Chapaati

Chapati

Vegetarian

A soft, unleavened Indian flatbread cooked on a dry griddle until puffed and speckled with brown spots. It has a gentle, nutty wheat flavour and a pliable texture perfect for scooping up curries.

Ingredients

Wholemeal flour · Attaplus extra for dusting

400 g

flour

Salt · Namak

~0.3 gpinch

salt

Ghee or butter · Gheefor brushing

to taste

oil/fat

Method

Sift 400 g flour and 0.3 g salt into a wide mixing bowl or tray, then gradually mix in about 250 ml of water until a soft dough comes together.
Divide the dough into equal portions, roll each into a smooth ball, and press flat between your palms.
Coat the rounds in extra dusting flour and roll them out evenly to roughly 15 cm (5 inches) in diameter.
Set a tawa or heavy-bottomed frying pan over high heat until hot, then dial back to medium-low.
Lay a rolled flatbread into the pan and cook for approximately 10 seconds, pressing down gently with a folded cloth as it starts to puff.
Flip the bread over and cook the other side in the same way until both surfaces are speckled with golden-brown patches.
Transfer to a plate and serve warm, brushing with ghee or butter to taste if desired.

Don't have something?

Wholemeal flour

Whole wheat flour
Use the same weight; it is almost the same, though slightly finer, so add water gradually.
Plain flour
Use the same weight but reduce water by about 10%; the result is lighter and less nutty.
Flour
Use the same weight as plain flour; reduce water slightly and expect less bran and colour.

Ghee or butter

Ghee
Use the same weight. Gives a richer aroma and nuttier taste; if the dish already uses butter for finishing, ghee can make it slightly heavier.
Butter
Use the same weight. Lower smoke point than ghee, so keep the heat moderate; if unsalted, add a small pinch of salt.
Vegetable oil or ghee
Use about 90% of the weight. Less rich flavour; good when you want a lighter result.

Similar dishes

Phulka

Puffed Bread

Phulka has a milder, unsalted, toasted wheat flavour with a lighter and more delicate texture than this dish.

Same: Phulka is also an unleavened whole-wheat flatbread cooked on a hot surface until puffed and tender.
Different: Phulka includes vegetable oil and puffs over open heat, whereas this dish includes salt and is cooked entirely on a dry griddle.

Tandoori Roti

Bread Baked in a Clay Oven

It has a smokier, richer, and saltier profile with a crispier and chewier texture than this dish.

Same: Tandoori Roti is also an unleavened Indian flatbread seasoned with salt and served alongside curries.
Different: Unlike this griddle-cooked flatbread, Tandoori Roti adds ghee or vegetable oil, considerably more salt, and is baked in a high-heat clay oven.

Roomali Roti

Handkerchief Bread

Roomali Roti has a lighter, more delicate chew with charred notes compared to the distinct, nutty wheat flavor of this dish.

Same: Both are soft, unleavened Indian flatbreads seasoned simply with salt and cooked dry over high heat.
Different: Roomali Roti is stretched paper-thin and blistered over an inverted pan rather than rolled thicker and puffed on a flat griddle like this dish.

Bhakri

Maharashtrian Bread

Bhakri offers a more pronounced roasted char flavor compared to the gentle, nutty taste of this dish.

Same: Bhakri is also an unleavened Indian flatbread seasoned simply with salt and cooked without added fat on a dry griddle.
Different: Bhakri develops a crisp outer crust and a tender crumb, whereas this dish is rolled thinner so that it puffs fully into a soft, pliable flatbread.