How To Make Traditional Indian Flatbread: Chapati!

The first time I had Chapati, also known as Roti (which means bread), was two years ago during a 6-week work trip to India. It was served at almost every meal and it quickly became the food I looked forward to most at meal times. At times my coworkers and I were served some suspicious foods, but Chapati was the one thing I could count on to be familiar and delicious.

After getting back from India, I missed eating Chapati so much that I quickly found an Indian market close by and bought some from their freezer section. It was good, but not as good as the fresh, warm Chapati that was served to us in India. Yet, I just kept buying it from the store and never once thought about learning how to make it myself.

Fast forward a few months. 

One of Brett and my friends and neighbor ended up getting a roommate named Abby who grew up in Kenya. Abby's energetic and friendly personality made it easy for us all to become good friends quickly. One night a group of us got together to hangout and Abby cooked us all some traditional Kenyan food. It just so happened that one of the side dishes she made was Chapati! At the time I didn't know that versions of Chapati are also found in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, so I was surprised and so excited to see that she knew how to make it. 

Oh. My. Goodness. It was delicious. In fact, it was so good that we asked to take some of the leftovers home with us for lunch the next day. Of course, I also asked if she could teach me how to make it and a few weeks later she did! 

So now, thanks to Abby, I can share the recipe and process for making authentic Chapati with you! In fact,  I just made Chapati using this recipe for some of my friends from Bangladesh last night and they all said it was just like the real deal and tasted great.

However, I will warn you that in order to make authentic Chapati you can't have a phobia of oil. You'll be brushing oil on these bad boys a number of different times...and it's gonna be delicious! Of course, if you want to lighten up this recipe you can skip steps 4-7 and use more cooking spray, but just know that they won't turn out as soft and pliable. 

Oh, and on a side note, when Brett traveled to India, most people called him Roti because when he introduced himself as "Brett" people thought he said "Bread". Get it? Brett. Bread. Roti...

Chapati

(Serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (all-purpose, whole wheat or a mix)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup warm water
• Oil (non-flavored oil is best)

Directions:

(To see the directions without pictures go to the bottom of this post.)

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the water and stir until dough forms.

2. Infuse with oil. Poke holes in the dough and pour a little oil in the holes. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

3. Knead and divid: After the dough has sat for an hour or so, knead it for a minute or two in the bowl to incorporate the oil into the dough. Then divide the dough into 8 equal sections.

4. Roll out the dough. Take a section of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. You will probably have to flip it over a few times. Make sure it doesn't get stuck to your rolling surface.

5. Coat with Oil and Roll. After you've rolled the dough into a thin, large circle, cut a slit in the dough from the center to the edge.

Using a pastry brush, brush a little oil all over the surface of the dough.

Then using your hands, start from one edge of the slit and roll the dough up into a cone.

Take the last corner of the dough and push it into the center of the cone to seal the dough.

6. Repeat for all sections. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining sections of dough until you have 8 little "flowers". 

7. Rest 30 minutes.  Place the "flowers" on parchment paper and try not to let them touch or they may stick together. Cover the dough with a towel and let them rest for another 30 minutes.

8. Prepare to cook the Chapati. Start by preparing your cooking station. Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Have a small bowl of oil and a pastry brush nearby as well as cooking spray and a plate with aluminum foil and a towel.

Roll out the dough one section at a time on a lightly floured surface. Again, be sure to flip the dough over as you roll it out so that it doesn't stick to your rolling surface. Add more flour if necessary. Roll the dough as thinly as possible.

9. Cook the Chapati. Spray your heated skillet with cooking spray. Place the rolled out dough onto the skillet and turn it a little with your hand so that it doesn't stick. Quickly brush the top surface of the dough with oil.

After you've brushed the top surface, flip the dough over and brush the top surface of the dough again with oil. Soon bubbles will begin to form in the dough. Let the dough cook for about 30 seconds while you use a fork to move it around and keep it from sticking.

After about 30 seconds, or once you see some brown spots on the underneath part, flip the chapati over and let the other side cook for a while until brown spots form.

10. Remove, stack and cover. After you have cooked both sides, carefully take the chapati off the pan (I use a fork) and place it on your prepared plate with aluminum foil.

Fold more aluminum foil over top of the Chapati and cover it with a dish towel. This keeps the Chapati warm and allows the oil to continue moistening the Chapati.

11. Repeat. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all the sections have been rolled out, cooked and are stacked on top of each other and covered with the aluminum foil and a dish towel. 

12. Enjoy! Serve the Chapati warm or let them cool and store them in a zip-lock bag in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat you can wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and place them in an oven preheated to 200 degrees until warm.

Directions:

1. Make the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the water and stir until dough forms.
2. Infuse with oil. Poke holes in the dough and pour a little oil in the holes. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Knead and divid: After the dough has sat for an hour or so, knead it for a minute or two in the bowl to incorporate the oil into the dough. Then divide the dough into 8 equal sections.
4. Roll out the dough. Take a section of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. You will probably have to flip it over a few times. Make sure it doesn't get stuck to your rolling surface.
5. Coat with Oil and Roll. After you've rolled the dough into a thin, large circle, cut a slit in the dough from the center to the edge. Using a pastry brush, brush a little oil all over the surface of the dough. Then using your hands, start from one edge of the slit and roll the dough up into a cone. Take the last corner of the dough and push it into the center of the cone to seal the dough.
6. Repeat for all sections. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining sections of dough until you have 8 little "flowers". 
7. Rest 30 minutes.  Place the "flowers" on parchment paper and try not to let them touch or they may stick together. Cover the dough with a towel and let them rest for another 30 minutes.
8. Prepare to cook the Chapati. Start by preparing your cooking station. Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Have a small bowl of oil and a pastry brush nearby as well as cooking spray and a plate with aluminum foil and a towel. Roll out the dough one section at a time on a lightly floured surface. Again, be sure to flip the dough over as you roll it out so that it doesn't stick to your rolling surface. Add more flour if necessary. Roll the dough as thinly as possible.
9. Cook the Chapati. Spray your heated skillet with cooking spray. Place the rolled out dough onto the skillet and turn it a little with your hand so that it doesn't stick. Quickly brush the top surface of the dough with oil. After you've brushed the top surface, flip the dough over and brush the top surface of the dough again with oil. Soon bubbles will begin to form in the dough. Let the dough cook for about 30 seconds while you use a fork to move it around and keep it from sticking. After about 30 seconds, or once you see some brown spots on the underneath part, flip the chapati over and let the other side cook for a while until brown spots form.
10. Remove, stack and cover. After you have cooked both sides, carefully take the chapati off the pan (I use a fork) and place it on your prepared plate with aluminum foil. Fold more aluminum foil over top of the Chapati and cover it with a dish towel. This keeps the Chapati warm and allows the oil to continue moistening the Chapati.
11. Repeat. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until all the sections have been rolled out, cooked and are stacked on top of each other and covered with the aluminum foil and a dish towel. 
12. Enjoy! Serve the Chapati warm or let them cool and store them in a zip-lock bag in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat you can wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and place them in an oven preheated to 200 degrees until warm.

Notes: If you want to decrease the oil in this recipe, skip steps 4-6 and use mostly cooking spray to cook the chapati. Remember that you probably won't get the same results.

Eat Consciously,

Faith