East African Chapati Recipe - How to make Chapati

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the water a little at a time to form a soft and sticky dough.

Step 2

Turn to a floured surface; knead for about 10 to 15 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl. Cover and let it rest in a warm place for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll each piece into a circle. You can roll out the dough into a circle cook the Chapatis at this point. However, if you want a flaky and well-layered chapati, move on with the rest of the steps below.

Step 4

Lightly brush the rolled out chapati with some Oil and roll it as you would roll up a mat. At this point, it should be like a rope then roll the ”rope-like” to form a coil then pull the tip towards the center of the coil and tuck in using your index finger then cover it up with a damp towel and leave it to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. (Please refer to image above)

Step 5

Flour your work surface again and start rolling out each of the coiled dough to about 1/8th thickness (the dough will eventually shrink up to about 1-2/4 inch thickness).

Step 6

Preheat a non-stick pan or a heavy bottom skillet. Place the chapati on inside the pan and leave it to cook for a few seconds before disturbing it.

Step 7

Brush the surface of the chapati with a very thin layer of oil. Once you begin to see bubbles rise on top of the chapati, flip it over to the other side and brush it also with a thin layer of Oil.

Step 8

Continue to flip over about one or two more times until you achieve your desired brownness. Serve hot or warm and enjoy with your favorite dish.