How to make soft chapathis?

new Hub Mobile Latest Discussion Register FAQ Contact Us

How to make soft chapathis? How to make soft chapathis?

Topic started by Sarah (@ phantom.pr.sun.com) on Tue Oct 23 02:21:02 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I need a recipe for soft chapathis.Just adding water and oil can't make it as soft as we see in some hotels,theres surely some other way to make it soft and retain it for long hours like that.

any suggestions?

Responses:

Old responses
From: Sarah (@ phantom.pr.sun.com) on: Thu Mar 21 01:05:40

yes Friends

I use warm water to knead the dough and nowadays i get soft chapathis.I also learnt the art of folding the chapathis first (into 3 folds in triangle shape) and then kneadng it.I get chapathis with layers now...Am so glad all of u gave ur valuable suggestions .If you have any more suggestions ,pls let me know.

Thanks
Sarah
From: JS (@ cache211.156ce.scvmaxonline.com.sg) on: Tue Apr 30 05:03:44

hi

i make chapati dough with just water and salt, knead it really well, add 1 spoon of oil in the end and keep it aside for 2 hrs.

then roll it out, heat just a little on one side, turn it over and press with a bunched up washcloth until it puffs up like a puri.

the tip about putting the chapatis in a container lined with a washcloth and covering with a lid is good. just rub a few drops of ghee on it.

hope this helps.
From: Leena (@ ext-147-234-2-4.ecitele.com) on: Tue Apr 30 06:58:03

No matter what we do, Which ever brand we use phulkas/chapatis dont turn out as soft and tasty like in India. Is it because of type of wheat that matters ? I know that in India we get Pissi variety and elsewhere it is Khandva. I never saw my mother struggling to make soft chapatis, she just used to mix flour, water, salt and the chapatis used to come out just perfect.
From: sharmila (@ 208-59-136-87.c3-0.wsd-ubr4.qens-wsd.ny.cable.rcn.com) on: Sun Feb 9 17:04:24

TO ALL EXPERTS!
I picked up, Goya wheat flour "Enriched" & tried to make chappatis out of it. What a disaster that was. The flour looked more whitish in color than our regular Indian dough back at home though it mentioned it was wheat flour. It crispened the outer layer and was totally uncooked from inside. just keeping it on the griddle for a minute or two turned it into a buiscut texture or probably more like a crispy tortilla!
IS THIS FLOUR OR ANY AMERICAN WHEAT FLOUR DIFF FROM OUR REGULAR INDIAN WHEAT FLOUR? WHAT SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR?
From: CI (@ cs2417433-245.houston.rr.com) on: Sun Feb 9 20:54:35

Hi Sharmila,
If it is looking whitish, that means it is all purpose flour or a mixture of wheat flour, all purpose flour with more percentage of all purpose flour. Enriched flour is same as all-purpose flour except addition ingredients have been added: thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid and iron. So, it does not suit for making chapathis. The best is whole wheat flour from Lakshmi Brand. You can get it in Indian stores. If you don't have an Indian store where you live, try buying king arthur or any brand whole wheat flour or stone ground wheat flour. This might make your rotis get a darker color (blackish), but are good for health and will be soft.

Hope this helps.
Bye,
CI
From: R (@ cosiapat1.net.americas.agilent.com) on: Mon Feb 10 12:34:26

Hi
Can you knead the dough in the morning say 8-9 hrs and make chapathi in the evening around 6-7.
Is it healthy or harmful
From: CI (@ gatewaydelta) on: Mon Feb 10 13:26:28

Hi R,
You could do that but if you live in a warmer place like south, it might get spoilt. I would suggest you knead the dough in the night, keep it in the refrigerator and thaw it for half an hour the next evening and make chapathis. You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for 2 days and not more than that.

Bye,
CI
From: R (@ cosiapat1.net.americas.agilent.com) on: Mon Feb 10 16:25:18

Thanks CI
From: manjula (@ aca11112.ipt.aol.com) on: Wed Feb 12 16:33:01

buy the "golden temple" wheat flour. it comes out perfectly. also, u need to knead the dough with warm water. oil/ghee is not must while kneading.

manjula
From: a (@ ce8.time.net.my) on: Wed Feb 12 22:07:19

add yoghurt
From: AJ (@ cache-mtc-ah06.proxy.aol.com) on: Wed Apr 2 17:46:39

hi all,
If u really want a very very soft and tasy chappaties...use a little bit of soya flour(u can get it every where) and use little milk too while making the dough. Oil is not necessary. soya flour is very healthy full of protien...and hence u make a healthy chapathies.
From: Mala (@ cache-rl04.proxy.aol.com) on: Fri Apr 4 10:47:19

Hi AJ,
Thank u soooo much for the tips. I tried using soya bean flour as us said....the chappati is just soft like cotton. I dono how to thank u...and moreover by adding this, there is no difference in the /or better taste of chappaties.
And moreover, I am happy that we are eating healthier and tastier chappaties than before.
My husband loved that chappati and he conveys his thanks to u.
THANKS AGAIN!
From: Chittu (@ grouper-253.netexpress.net) on: Thu May 29 15:10:12 EDT 2003

I am a bit late...but just adding yet another tip...I use the "golden temple" wheat flour found in Indian stores.while heating chappathi,I just warm it on the tava and then take the chappathi with tongs and show directly to fire ,warm on both sides....it comes out like puri....then keep it immediately in aluminium foil.it will stay very soft.
From: Hemant (@ 203.195.208.26) on: Sun Jun 1 01:38:04 EDT 2003

