Soft Chapati Recipe

Name: Soft Chapati Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 5 cups all-purpose flour; 1 Tbsp salt; 1 Tbsp sugar ((optional)); 2¾ cups water; 6 Tbsp ghee or cooking oil ((to add to the flour, and to smoothen the dough)); ½ cup ghee or cooking oil ((to knead as well as fry the chapati))

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Fall in love with these soft, layered, and delicious East-African chapati! These are perfect to serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack!

A picture of several chapatis folded on top of a plate, ready for serving.

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Before you jump to the recipe card at the bottom, don't forget to read through the post so you do not miss out on useful tips related to this recipe.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally share this recipe! Along with my Mandazi, Githeri and South African Beef Stew recipes, chapati is one of my absolute favourite things to eat.

Jump to:

what is chapati?
ingredients
how to make soft and flaky (layered) East African chapati
what to serve East African chapati with
substitutions
variations
useful tips
frequently asked questions
📖 Recipe

what is chapati?

Chapati (also known as chapatti, chapathi or chappathi) is an unleavened flatbread normally made using all-purpose wheat flour, water, salt and oil. East African chapati, which is especially popular in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, is larger in diameter and is normally referred to as roti in India. Chapatis have their origins in the Indian subcontinent and were introduced to the rest of the world by immigrants, especially Indian merchants.

ingredients

You only need four ingredients to make these soft and layered chapatis. While the plain ones are easy to make, this method is definitely worth your time so hang on in there. Here are the ingredients you will require (this is a summary, a printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements has been provided on the recipe card at the bottom of this page):

all-purpose flour - you can also use whole wheat flour.
some salt and sugar to season.
ghee or some a high-smoking point cooking oil such as sunflower oil.
water for mixing the dough.

how to make soft and flaky (layered) East African chapati

Here is the step by step breakdown of how to make chapati. (This is a summary, a detailed recipe card has been provided at the bottom of this page).

A picture showing how to combine the dry ingredients with water.

Mix the dry ingredients, namely all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add some oil, and the water a little at a time, then use your fists or an electric mixer to knead everything to a dough.

An overhead picture of chapati dough in a bowl

Add the oil and knead some more, for about two minutes. The dough should now feel soft and pliable, and should no longer stick to the fingers.

A picture showing dough covered with a kitchen cloth.

Cover the dough with a clean and damp kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

A picture showing balls of chapati dough and how to roll them out to a circle.

Divide the dough into equally-sized balls. Lightly dust a wooden pastry board or your kitchen counter with flour, roll each ball of dough in flour and use a rolling pin to roll each to a circle of about 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter. Dust lightly with more flour, if the dough sticks to the rolling board (see the useful notes segment below, regarding how to make plain chapatis).

A picture showing how to coil the dough when making East African chapati.

An overhead picture showing how to roll chapati dough.

For flaky (layered) chapati, brush each chapati with a little melted ghee or cooking oil, lightly sprinkle some flour on top, then roll it so it resembles a rope. Coil the rope of dough towards the centre, and tuck the end in the middle, so it almost resembles a cinnamon roll.

Cover the coiled balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow this to rest for 10 minutes. Next, lightly dust your kitchen counter or wooden pastry board with flour again and roll out each ball to a circular flatbread about 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter and 3mm thick (about ⅛th inch). Hint: feel free to make your chapati as small or as large as you prefer.

Bring a non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan to high heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to a medium and placed the rolled chapati dough on top. Cook each side until brown spots form.

Lightly brush the cooked surface with melted ghee or cooking oil, allow the bottom to also brown and puff up, flip and fry the oiled side for one to two minutes or until cooked equally.

what to serve East African chapati with

Serve chapati with some Kenyan Beef Stew, Kuku Paka - Swahili chicken curry, Kachumbari, Tangawizi (ginger) Tea, Ndengu (Mung Beans) curry, or your favourite dishes!

substitutions

Feel free to substitute the ingredients as follows:-

Use whole wheat or ''Atta flour'' for more fibre.
Knead the dough using milk or plant milk, instead of water.
Use butter, ghee or any cooking oil with a high smoking point such as sunflower or corn oil. Avoid oils with low smoking points such as olive oil as these will dry your chapati.

variations

Feel free to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with these variations!

Add buttermilk (maziwa mala) to make your chapatis softer.
Vegetables - mix in some grated carrots, mashed butternut pumpkin or some grated red onion.
You can make chapati with eggs for some extra protein. Simply stir in one or two beaten eggs into the dough, when kneading.
Herbs - add some chopped coriander (cilantro) or your favourite herbs when kneading.
Place your cooked chapati on top of an omelette to make some tasty Ugandan Rolex.

useful tips

Making the dough ahead - you can prepare the dough in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to six months. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature before using it, and to reserve some extra flour for kneading, as it will be more sticky when kneading and rolling, once thawed.
Resting the dough - this is very important. This helps the gluten to relax and reform itself resulting in more pliable and soft chapatis.
Get the temperature right - heat your pan under high heat before you place the chapati on top. Once you start cooking, reduce the heat to medium and keep alternating between medium and low heat. Cook at too high a temperature and they will brown before they are cooked on the inside. Similarly, if the temperature is too low then they just harden up.
Soft and flaky chapati - Additionally, do not use cold water if you desire to have soft chapati; use lukewarm water instead. Also, you can add a cup of buttermilk or maziwa mala to your chapati. The acid in buttermilk helps relax the gluten, resulting in softer chapatis. Chapatis get their layers from the oil added once the dough has been rolled out, before cooking so I highly recommend that you do not skip this step if you want them flaky.
Reduce the number of calories in your chapati by using less or no oil!
Making plain chapatis - to make plain chapati, skip brushing the dough with oil and coiling it into a rope. Rather, directly fry the chapati flatbread once rolled to a circle.
Feel free to use an electric mixer, if you prefer. Just be careful not to knead too much which may result in extra gluten development, making your chapati too chewy.

frequently asked questions

How do I store my chapati?

Store cooked chapati on your kitchen countertop, in the fridge or freezer as follows:
- Keep in a sealed bag or inside a covered casserole dish on the countertop for 3-4 days.
- In a suitable container in the fridge for up to a week.
- And in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just make sure to keep them in a freezer-friendly bag, get rid of as much air as possible out of the bag then carefully place them in the freezer.
Additionally, you can make the dough ahead and using a suitable airtight container, keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

How did chapati get to Africa?

Chapati was introduced to Africa by Indian labourers brought in by the British government during the colonial time to build railroads in East African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. After the end of the colonial era, many labourers remained in these countries as merchants and kept their culture, including their food culture. As a result of integration, curious local inhabitants started adapting this new cuisine.

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