Tuesday 27 June 2017

SOFT CHAPATI RECIPE

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe

Chapati, also known as Roti, Shabaati, Safati, or Roshi in the Maldives, is a versatile unleavened flatbread enjoyed across Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. This traditional Indian flatbread can be made in various ways, including Paneer Chapati, Radish or Mullandi Chapati, and Vegetable Stuffed Chapati. Despite its popularity, many people find making Chapati intimidating. However, I'm here to assure you that making Chapati is as easy as any other culinary endeavor. In this article, I'll walk you through the process of making the perfect, soft, and delicious Chapati that you can enjoy with tea or pair with your favorite vegetables or meats.


Ingredients

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-ingredients

Ingredients You'll Need
Before we dive into the cooking process, let's gather the ingredients you'll need for making Chapati:
For the Chapati Dough:
2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour (All-Purpose Flour can also be used)
Warm Water
2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
A pinch of Salt

For Variations:
Grated Paneer (for Paneer Chapati)
Grated Radish and Turmeric Powder (for Radish Chapati)
Carrots, Potatoes, Fenugreek, and Peas (for Vegetable Stuffed Chapati)


Method


Preparing the Chapati Dough
Measure the Flour: Begin by measuring 2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour or All-Purpose Flour, depending on your preference, and place it in a mixing bowl.

Add a Pinch of Salt: A small pinch of salt enhances the flavor of the Chapati. Add it to the flour.

Pour in Warm Water: Gradually add warm water while kneading the dough. Be mindful of the amount of water you use; you want the dough to be soft but not sticky. The key is to add water slowly and knead the dough simultaneously until it's pliable.

Incorporate Vegetable Oil: To make your Chapati soft and flavorful, incorporate 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into the dough while kneading. This addition will make your Chapati tender yet firm.

Knead the Dough: Kneading is the crucial step that determines how soft your Chapati will turn out. Spend a good 8-10 minutes kneading the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Rest the Dough: After kneading, cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes. This resting period allows the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll out.

Rolling and Cooking Chapati
Divide the Dough: After the resting period, divide the dough into small, equal-sized portions. Roll them into balls.

Rolling the Chapati: Take one dough ball and roll it out into a thin, round shape using a rolling pin. Ensure it's not too thick or too thin.

Heat the Pan: Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat until it's hot. You can test if it's ready by sprinkling a few drops of water on it; if they sizzle and evaporate, it's time to start cooking.

Cooking the Chapati: Place the rolled-out Chapati on the hot pan. After a few seconds, you'll see small bubbles forming on the surface. Flip it over and cook the other side until it puffs up and gets golden brown spots.

Finishing Touch: Once both sides are cooked to perfection, remove the Chapati from the pan. You can apply a bit of ghee or butter to make it even more flavorful.

Enjoy Your Chapati
Chapatis are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed with various side dishes, curries, or even as a simple snack with tea. Their soft and delicious texture makes them a favorite among people of all ages.
So, there you have it, a step-by-step guide to making the perfect Chapati. With practice, you'll master the art of making soft and delicious Chapati that will delight your taste buds and impress your friends and family.

Pictorial step by step
-Pour the hot Vegetable Oil and Water in your All purpose Flour

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-boil-water-and-vegetable-oil

-Since the Water is hot, use a Wooden Spoon or Metallic Spoon to mix the Water and Flour. Keep mixing until the Flour starts to form into a dough

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-use-spoon-to-mix-flour-into-water

-After a few minutes, you can use your hand to knead the dough since it will have cooled down for you to handle without getting burnt by the hot water. Knead until the Flour is no longer visible and it has formed a hard dough yet not too stiff

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-use-your-hand-to-bring-dough-tegether

-Make a hole in the middle of the Dough with your fist. Pour more Vegetable Oil in the hole that you have created with your fist

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-make-hole-in-center-of-dough-pour-oil-inside

