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!
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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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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.
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Soft Chapati Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- 2¾ cups water
- 6 tablespoon 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)
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients, namely all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil or ghee to the flour mixture and combine. Next, add the water, a little at a time, and use your fists or an electric mixer to knead for about 10 minutes until you obtain a soft and smooth dough. Feel free to add some flour in small handfuls, if the dough feels too sticky.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2¾ cups water, 6 tablespoon ghee or cooking oil
- Add another 3 tablespoons of oil or ghee to the dough and knead some more, for about two minutes (you will use the rest of the oil to cook). The dough should now feel soft and pliable, and should no longer stick to the fingers.6 tablespoon ghee or cooking oil
- 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.
- Divide the dough into 10 equally-sized balls. Dust a wooden pastry board or your kitchen counter with flour, lightly sprinkle some flour on top of each ball of dough, and use a rolling pin to roll each into a circle of 20cm in diameter (about 8 inches). If the dough resists stretching, let it relax for a while and then roll again. Feel free to dust with more flour, if the dough sticks to the rolling board.
- Brush each chapati with a little melted ghee or cooking oil, lightly sprinkle some flour on top and roll it so it resembles a rope (skip this step for plain chapatis - see the notes below). Next, coil the rope towards the centre, and tuck the end in the middle.
- 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. Roll out each ball of dough into a circle of 20cm (about 8 inches) in diameter and 3mm (about ⅛th inch) in thickness. Feel free to lightly dust with flour, so it rolls out easily.
- Bring a non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan to high heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to a medium and place the rolled chapati dough on top. Cook each side until brown spots form and the chapati starts to puff up then use a spoon to flip.
- Lightly brush the cooked surface with melted ghee, allow the bottom to also brown and puff up, flip and allow the oiled side to cook for one to two minutes. Lightly brush the other side with ghee or cooking oil as well and allow it to cook for a minute or two, or until the desired level of brown has been obtained.½ cup ghee or cooking oil
- Serve chapati with tea or your favourite stews, curries, or grilled dishes.
Video
Notes
- To make plain chapatis, skip brushing the dough with oil and coiling it into a rope. Rather, directly fry the chapati flatbread once rolled to a circle.
- 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 layered chapati - Do not use cold water if you desire to have soft chapati; use lukewarm water instead and do not skip resting the dough. Also, you can add a cup of buttermilk (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!
- 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.
Nutrition
frequently asked questions
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.
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.
Kei
Hello,
Is this bread the same as malawah?
Kate Hahnel
It is not the same, but very similar in terms of taste.
Jazz
This was my first attempt at chapati but I had all the ingredients and your step-by-step instructions and pictures made it simple. The whole family adores this!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you very much!
Cooks with Soul
So good you can eat it by yourself! I’m usually intimidated by these types of bread recipes but this one was easy to execute and it was so good! My kids are most of them before I had a chance. Can’t wait to make them again!
Britney Brown-Chamberlain
These turned out better than the restaurant! I love making bread and these recipe went perfectly with my dinner the other night - it was delicious!
Tamara
I had never had these before! Now that I made them, I cannot wait to eat them again asap!! Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Chenée
These chapatis were so good! And so easy to make. I made them to go with your Kenyan beef stew and it was such a delicious meal.
Kaluhi
Your recipe was super simple to follow and my chapos were craaaaazy soft!
Chenée
I made these chapati along with your Kenyan beef stew and they were perfect together! So flaky and delicious!
Crystal
This was so easy and fun to make! Loved how the dough is coiled before getting rolled out again. Will definitely be making another batch of your chapati again!
Marta
I could eat chapati at every meal, but this is beyond good. Your instructions gave me so much confidence and I nailed the recipe perfectly.
Ieva
Yummy! Perfect recipe when the oven is malfunctioning 🙂 Made a batch of these chapatis last night and served with lentil and carrot soup. Just lovely!
Kate Hahnel
Sounds like a delicious combination, thanks for trying out the recipe!
Robin
I chose to omit the sugar when I tried the recipe. The results were ridiculously good.
kushigalu
We make chapati on daily basis. Looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
Anjali
These chapatis were absolutely delicious!! They were soft and super easy to make, and we enjoyed them with dal this evening!
Angela
I love chapati but never thought to make this at home! This was even better than what I get in the restaurant. YUM!
Kate Hahnel
Glad you enjoyed it. I agree homemade chapatis are the best!
Kris
This was so easy to make and super delicious, too! My kids loved it. Thank you for another winner! 🙂
Kate Hahnel
Thank you for trying out the recipe!