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Home » African dishes

Soft Chapati Recipe

Dated: May 28, 2022 . Modified: Dec 18, 2023 by Kate Hahnel

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Kenyan chapati

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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For those who prefer a visual walkthrough, see how I make this Kenyan chapati recipe on my YouTube channel.

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 migrant workers and merchants.

An overhead picture of the ingredients needed to make this recipe

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

Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how to make chapati. A detailed recipe card has been provided at the bottom of this page.

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

We start by mixing all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. We then add the oil, followed by lukewarm water, a little at a time, and knead everything to a smooth dough.

An overhead picture of chapati dough in a bowl

Once done, the dough should feel soft and pliable, and no longer stick to the fingers.

A picture showing dough covered with a kitchen cloth.

Next, we cover the dough with a clean and damp kitchen cloth and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Resting the dough is an important step that allows the gluten to relax and make it more pliable, resulting in soft chapati.

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

We then divide the dough into balls, flour your work surface, and roll each ball into a 20 cm (8-inch) circle. Add more flour if the dough sticks.

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

For flaky chapatis (known as chapati za ngozi in Swahili), brush with oil, sprinkle with flour, roll into a rope, and coil into a cinnamon roll shape.

After coiling the dough balls, we let them rest under a clean kitchen towel for 10 minutes. Next, dust your work surface with flour and roll each ball into a flatbread about 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter and 3mm thick (about ⅛th inch). Feel free to adjust the size to your liking.

Uncooked chapati on a pan
An almost-cooked chapati on a pan.

Heat a pan over medium heat and cook the rolled chapati dough until brown spots form on both sides. Control the heat; start with high heat and then reduce this to medium or low as needed to prevent burning or hardening.

Lightly brush both sides of the cooked chapati with ghee or oil and fry until golden brown and puffed

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

Related recipes: For other tasty African recipes, try our Mandazi, Githeri, South African Beef Stew, and Ghanaian bean stew.

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

useful tips

  • Prepare the dough ahead of time and keep it refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to six months. For frozen dough, 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.
  • Use lukewarm water for a softer dough. If using cold water, rest the dough for at least 30 minutes.
  • Add buttermilk or maziwa mala to the dough for extra softness.
  • Oil the rolled-out dough before cooking to achieve flaky layers.
  • Make plain chapatis by skipping the oiling and coiling steps and frying the rolled-out dough directly. This also reduces the calories.
  • Use an electric mixer to knead the dough if preferred, but avoid overworking it to prevent excess gluten development and chewy chapatis.
A picture of chapati on a plate.

more Kenyan recipes

Try these other delicious Kenyan food recipes!

  • Mahamri - Swahili, yeast-based buns, normally served for breakfast or as a snack.
  • Somali Xawaash Spice.
  • Githeri - traditional Kenyan maize and beans dish.
  • Pilau rice
  • Ndengu - green grams cooked in coconut milk.
  • South African yellow rice.

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Updated on November 7, 2023: Certain parts of this recipe have been simplified to enhance clarity and readability.

📖 Recipe

A picture showing several chapatis folded on a plate.

Soft Chapati Recipe

Kate Hahnel
Fall in love with these layered, soft, and delicious East African chapati!
5 from 19 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Resting Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine African, Kenyan, Tanzanian, Ugandan
Servings 10
Calories 350 kcal

Video

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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.

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 - Lukewarm water works best. If you choose to use cold water, then make sure to rest the dough for at least 30 minutes. 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!
 
Substitutions
  • 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

Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 6gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 699mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gCalcium: 10mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a rating by clicking on the stars above on this recipe card.Pin this recipe on Pinterest or tag me out on socials @weeatatlast. I love seeing your creations.

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.

Can I add other ingredients to the dough?

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.

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.

More African dishes

  • A side photo of cassava fufu with some egusi in the background.
    Cassava Fufu
  • A plate of egusi soup with fufu.
    Egusi Soup
  • Swahili coconut rice in a bowl.
    Swahili Coconut Rice
  • African bean stew served in a bowl with fried plantain.
    West African Bean Stew

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. stephanie vontz

    July 10, 2024 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    I have tried for years to make this in. Mine always came out hard. This is the first time I made exactly what I’ve been trying to make and it’s all because of your instruction. Thank you so much.

    • Kate Hahnel

      August 19, 2024 at 5:41 pm

      Thank you so much and sorry for the late response as we were on holiday. I am glad that you loved your chapati came out soft and that you loved the recipe!

  2. Muthoni

    June 13, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    5 stars
    I love it.
    Perfect explanation for a beginner

    • Kate Hahnel

      June 13, 2023 at 12:45 pm

      Thank you! That is exactly what I wanted, to make it as simple as possible so nobody is scared to try.

  3. agy

    April 29, 2023 at 7:38 pm

    Wow it was fun and sweet making the chaPati

    • Kate Hahnel

      May 01, 2023 at 7:19 am

      Thank you and I hope you enjoyed them!

« Older Comments
5 from 19 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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