Chapati, or chapathi or roti, is a staple flatbread in Indian households.

Made from simple ingredients like wheat flour (also known as chapati flour or atta), salt, and water, it's a versatile dish that can be enjoyed with various curries, vegetables, and chutneys.

A plate has folded chapati's and a bowl of curry.

Although preparing homemade chapati may seem intimidating, it's actually quite easy with the right recipe and cooking techniques. In this recipe, I will walk you through a step-by-step process to make perfectly soft chapathi in your own kitchen.

I have also prepared soft phulka roti recipe with the same ingredients, but the cooking technique differed.

If you want a gluten-free version of a delicious chapati, check out my besan roti recipe. Lastly, if you are looking for chapati side dish recipes, check out my roundup post.

Jump to:

Why You Will Love Soft Chapati
Key Ingredients
How to Make Soft Chapati
Serving suggestions
Uma's Tips
Can I Use Whole Wheat flour Instead of Atta flour?
Storage
More Chapati Side Dishes
📖 Recipe
How To Make Soft Chapati (Roti Recipe)
Comments

Why You Will Love Soft Chapati

Soft and fluffy texture.
Easy to make with minimal ingredients.
Versatile - can be enjoyed with various dishes.
A healthy alternative to store-bought bread.

Key Ingredients

Wholemeal flour or whole-wheat flour.
Salt: Just a pinch to enhance the flavors.
Water: To knead the dough.

See the recipe card for a list of ingredients and quantities, plus recipe instructions. You can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Soft Chapati

A bowl has wheat flour, salt and water for dough.

In a mixing bowl, add salt to the dry flour and mix well.
Add 1 cup of water gradually and hand mix them to get a consistent mix.

Knead the chapati dough for 5 minutes until it is soft and smooth.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil and continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plate and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

A bowl is with small round chapati dough balls.

Divide the dough into equal-sized pieces and mold each into a small ball (approximately golf ball size).
Heat a tawa or griddle over medium-high heat.

A rolled chapati dough is on the surface.

On a lightly floured surface or rolling board, roll out each dough ball into a thin circle using a rolling pin.

A plate has a stack of rolled chapati dough.

Place them aside on a plate. Once the tawa gets hot, add the rolled chapathi dough and spread a thin layer of oil on top. Cook over medium heat.

A hot tawa has a chapati over the flame.

Once the top slightly bubbles up, flip it over with a flat spatula and cook on another side.

Remove it from the hot pan when both sides have brown spots. (Pressing the edge gently with a clean towel helps the chapati to puff up.)
Repeat the process for all the dough balls. Serve hot with your favorite curry, vegetable dish, or chutney.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot chapatis with your favorite curry, such as palak tofu paneer, vegan tofu butter chicken, vegan cauliflower tikka masala, or vegan chana masala.
Enjoy them with a side of vegetables like aloo gobi, bhindi fry, or Vegan Malai kofta curry.
Try pairing chapatis with various chutneys like coriander mint chutney or south Indian coconut chutney.

Uma's Tips

To make a perfect roti dough, it should be pliable and smooth.
For my recipe, I have used Ashirvad wheat flour, which requires a 1:2 ratio of 1 cup of water for every 2 cups of flour. However, the amount of water needed may vary depending on the brand of flour or if you're using whole wheat flour.
It's recommended to add almost all of the water at once to help make the dough soft and pliable.
Make sure your tawa should be hot this will quicken the cooking process and also prevent harder chapati.
Do not overcook the chapatis, as they will become dry and hard.
To keep the chapatis soft for longer, wrap them in a cloth towel or place them in an insulated container.
If you prefer thicker chapatis, roll them out slightly thicker and cook longer on the tawa.

Can I Use Whole Wheat flour Instead of Atta flour?

Yes, you can use whole wheat flour instead of atta flour to make chapatis. However, the texture and taste may differ slightly as atta flour is specifically made for making chapatis.

If using whole wheat flour, it's recommended to add a little bit of all-purpose flour (maida) to achieve a softer texture.

Also, remember that chapatis made with whole wheat flour may have a slightly darker color than those made with atta flour.

Storage

If you want to make a larger quantity of chapatis, you can store the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 2-3 days.

Just make sure to bring it back to room temperature before rolling and cooking. Cooked soft rotis can also be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days or frozen for up to a month.