How to Make Chapati
If you’ve been on an Impact Trip with us, chances are, you’ve had the chance to make and enjoy chapati with our clients. Chapati is a popular dish across Africa, made out of flour, oil, and clarified butter. Due to the cost of the ingredients in chapati, the flatbread is often seen as a celebratory dish, often eaten during the holidays or other special occasions. The making of chapati is a labor of love, and the end result is a delicious treat shared over a meal with loved ones.
This Christmas, we were able to provide all 300+ of our full time African staff, along with the pastors of our partner churches, a Christmas package. Each package included all of the ingredients needed to make chapati for their entire families to enjoy together over the holidays. We’re so thankful for those of you who gave to sponsor a Christmas package this year, and we invite you to try your hand at making chapati at home to celebrate the holidays alongside our brothers and sisters in Africa. You can find a recipe!
Chapati Recipe
Ingredients
2½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
3 - 5 tbsp oil
1¼ cup warm water
6-8 tsp ghee, butter or oil
extra flour for dusting
6 tsp oil for roasting
Instructions
PREPARATION OF THE KENYAN CHAPATI DOUGH:
Add flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
Add 3-4 tbsp oil and rub into the flour.
Add the measured warm water and form a soft dough. Add any extra water required, tablespoon at a time as you don't want the dough too soft.
The dough should not be sticky.
Take a tbsp of oil and knead it into the dough.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth, lid or cling film. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
PREPARATION OF KENYAN CHAPATI:
Divide the dough into six parts. Roll each part into a ball.
Cover the balls with a damp cloth. Allow them to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Dust the worktop with some flour.
Roll one dough ball out into a circle about 6-7 inches in diameter.
Smear about 1 tsp solid ghee or butter all over the rolled dough.
Sprinkle a bit of flour all over.
Fold the rolled dough into a fan shape. Check out the video.
Then roll it into a spiral shape.
Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime can roll and shape the remaining 5 dough balls.
Dust the worktop with some flour.
Take one of the spiral dough and roll it out flat into a circle of about 6-7 inches in diameter.
ROASTING KENYAN CHAPATI:
Heat a griddle, tawa or frying pan over medium heat.
Place the rolled out chapati over the griddle. Allow it roast for 1-2 minutes.
Flip it over and allow the other side to roast for 1-2 minutes.
Smear about 1 tsp oil, ghee or butter all over the top side. Flip it over.
Roast or cook till brown specks appear.
Smear oil, ghee or butter on the top dry side.
Flip and roast. Roast till the chapati is done. Should see brown specks all over the chapati and some of the layers should come apart.
Repeat the same with the remaining dough.
Serve hot Kenyan Chapati with your favourite curry or stew. Or serve it hot with some tea.
We hope that you’ll find the time during this holiday season to slow down with your loved ones and try something new. Make sure to tag us on Instagram @untoldorg if you give this chapati recipe a try!