Ingredients
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt
2 to 3 tablespoons of clarified butter or cooking oil, mix thoroughly
Gradually add 1/2 to 1 cup of water
Directions
- Learn how to make this basic Crispy Chapati Bread Recipe, a perfect choice of homemade bread for any meal.
Crispy Chapati Bread Recipe
Combine 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of clarified butter or cooking oil in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, then gradually add 1/2 to 1 cup of water (each batch varies) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and moist, but not sticky! Then rub a small amount of oil on a breadboard — or other working surface — to prevent sticking, and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes (the more you knead, the lighter the chapatis). Although you can begin to form these tasty flat breads at once — if you wish — some cooks prefer to cover the dough and let it rest anywhere from five minutes to an hour. There's no set rule here, though (there never is when you're making chapatis), so experiment until you discover the procedure you prefer. When you're ready, divide your dough into roughly 12 egg-sized pieces. Flatten each one with the heel of your hand, dust both sides lightly with flour, and roll the lumps into thin, round wafers about six inches across. (The thickness of a chapati has a lot to do with its flavor: the thinner each one is, the more nut-like and crackery it tastes. Chapatis thicker than 1/4 inch are too dense and doughy for most palates.) You can crank out chapatis at a pretty good clip once you get the hang of it, especially if one person rolls the dough while another cooks each disk as it comes off the assembly line. If you prefer to make a whole stack of the wafers before headin' for the stove, however, be sure to dust each chapati with flour . . . or separate it from its neighbors with waxed paper. Otherwise, you're liable to end up with one big blob of congealed dough. Cook the chapatis at low to medium heat on a greaseless frying pan or griddle . . . about 30 seconds to a side — or until light brown splotches appear — for bread flexible enough to wrap around the filling of your choice. Bake each disc longer if you want crisp, crackly wafers for tostadas or imitation tortilla chips. TIP: A large cookie sheet placed across two burners of your gas or electric stove will increase your production. Plus you can bake a couple more of the chapatis on another cookie sheet in the oven at the same time (set at 350 degrees to 400 degrees or slightly above "moderate" on a wood stove).
Read more about using chapatis with meals: How to Make Chapatis: Thin, Nutty, and Crispy Breads.
This Crispy Chapati Bread Recipe is a basic Indian bread that is similar to tortillas. The chapati is crispy and nutty tasting, making it a perfect bread choice for any meal.