-Turn the dough into the Vegetable Oil and keep kneading it further for a few more minutes

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-start-kneading-the-dough

-Knead your dough until your bowl you are using becomes clean from the Dough

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-knead-until-dough-comes-off-bowl-soft-but-pliable

-Remove the Dough from the Basin and place on a floured surface

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-put dough-on-lightly-floured-surface

-Pinch a fistful chunk from the dough a make a round ball from it

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-pinch-fistful-from-dough-make-small-balls

-It should look something like this

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-make-a-smooth-round-shaped-ball

-Make the same sized balls until your dough is completely done

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-make-more-small-balls-until-dough-finished

-Place the rolled dough ball on the floured surface and roll in into a round shape
-Do not worry about getting a perfect shape, since this is the first rolling you will be doing

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-roll-out-dough-into-round-shape

-Oil the rolled out Chapati Dough
-Cut a line from the middle of the rolled out dough to the end

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-spread-oil-on-dough-cut-line-from-center

-Flip the rolled out dough like you are turning it over itself until the end

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-start-turning-dough-around-it

-This is the shape that you will get after rolling it over itself

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-turn-dough-until-you-get-a-cone-shape

-Take the dough in your hand. Tuck in the top part into the middle of it. Tuck the other bottom part into itself and it will form back into a round ball. Do that to all the balls that you had created before

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-form-dough-into-smooth-round-ball

-Roll out the prepared dough balls into round shapes. Put one of the rolled up dough on you already heated pan. Let the Chapati cook for a few seconds

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-place-rolled-round-dough-onto-hot-pan-cook-until-bubbles-form-on-top

-Turn the Chapati and let the second side cook for a few seconds

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-flip-chapati-dough-cook-second-side-few-seconds

-After flipping the Chapati, oil the side that had cooked. Ensure the whole Chapati has been oiled, since you are using liquid oil, be generous with spreading the oil on your Chapati

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-spread-oil-on-cooked-chapati-side

-Turn the Chapati and flip it over so that you can oil the second side the same way

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-flip chapati-to-cook-second-side

-Oil the second side the same way you oiled the first side of the Chapati

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-oil-second-side-of-chapati


-Once you flip the Chapati after oiling the second side, this is what you will end up with. Your Chapati will be evenly cooked all through by the time you are flipping it on the other side

soft-chapati-nairobi-kitchen-recipe-cook-chapati-until-brown-spots-form-on-both-sides

-Remove from the pan and place in a serving dish. Repeat for all the other Chapati dough until you are finished. The Chapatis will be very soft and will keep their softness for days

print recipe

THE SOFTEST CHAPATI YOU WILL EVER EAT
Ingredients
  • 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups or more Water
  • 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil to spread on the dough
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil for kneading
  • Boiled water mixed with 1 Tablespoon oil and pinch salt
Instructions
-Boil Water and Vegetable Oil until it bubbles-Pour the hot Vegetable Oil and Water in your All purpose Flour. Use a wooden or metal spoon to start kneading since the water is very hot-Keep mixing until the Flour starts to form into a dough. After a while check whether the dough has cooled down-Knead with your hands now until the Flour is no longer visible and it has formed a hard dough yet not too stiff-Make a well in the middle of the dough and pour in 1/4 Cup of oil and continue kneading-Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes-Once rested take the dough on a lightly floured surface and divide it int small evenly sized balls-Take one ball. Roll it out. Spread cooking oil across it. Fold it back into a ball and set aside. Repeat until all the small dough balls have been oiled-Now take one of the ball and roll it out into a round shape-Put the dough on a hot pan. Let it cook for a few seconds and turn it. Spread oil on the first side. Turn it and let it cook as you spread oil on the second side-Let the first side cook and check whether it is golden brown. Flip the Chapati and let the second side cook until golden brown-Repeat will all the rolled out dough until done-Serve hot with stew, soup and even with tea for the next day
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 20 chapatis

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I use All-Purpose Flour instead of Whole Wheat Flour for Chapati?
Yes, you can. All-purpose flour is a suitable alternative if you prefer a lighter texture.

