How to Make Chapatis

Chapatis (also chapattis, rotis and more) are a type of flat bread, commonly made in most parts of India. There are very few ingredients and they are both quick and simple to make. Chapatis make a delicious accompaniment to many Indian main meals or can be served with a starter of such as spiced onions or spicy dips.

In order to make these delicious, Indian chapatis, all you will require is the following:

(Makes six chapatis of about 5" in diameter)

Ingredients

4oz wholemeal flour

3fl oz lukewarm water

1 tbsp sunflower oil

Pinch of salt

Butter (or ideally ghee) for spreading on the cooked chapatis

Preparing the chapati dough is incredibly straightforward. Simply add the flour, salt, water and oil to a bowl and mix thoroughly by hand until a soft dough is formed. Adding a little oil to your hands will help to stop the dough from sticking to them. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes then cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or even clingfilm and leave for ten to fifteen minutes.  

When the chapati dough has been rested, it should be separated in to six equal parts. Each part should then be rolled in to a ball (slightly smaller than a golf ball) and flattened by hand in to a pate.

A little plain (all-purpose) flour will be needed in order to roll out the chapatis. When rolling the chapatis, it is imperative that you do not press down too hard. Let the rolling-pin do the work and roll each one out in to a circle of about 5" in diameter.

In this instance, I am using an ordinary, non-stick frying pan to cook the chapatis but there is no doubt that the job is far better achieved when using a tawa (skillet) as featured above.

Bring the pan up to a fairly high heat. Note, however, that no oil or grease should be added as the oil already incorporated in the chapati dough will be sufficient. The chapatis should be fried one at a time, for about thirty seconds each side. The chapati is ready to be turned when air bubbles can be seen forming on its surface.

The chapati should continue to be cooked until it begins to rise quite significantly and essentially fill with air, again for up to thirty seconds on each side. It should then be removed from the pan and spread immediately with a little butter (or ghee) and either served immediately or when the accompanying dish is ready.