be less authentic, but enough as a substitute.
- While these are all you need to make a traditional chapati, you can add about a teaspoon of your favorite spices, such as chili powder, if you want to add extra to this simple recipe.
Step 2. Add 125 ml of water to the flour mixture and stir the mixture until it is soft and pliable
Most people recommend lukewarm water, but you can even use slightly warm water, which will make kneading the dough easier. For best results, stir the flour with your fingers in a circular motion while adding the water a little at a time. Pouring water all at once will make it a little more difficult for you to mix the ingredients. At first, this mixture will feel quite coarse, but as you add water, the mixture will start to stick together.
Step 3. Slowly add the remaining water, stirring until completely combined
Keep adding water until you've poured everything in and the dough really looks like it's coming together. Once you feel you've mixed it well enough, you can start kneading the dough with your knuckles until it's smooth, then roll it into a ball. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. It is important to knead the dough as well as possible to allow gluten to form. When finished kneading, the dough should have the right softness and smoothness; if the dough is too hard, then the chapati will not swell later. However, if it is too mushy, it will be difficult to flatten it, and the chapati will not bulge either. It is important to find the right balance.
Step 4. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover for 25 minutes
Cover the bowl with a cloth, using cling wrap only as a final option if there is no other way. This will give time for the dough to come together well. If you let it sit much longer than that, the dough will lose some of its moisture. However, some people say that you should let it sit for 30 minutes or more. Start with the lowest time, and only let it sit longer the next time you make chapatis to find the time that suits you best.
As an option, when the time to let the dough have passed, you can moisten your hands with a little oil or butter and knead the dough for another five minutes. The dough should feel smooth and pliable when you're done
Step 5. Divide the dough into 10-12 smaller balls, and dip them in flour
Each ball should be about 7.5 centimeters in diameter, but you don't have to make them all the same size. Roll out the dough balls using your hands or a rolling pin, then coat them with flour on both sides. For best results, let the remaining balls of dough remain in a cloth-covered bowl while you roll out the dough one at a time and coat them with flour. If you leave everything open, you will make the moisture loss even more.
Step 6. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin until the dough ball resembles a thin round pancake
For the first time, don't expect these balls to be perfectly round. It doesn't matter -- it'll still be delicious, and you'll start to master it while perfecting your craft. Flattening the dough to an even thickness will allow the chapatis to rise.
Step 7. Heat a heavy frying pan, tawa (flat skillet), or griddle (flat skillet for grilling) over medium heat and cook the chapatis on both sides
Place the chapatis in the skillet, cook until slightly less than half cooked, then flip and turn up the heat slightly. Once you turn it upside down, the chapati will start to fill with air. You should continue to cook it until blisters appear on both sides of the bread surface. You should turn each chapati every few seconds to ensure that the bread cooks evenly.
- When you see the chapati starting to fill with air, you can lightly press on the bulging part to push the air through the entire chapati. These bloats will make the chapatis delicious and tender. Once the chapatis are fully puffed, you can remove them from the stove.
- Some will say that, once you start cooking the second side of the chapati, then you should cook it directly over the heat, and use tongs to flip it over. If you do this, make sure your stove is very clean and be careful.
Step 8. Remove the chapatis from the heat, and wrap them in a cloth until ready to serve
You can also put it in a container lined with a napkin. Make sure to cover each chapati once it's cooked for best results.
Step 9. Serve
Eat delicious chapatis with curries or pickles, or use them as wraps. You can even grease the chapatis with butter/ghee for added flavour. You can easily enjoy this variety of Indian dishes on their own.
Tips
- For a healthier and softer chapati, add 125 ml of warm milk and 125 ml of warm water instead of 250 ml of water.
- You should cover the dough while it is resting.
- Don't use too much ghee or margarine
- Check the salt content in the dough by tasting it a little.
- Chapati "should" be bloated when cooked in the wok.
- Adding curd when making the dough makes for a softer chapati.
- A pinch of sugar will increase the taste of chapati and reduce the thirst that usually occurs after eating chapati.
- You can use 1200 g of whole wheat flour and 700 g of wheat flour if you can't find a specific flour for chapati.
- You can use margarine instead of ghee, if you prefer.
- This recipe makes 12 chapatis.
- Chapatis are usually served in a round shape, but you can be innovative and try other shapes!