2. What's the secret to making Chapati soft?
Kneading the dough thoroughly and adding vegetable oil are the keys to achieving soft Chapati.

3. Can I prepare the Chapati dough in advance and use it later?
Yes, you can prepare the dough and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two. Just make sure it's well-covered.

4. Are there any gluten-free options for making Chapati?
You can explore gluten-free flours like rice flour or chickpea flour to make gluten-free Chapati.

5. Can I freeze Chapati for later use?
Absolutely! You can freeze Chapati for later use. Just ensure they are well-sealed to maintain their freshness.

32 comments

  1. Wow Really Nice information and tips on how to make soft Homemade phulkas and chapati, I love it to eat and i have some idea through one website Fresh Phulka who providing readymade chapati with tips also.
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alot of grease in that chapati...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It seems like a lot of grease but once they Cook the oil absorbs and is not too much

      Delete
  3. My chapatis wud alwz turn out hard n i dint knw wat to do...i tried your recipe n chapatis were very soft, n stayed soft d whole day..thanks a lot for d recipe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Am so glad they turned out great and you enjoyed!

      Delete
  4. very nice post i am happy to read . hello sir ,
    thanks for writing this article . this is very useful article for me . i love chapati . make chapati

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've learnt. This food is not popular in my country Nigeria.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad to meet someone from Nigeria! Chapati is almost a staple in Kenya, its like Indian flat bread. Looking forward to trying some Nigerian recipes soon!

      Delete
  6. I tried my best but I don't know what I missed they didn't turn out da way I wanted.wat else do I av to do

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The secret is to always try it again. Warm water helps when it comes to kneading the dough and heat should not be too high so they turn out soft

      Delete
  7. Trying this out this weekend. I have complained about our help's way of making Chapati. Gotta make the change I want to see. Thanks. I will give you my response asap.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for dropping by, and I am looking foward to seeing the end results. Find other chapati recipes on the blog!

      Delete
  8. For the first time my fam has enjoyed my chapos .Thanks for sharing. I can now make soft chapati

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! Thanks for this, am so happy they turned out great and your family loved them!

      Delete
  9. Eee have learnt that and am gonna try it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is awesome once you do let me know how they turn out

      Delete
  10. Happy I got my chapos soft...and twas fast. This is a great post. Be blessed for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  11. Doing a happy dance for you, so happy you got the soft chapo

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rotis are perfectly made and looks very softer, as if we can tear it like paper.. I love to have Rotis with fresh salad..What’s your choice?
    https://www.surabhifoods.com/

    ReplyDelete
  13. I did it. You are a life saver. I followed your procedure and they turned out perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You are a life saver. I followed your instructions and my Chapos turned out just perfect. Good job.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I cooked Chapati today for my first time and they turned out soft and delicious, my fam were really impressed. Thanks for the recipe✌🏽.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I cooked Chapatis for my first time today, and they turned out soft and delicious. My fam was really impressed.Thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you for sharing
    God bless you

    ReplyDelete
  18. This was super helpful ..thumbs up ..!!! Am wondering though ,,if one wud include many ingredients say onions ginger spices carrots pepper garlic n chili in the Dough ..and the other includes just a few say onions garlic n chilli which serves better for a really sweet chapati with this recipe integrated

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you, these are so good, I've made your recipe several times now! Just one question: do you use 3 cups of 4 cups of flour because I was not sure... it says different numbers at different places in the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for sharing. I wanna try it out

    ReplyDelete
  21. I really had been trying to cook chapati for a very long time and failed terribly. After I saw your recipe I made it and my husband is enjoying his favourite meal. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thank you for the recipe! It was so good! We loved it so much. It was delicious. It was so soft It was just amazing. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

© Nairobi Kitchen
Maira Gall