Easy Homemade Chapati Recipe (Indian Flatbread)

You're going to love this soft chapati recipe! This traditional Indian flatbread recipe was passed down from my grandmother to my mother and is made from whole-wheat flour (atta), water, and oil, then cooked over a hot griddle. The resulting chapatis are soft, light, and slightly flaky, perfect for serving alongside everyday dishes like dals, curries, and sauteed vegetables. 

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Homemade chapatis are thin, whole-wheat griddled flatbreads consumed across the globe from parts of India to Africa to the Caribbean with unique variations. Though the exact origins are contested, our best guess is that they originated within the Indian subcontinent.

Serve with paneer butter masala, tomato chickpea curry, and peas pulao for the perfect meal!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It's traditional. Growing up, I watched my mom (who learned from my grandmothers) how to make chapatis, but I always wanted a recipe to follow on my own. I spent a day converting her process into a recipe with exact measurements.
• It's well-tested. I've tested and re-tested the recipe over a dozen times. I've made and corrected many mistakes, so you don't have to!
• It's delicious. Nothing is better than a hot chapati drizzled with ghee or melted butter (especially cultured butter). Slightly flaky, tender, and soft, it's a tasty accompaniment to any Indian meal.

Ghadichi Poli variation: Besides the standard chapati recipe, I've also included my family's interpretation of the typical chapati, a Maharashtrian variation called "ghadichi poli." This version has a softer, flakier texture because it's technically made from two pieces of dough folded together with a layer of oil in between.

What are Chapatis?

Chapatis are a type of roti usually made with Indian whole-wheat flour called atta flour, though, in other parts of the world, they can be made with other flours. The dough is kneaded, divided into equal portions and rolled out into a thin, circular flatbread.

Chapatis cook quickly on a hot griddle that gives the dough its characteristic brown spots, often in just about a minute. The hot chapatis are then brushed with ghee or oil to keep them soft.

There are many variations of chapatis. They can be cooked on a griddle or even partially on a direct flame to puff up (called phulkas). Some are small (6 inches), and some are large (10 inches).

Note: I am not an expert like many of the elders in my family with decades of experience. My chapatis aren’t always perfectly round, but they are tasty, and yours will be too. Most of the technique required is in rolling out and cooking the chapati recipe; with a bit of practice, you can get the hang of things!

Equipment

Surface for Rolling: Many Indian cooks use a circular rolling board to roll out chapatis, but you don't need anything special! I recommend a large wooden cutting board, but my mom simply flips a large dinner plate upside down.

Rolling Pin: Indian rolling pins are tapered, making it easier to evenly roll the dough into a circle. A tapered French rolling pin is a great substitute, but a standard rolling pin will work fine, too!

Griddle: You can use a tawa, a comal, a cast-iron skillet, or any other pan that retains heat well and can handle high-heat cooking.

How to Make Chapatis

Make and Knead the Dough

Steps 1 - 3: Make the dough. Add flour to a large bowl and form a well in the center of the bowl. Pour in hot water and oil, then mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms (See Images 1 - 3).

TIP: Using hot water reduces kneading time, rest time, and hydration time. It also leads to a softer dough.

Knead, Rest, and Form the Dough Balls

Steps 4 - 5: Knead the dough on a cutting board or clean work surface. To knead the dough, I recommend alternating between an Indian-style kneading process (Image 4) and a traditional breadmaking kneading process, where you stretch and rotate the dough (Image 5).

For the Indian-style kneading process, punch and knead your knuckles into the dough (you should see knuckle marks all over the dough), then fold, stretch, and rotate the dough using the traditional process.

The kneading process should take you about 4 - 5 minutes, and the end result should be a fairly smooth, soft dough (Image 6). Do not over-knead, as that can lead to a chewy texture.

TIP: You may need more water depending on humidity levels. If the dough feels a bit stiff or dry, you can wet your hands while kneading.

Step 6: Let the dough rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes. This process, called autolyse, hydrates the dough and relaxes the gluten so it will be easier to work with. After resting, the dough should be very soft and smooth.

Note: If you notice the dough has cracks/crevices or feels hard, you can add a sprinkle of water at a time. Knead the dough again until smooth, adding more water as needed. Let rest for another 15 minutes before using.

Step 7: Divide the dough into 12 (40g) equal portions (Image 7). Take a small golf-ball sized portion of dough and roll it into a smooth ball.

Step 8: Flatten each dough ball into a round disc and dip in flour (Image 8).

Roll Out and Cook the Chapatis

Steps 9 - 10: On a lightly floured surface (your counter, a cutting board, or a plate), use a floured rolling pin to roll out the chapatis (Image 9).

When rolling out chapatis, you don’t have to use much force. Start gently and take your time, as you learn how to roll it into a circle. I typically roll the dough out for a few seconds, rotate, and repeat (Image 10).

Steps 11 - 12: Preheat a griddle, cast-iron skillet, or tawa over medium-high heat. Cook each roti on a hot pan over medium to medium-high heat until bubbles begin appearing on the bottom of the surface, about 30 - 45 seconds. Brush the top with a little oil, then flip and cook the other side until nicely browned, 20 -30 seconds (Images 11 - 12)

Make sure to reduce the flame to low heat in between making chapatis (otherwise the pan can get too hot). Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Phulkas: If you have a gas stove, you can make phulkas, rotis that puff up over a flame. As you cook the chapati on the first side, turn another burner on over medium-low heat. Flip the chapati, cook it for just a few seconds, then transfer with tongs over the direct flame for a few seconds until puffed up.

Ghadichi Poli (Variation):

Ghadichi poli are flaky chapatis with a layer of oil in the dough. If you’re interested in trying my family’s method, I’ve included steps below.

Step 1: Just like regular chapatis, you will want to press down each dough ball into a flat disc. Dip it in flour, then roll it out into a small oval. Pinch the middle, then dab each side with oil (Image 1).

Step 2: Fold the dough over itself and seal the edges into a circle (Image 2). Flatten again to form a circular disc and coat in a bit of flour. Proceed with rolling and cook the poli with the same process as regular chapati.

Serving Suggestions

Chapatis, dal, and a quick vegetable fry are a classic meal in my household. Try serving my masoor dal with garlic tadka or butter paneer alongside these chapatis.

Storage Instructions

Leftover uncooked dough can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours. After removing the dough from the fridge, allow it to warm up slightly at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling and cooking.

Cooked chapatis last for a few days in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. To reheat them, place a cold chapati on a plate covered with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 15-20 seconds until warm.

Recipe FAQs

References

While the base recipe for these chapatis came from my mom, I consulted a few different recipes to troubleshoot the process along the way.

• Cook With Manali: Chapati Recipe

• Manjula’s Kitchen: Chapati Video