Easy Homemade Indian Chapati Flatbread

Indian chapati are the perfect quick and easy flatbread to serve alongside your favourite homemade curry, you may not order takeaway again!

Making the dough takes minutes and needs to rest for 30 minutes, but after that each chapati takes just 3-4 minutes to cook.

Quick and Easy Indian Flatbread

In many of the images of the Indian recipes that I have here, you will find some form of flatbread. Granted, much of the time it is a tandoori style naan bread, but the good ol' chapati often gets a look in too!

Indian chapatis have the "quick factor" to them, and because of that, they are easier to knock up for an impromptu curry night.

There is no heavy kneading required, just a quick bash to bring everything together. The dough needs to rest for 30 minutes or so, which is the perfect time to rustle up a curry.

They take 3-4 minutes to cook each chapati in a pan, which you can do whilst your dinner is cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between roti and chapati?

In general parlance, there is very little difference. The oldest roti recipes contain no oil, just flour and water, whereas old recipes for chapati usually add oil and salt.

This recipe was taught to me by a friends wife who used the phrase roti and chapati interchangeably.

My chapati didn't "puff" up, what did I do wrong?

Nine times out of 10, this means that your bread was not evenly rolled out.

However, if you cook the chapati for too long on the first side, it can sometimes prevent the bread from puffing up.

Can I use a different type of flour?

I've never had much joy with chapatis made from anything other than atta flour.

They tend to be a little like cardboard and don't come out soft and fluffy. Most guidance recommends using a third of plain flour and two-thirds wholemeal flour.

But I would strongly recommend getting a bag of medium-ground atta to keep in the cupboard!

How do I keep chapatis soft and pliable?

There is nothing that you should do to achieve this, they should naturally turn out this way. Although I usually wrap mine in a clean tea towel to keep them warm.

Can I make chapatis in advance and reheat them?

Yes, you can slap them in a hot pan for 15-20 seconds on each side. You can even wrap them in kitchen paper and zap them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

Serving Suggestions

Well, where do I start? A chapati is perfect on the side of practically any Indian meal and I have knocking on the door of 100 curry recipes here, so you could take your pick.

Generally speaking, I serve them with "drier" and less saucy curries and dry Indian dishes.

They are pictured above with my chicken shashlik skewers, but they are awesome with everything from lamb tikka, tandoori king prawns, chicken rezala to tandoori chicken and even my baked Indian-inspired one-pot chicken and rice.

When it comes to curries I like to serve them with thicker dishes like my Tamil black pepper chicken, chicken dopiaza, lamb saag or aloo keema.

But there ain't no rules, they are pictured above with a very saucy Ceylon chicken curry, and they are awesome with a king prawn bhuna, chicken chasni, egg masala curry and great with dry veggie curries like this aloo palak sabzi.

I've even used them as a wrap and thrown in my fish finger and bean curry, so delicious and great fun!

If you make loads and have leftovers, then take a crack at my Sri Lankan kottu roti recipe.

Equipment Used

I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• Crepe pan, tawa or frying pan, I usually use nonstick.
• Mixing bowl.
• Rolling pin.
• Tea towel.
• Marble slab for rolling chapati, this is optional, but I always find it works better.