Chapati

Definition

It is a medium sized, rather thin, cooked dough product, like a bread. It is a type of roti or Indian bread.

Name

Chapati or chapatti (Marathi: पोळी Hindi: चपाती, Urdu: چپاتی, IPA: [tʃəpɑt̪i]). Eaten in South Asia and East Africa, in many areas of South Asia, particularly the north of the subcontinent, and in East Africa, it is the staple food.

Size

Chapati sizes vary depending on region and change slightly from kitchen to kitchen. In general, an Indian chapati is approximately ten inches in diameter, while in Pakistan a chapati or roti is much larger, usually 12-15 inches in diameter.

In some regions of India, a chapati can be less than five centimeters in diameter.

Preparation

It is made from a dough of atta flour (whole grain durum wheat), water and salt. The dough is rolled out into discs of approximately twelve centimeters in diameter. Then it is browned on both sides on a very hot, dry tava or frying pan (preferably not one coated with Teflon or other nonstick material). If the chapati is held for about half a second directly into an open flame, causing it to puff up with steam like a balloon, it becomes the Gujrathi and Punjabi phulka. The steaming (ballooning) step can also be achieved by placing the chapati in a microwave oven for five to ten seconds. However, because microwave cooking can cause the chapati to become soggy, a heated grill or open gas flame is recommended.

Often, the finished chapatis are brushed with ghee (clarified butter). Variations include replacing part of the wheat flour with pearl millet (bajra) or maize (makka) or (jowar) flour. The chapatis are then referred to in Hindi as bajra roti or makke ki roti and in Marathi bhakri. When a mixture of pearl millet, maize and gram flour is used, the chapati is called a missi roti. In the southern and eastern parts, one cannot have that option for all the terms roti, chapati, paratha or kulcha would imply majorly, if not exclusively maida contents. In some parts of Maharashtra, chapati is called poli. In Gujarat and Punjab it is called rotli or phulka.

Eating

Chapatis are usually eaten with cooked dal (lentil soup) or vegetable (Indian curry) dishes, and pieces of the chapati are used to wrap around and pick up each bite of the cooked dish.