To keep your Chappathis soft, I will tell you a Gujarati Secret.
Add about half spoon of castor oil when you are making dough for chappathis.
We Gujarati annoint Wheat grain liberally with castor oil to keep away insects (borers).
The addition of castor oil serves two purposes.
Apart from keeping wheat insect free, it softens and keeps the dough and chappathis soft.
Try it out and let me know.
From: Chennaivasi (@ ppp-219.65.96.122.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Sun Jun 15 05:41:35 EDT 2003

If I am to use castor oil, will not the chaps taste rather funny.
Alternative will be to buy the chappats from the mart, heat it to what softness one wants then, go about strolling in the streets, trying tio avoid the oncoming Pallavan Transport buses in Chenai.
From: shilpa (@ ppp-219.65.112.75.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Sun Jun 15 07:54:53 EDT 2003

hey hemabt are you a girl.idiot chennaivasi.all nasty unwanted discussions.shit.workless idiots.always cooking.
From: Babu (@ 61.8.195.130) on: Mon Jun 16 23:08:00 EDT 2003

Let's all forgive 'Shilpa' and pray to God to give her maturity.
From: Raj (@ 61.8.195.130) on: Mon Jun 16 23:20:36 EDT 2003

Thanks a lot...
From: Malini Nambiar (@ blr01e.pixs.philips.com) on: Thu Jan 8 01:01:48

I would like to try out the soya bean remedy for making softer chappatis, but how much of the flour needs to be added to the wheat flour, can you tell me that please?
Thanks in advance
From: shoba (@ pluto.singnet.com.sg) on: Fri Jan 9 05:11:10 EST 2004

i feel that what ever recipe one uses, the ultimate success of the chappathi lies in the texture of the kneeded dough, and the even temperature of the tava and the duration the roti is left on the tava.

the dough should be soft and pliable. when you pinch a bit of dough after its kneeded, it shouldn't break or crumble. it should be some what like chewing gum without the stickiness!

shoba
From: Maya Rao (@ 212.72.0.183) on: Wed Jan 14 14:58:15 EST 2004

A tip that a Gujarati restauranteur gave me is that make really small 'laddus' and press them flat.Smear a little oil on it and then then sprinkle wheat flour on it. Take 2 'laddus' and press them - the oily side facing each other -together. Roast it on a tava, no need to add oil / ghee while cooking. U could smear with ghee after they have done. It works for me, my chapatis can be eaten 2 days later and they will be soft.
From: sri (@ ) on: Sat Feb 7 00:44:04

Thanks for all ur tips....I am using 'chefmater' instrument to do my chappathis....but they do not come out well .Is there any tip i can follow to make it good in 'chefmaster'
From: Georgy (@ 203.200.104.20) on: Sat Feb 7 01:30:34 EST 2004

I think this could help. Firstly the atta (Flour) shold be of reasonably good quality and finely ground. Knead with warm water 2-3 hrs before and at the end of the kneeding add a few drops of cooking oil and again knead. To make oil-less phulkas after rolling out the chappatis just place on tava and transfer on direct flame of gas.
From: Kavitha (@ ip68-111-50-101.br.no.cox.net) on: Sun Feb 8 16:16:31 EST 2004

Hello friends,
Here's a method for making really soft chappathis. I found this method in one of the older thread i think. It came out very well for me. I tried a lot to find out the thread and thank the person who posted it, but unfortunately i couldn't find the thread. Anyway here's the method,
Ingredients:
chappathi flour- 3 cups
Crisco shortening or butter- 2 table spoon
Yogurt- 1/2 cup
Salt- 1 tsp and enough water for the dough

Add the shortening/butter and yogurt to the flour and mix them together very well. Add the salt to the warm water and add water little at the time to make the dough. Knead well and cover the dough with a wet paper towel and place this in a bowl and cover with the lid and let it rest for half an hour. Then roll in to chappathis. Take a pan and coat it non stick spray and heat it up to medium temperature. Now place the place the chappathi on the pan and when small bubbles appear on the surface turn it over. Wait a few minutes and turn it over one more time. Take a piece of paper towel fold it and press with this on the surface of the chappathi which will make it balloon up. Now remve from pan and apply a little ghee on it and repeat the process untill all done.
I don't know what she mentioned by saying "coat it with non stick spray". Do anyone know? Anyway i used a spoon of canola oil instead. and if you are in U.S you can get the crisco shortening in the store like walmart. It came out well even with butter instead of shortening. And one more thing is that you can prefer Golden Temple durum atta for making chappathis which i came to know from the same thread.
If you are the person who posted it earlier, then let me thank you. it was reaally good and soft.
Hope eveybody will enjoy it!
From: SARA (@ ) on: Wed Mar 24 22:55:15

HI, ALL THE WHILE I ALWAYS GET A HARDER CHAPATI BUT YESTERDAY MY FATHER IN LAW TOLD ME TO KNEAD THE DOUGH FOR A LONG TIME ( SAY ABOUT 1 HOURS) AND LEAVE IT FOR AT LEAST 2 HRS.

WOW , IT TURNS OUT VERY SOFT. A MALE CHEF IN MY HOUSE WHICH I DID NOT KNOW FOR 6 YEARS .
THANKS DAD.

List all pages of this thread