Name: Chapati
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10 chapatis
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups chapati flour; 3/4 cup water; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp neutral oil; for dusting dry flour; to brush ghee

2 1/2 cups

1 Knead 8 minutes to a soft, smooth dough 12m Softer than you think — barely holding together, almost tacky.

2 Rest 30 minutes, covered with a damp cloth 30m

3 Divide, roll into thin discs, dusting lightly 15m Even thickness matters more than a perfect circle — a thin patch stops the puff.

4 Cook on a hot dry tawa, then finish directly over the flame to puff 20m 30 seconds a side on the pan, then 5 seconds on the open flame and it balloons.

3/4 cup

1 tsp

for dusting

to brush

Why it puffs

Rolled thin and hit with high heat, the outer surfaces set into two thin skins while the moisture inside flashes to steam. With nowhere to escape, the steam forces the skins apart and the chapati inflates. Anything that lets steam out early — a tear, a thin patch, a pan that is not hot enough — and it stays flat. It tastes the same; it is just less satisfying.

Notes

Soft dough. A stiff dough gives you a hard, cracker-like chapati.
Rest for at least 30 minutes so the bran softens and the gluten relaxes.
Dust lightly. Excess flour burns on the pan and makes everything taste scorched.

Method

Knead 8 minutes to a soft, smooth dough

Rest 30 minutes, covered with a damp cloth

Divide, roll into thin discs, dusting lightly

Cook on a hot dry tawa, then finish directly over the flame to puff

Why it puffs

Notes