Chapathi and Phulkas
Many people had asked me to post ‘how to make soft chapathis and phulkas’. Finally I am here with this post. Those who are expert in chapathi/phulka making, skip this post.
My experience with chapathi/phulka was very bad. When I started cooking, I could never make soft chapathis/phulkas. They used to come out very hard. I still remember one incident that happened in my previous office. There was a bachelor guy, who was very humerous and never missed any chance of pulling my leg. He used to sit beside my desk. One weekend we were working and he said he was very hungry and asked me for my lunch box. Though I warned him about my chapathi, he insisted on eating it. When he tasted it, he said, ‘Shilpa, me isse acha roti bana leta hoon (I can make better chapathis)’. He went on commenting how bad were my chapathis. That was the biggest insult I have ever got. Then he went on telling people about my chapathis. After that I tried and tried and now I can make the perfect soft chapathis.
So here it goes….
Take 2 tbl spoon of water and add 1/2 tea spn salt, add 1 tea spn of oil to make the chapathis soft. Then add wheat flour (1 cup). Mix and gradually add water/flour to make the dough. (Some people make the dough with warm milk to make the chapathi/phulkas soft). Now apply 1-2 tea spns of oil to the dough. Keep it aside for around 30 mins to 1hr.
(Chapathis/phulkas can also be made without milk and oil. But I usually add oil, have not tried milk any time. My mom makes very soft chapathis without oil and milk. She just keeps the dough for around 1hr before making chapathis/phulkas).
Most important thing to make them soft is
- Dough should not be very hard
- Leaving the dough for 1hr before making the chapathis/phulkas
- Frying of the chapathis/phulkas make a lot of difference. So I have taken the pictures of each step.
- Do not leave chapathis for longer time on the tava, so use hot tava for frying.
- Once fried, stack the chapathis/phulkas one above the other and immediately close the lid. This keeps them hot and soft. The chapathis/phulkas which are down in the stack are more softer. So reverse the stack after some time, so that the topmost becomes the bottommost. This way all the chapathis remain soft.
Chapathi:
Usually for chapathi, the dough is made into a small puri, ghee is added in the between and folded into triangular shape and then again rolled to make chapathi. This procedure makes the chapathis more soft. Usually chapathis are more thicker than phulkas(it is not a hard and fast rule).
Take extra care while frying them. Heat the tava to very hot. Then keep the chapathi. Turn it when you can see it fried from down.
Fry on second side then turn and fry.
Then turn again ie, each side should be fried twice to make sure it is fried properly. (At the max turn it thrice, if it is turned again and again, chapathis become hard). Then apply ghee. (Unlike phulka, chapathis are fried completely on tava, but phulkas are fried on tava and then on direct flame).
Phulkas:
Roll the dough as thin as possible (no folding).
Keep the tava on hot tava and reduce the flame. When you can see just white patches, turn it (chapathi should be fried as more as possible during each turn, but for phulkas, the side should be fried only a little on tava, see the below pictures).
Turn and then fry on the second side.
This side should be fried a bit more than on the first side, it should be almost fried from this side).
Now on a high flame, keep the phulka on direct flame (first side down).
Within one minute the phulka puffs. Slowly remove the phulka from the flame.
PS: I normally use 1 cup water to 1 and 3/4 cup to 2 cups flour. This is approximation only. If you feel your dough is too soft and you can’t roll it, add little more flour.
Lovely Shilpa… Great for beginners. As you mentioned abt adding milk, i have seen in Mumbai many Maharashtrians do it , to knead into a soft dough. I have seen this in Belgaum side also. Here the chappatis remain soft and fresh upto 3 days. So it is packed for outstation train journeys. Lot of patience you have to take so many pictures.
July 30th, 2006 at 10:28 amThanks a lot shilpa 4 posting this recipe.Will surely try it & let u know.I’d read it on some site that one should knead d chapati dough by adding some warm water and leave aside d dough 4 1/2 hr by wrapping a damp cloth around it.This helps d chapati turn softer.Also i’ve read that one should either avoid using oil [while kneading] or should use it very little as d chapatis turn hard while frying it.
July 30th, 2006 at 10:49 amgood post indeed shilpa… i know it is very useful post for most of us… thanks for sharing it with us
July 30th, 2006 at 12:43 pmThis is great! So helpful…
I too made appalingly bad chapatis until recently. Now they are inconsistent and “OK”. Which is a whole lot better than terrible and hard.
The big differences for me have been letting dough rest at least one hour, and making tava very hot, as you note above. I’m impatient, so I always used to rush these steps. I’m engaging in “project chapati boot camp” this summer and am COMMITTED to improving my chapatis so they look as nice as yours do. They are getting better every time I make them - I am inspired by this post.
