There aren’t many breads suitable for the Daniel Fast, so when I discovered chapati, I knew I’d be adding it to my repertoire. Also known as roti, it’s an Indian flatbread made from whole wheat flour and just a few other basic ingredients. Chapati is similar to pita bread, but it’s unleavened.
Whenever I try a new recipe, I reference several different sources to determine common methods and measurements. In this case, there were discrepancies everywhere I looked. One recipe said to knead the dough 10 minutes; another didn’t mention kneading at all. Some said to add oil to the dough; others didn’t. Some instructions seemed complicated and time-consuming, which made me wonder if the shorter, simpler recipes could be trusted. All of this left me feeling a bit intimidated at the thought of making my own chapati.
Eventually I stumbled upon this blog post, which has step-by-step instructions with photos, along with a list of helpful tips. And you know what I realized? Making chapati isn’t that complex after all. The last step can be tricky, but don’t get discouraged if your chapatis don’t puff up like a balloon. This is something that takes practice. At best, I’ve only got mine to puff on one side, but I keep trying!
Chapatis are served with traditional Indian meals and are commonly used to scoop up curries and lentils. I like to use them as sandwich wraps, and I’ll bet they’d make fantastic chips when toasted in the oven.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup hot water
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine flour, salt and oil. Pour water in slowly, stirring until dough comes together.
- Knead dough with hands for about 3 minutes, until soft and pliable. If dough feels sticky, add a little more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. (I added 3 tablespoons.)
- Roll dough into a ball and rub with olive oil. Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Allow dough to rest at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat or set an electric griddle to 375 degrees.
- Divide dough into 4 equal portions, and roll each one into a ball. On a floured surface, flatten dough with your palm and roll into a 6-inch circle.
- Place chapati on hot griddle for about 1 minute or until bubbles start to form.
- Flip and cook for another minute. Golden brown spots should begin to form.
- Flip again and gently press chapati with a spatula until it starts to puff up. Press the puffed areas to encourage air to disperse through the rest of the chapati. Ideally it will puff up into a balloon, but don’t worry if this doesn’t happen.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Chapati can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Wrap cooled chapatis in aluminum foil and seal in a plastic bag.
For extended storage, chapati can be frozen for up to 3 months.