Chapati

VegetarianMakes 8 chapatis

Chapati is a simple thin Indian flatbread made from flour, salt, water and oil. It is soft and pliable, with lightly browned or charred spots from cooking on a hot dry pan.

Ingredients

Wholewheat or plain flour · Atta / Maidaplus extra for dusting

450 g

flour

Salt · Namak

6 g1 teaspoon

salt

Water · Paanifiltered cold

248 g250 ml

liquid

Vegetable oil · Tel

40 g3 tablespoons

oil/fat

Method

Combine 450 g wholewheat or plain flour and 5.5 g sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add 248 g cold filtered water a little at a time, mixing by hand until a smooth, firm dough forms.
Work in 40.5 g vegetable oil by hand until it is evenly absorbed into the dough.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 50 g balls; this should give you 8.
Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a round a few millimetres thick.
Heat a tawa or large frying pan until hot; keep it dry.
Cook the chapatis one at a time for about 2 minutes on the first side, then turn and cook for about 2 minutes more, until lightly browned or charred in places.
Serve the chapatis immediately.

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Wholewheat or plain flour

Plain flour
Use the same weight; it gives a softer, lighter result and needs slightly less water.
Wholewheat flour
Use the same weight; it is nuttier and absorbs more water, so add liquid gradually.
Chapatti flour
Use the same weight for breads and rotis; it is wholemeal, so expect a slightly denser texture in cakes.

Water

Stock
Use the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.
Milk
Use the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.
Coconut water
Use the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
Ghee
Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Similar dishes

Puris

Deep-Fried Bread with Wholemeal Flour

Puris are crisp and puffed with a fried richness, while this dish is soft, pliable and saltier.

Same: Puris and this dish both use flour, salt, water and vegetable oil to make an Indian flatbread.
Different: Puris uses wholemeal or chapatti flour, much less salt and less water, and is deep-fried, while this dish uses wholewheat or plain flour and is cooked on a hot dry pan.

Phulkas

Wholemeal Flatbreads

Phulkas tastes wheaty and mild with a little ghee richness, while this dish is soft and pliable with browned or charred spots and a saltier flour-water-oil flavor.

Same: Phulkas and this dish are both thin wholemeal flatbreads made from flour, salt, water, and fat, cooked on a hot dry pan or griddle.
Different: Phulkas uses ghee instead of vegetable oil, has much less salt, uses only chapatti flour, and is cooked until it puffs; this dish can use wholewheat or plain flour and gets browned or charred spots.

Puris (Indian Kitchen)

Puris are crisp, puffed and rich from frying oil, while this dish is soft, pliable and lightly charred.

Same: Puris and this dish are both Indian wheat flatbreads made with flour, salt and vegetable oil.
Different: Puris uses 200 g chapatti flour and is deep-fried in oil, while this dish uses 450 g flour, 248 g water and is cooked on a hot dry pan.

Chapatti

Indian Flatbreads

Chapatti is soft and supple with lightly crisp patches, a mild wheaty flavour and a ghee brushed finish, while this dish is soft and pliable with lightly browned or charred spots.

Same: Chapatti and this dish are both thin unleavened Indian flatbreads made from flour, water, salt and a fat, cooked on a hot dry pan.
Different: Chapatti uses atta and ghee, while this dish uses wholewheat or plain flour and vegetable oil.