July 30th, 2006 at 1:43 pmOh that was so bad of your colleague!From my experience i shall share one trick,I have found that from the risen dough,pinch a lemon sized ball and then roll it into a smooth round between your palms,there should be no creases and then flatten it with your fingers and later roll it flat using a rolling pin.
July 31st, 2006 at 5:56 amMakes me want to start kneading the dough immediately……..;) Nice post with good pictures.
July 31st, 2006 at 8:29 amThanks Shilpa! This is so awesome. I will surely follow your instructions the next time I make Phulkas. Can you show us how to make perfect puris as well. Mine are never consistent. Many a times they are like papad! What is the trick to making soft and flaky puris?
July 31st, 2006 at 6:18 pmthanks shilpa, this is so good.my chappathis and parathas are fine but phulkas still stay a little hard..i have to try your way. thanks for the step by step.
August 1st, 2006 at 5:30 amThanks all.
August 1st, 2006 at 5:55 amShalini, search for ‘puffed puris’ in the search box. You will get a link ‘how to make soft and puffed puris’. Follow any one of the methods there. I am sure you will be able to get perfect puris. Still if your puris dont come out well, let me know.
Thank you Shilpa, what a useful and informative post. Great !!!
August 1st, 2006 at 6:28 amHey Shilpa,
My saturday morning project today was to try to make some chappatis, like my mum makes them - my first time !!! I was quite proud of the fact that they were round and actually turned out quite well. But grew quite crisp after an hour or so.
Thanks for your tips. I will try to keep the dough for an hour, before using it.
August 26th, 2006 at 1:56 pmTerry
really good…am sure to try it out tonite itself for dinner
August 27th, 2006 at 2:42 amto make best and softest dough i make this way.
August 29th, 2006 at 2:52 amIn a food processor;
add 1/2 cup water, add 1 Tablespoon of oil, 1/3rd TS salt and then add exactly level cup of wheat flour. Run the proceesor for 15 to20 sec. pause and another 10 sec or so and the dough ball starts rotating inside. oh what a silky soft yet firm dough it makes. u wud fall in love with it. this dough stays fresh outside longer and refrigerates well too. it should make 10 small Philka’s from a cup of flour
Terry,Glynis let me know if you get good soft chapathis next time.
August 29th, 2006 at 9:59 amAnnie, thats a good tip. I never used food processor to make any dough. Let me try it. Thanks
Thanks Shilpa,
Appreciate your patience & way of your presentation. Its very nice step by step teaching. after reading i was just thinking you took so much effort to show all of us through photogaphs i dont think anybody will take such efforts freely. Feel like making chapattis now…..I liked ur flffy phulka but it didnt get black on other side asit was on direct flame????
Regards
September 1st, 2006 at 3:03 amAnagha
About Phulka Roasting;
September 4th, 2006 at 11:51 pmPhulka usually is roasted on Tawa or a pan on one side until that side bears brownish spots, indicating well roastedness and then a white side is faced towards the flame.
But many households have electric coils instead of a gas burner so phulka can not be placed directly for puffing but a stand with a inch or more height can be placed first and then the phulka is placed with white/plain side down helps it puff like a ball.
once it roasts for 5 to 8 seconds it can be taken away on a plate. The steam generated in the puffed phulka is enough to cook it from within, especilly when thinly rolled.
If u prefer thicker versions u wud want to roast it longer for through cooking. Many of north indians prefer such fresh, little crispier phulkas. they usually do apply a little(!!!) ghee to keep them softer longer.
I prefer little OIL on my fingertips to smear the phulks. OIL ensures the softness even after storage in refrigerator while ghee can make rotis brittle or flake away of reheated. Such rotis are the best mates of any curry.
Good one!
September 15th, 2006 at 5:44 pmWell
seems to be all women here men evry busy at work!!! or is it that this is a womens only forum:) anyways many thanks to the phulka and chappathi recipies. Tried them out and they came out pretty well.
Chk out this site for some good dals :http://www.syvum.com/recipes/indian/srcpl1.html
Enjoy
September 24th, 2006 at 6:00 amMy mom makes it this way:
For 1 cup of flour, take 1.5 cups of water in a thick bottomed vessel, add salt bring it to boil, add the flour and keep stirring.. .continue till water is completely absorbed (max will take 2 mins).. Then take the dough on anoter vessel and knead.. keep aside for 10 - 15 mins. Then make chappatis
October 28th, 2006 at 12:18 amAmazing shilpa…….Those step-by-step procedure with pictures were really helpful….I made awesome chapathis but with heating coil i dont know how to make phulkas.It didnt puff…Is flame compulsory for phulka making??
November 7th, 2006 at 3:28 pmPriya, I think the coil should not matter in puffing. Did you keep the dough for sometime before making phulkas? also, follow the steps in frying exactly as shown in picture. It might take sometime before you master making phulkas. Even I took a long time to make them puff.
November 7th, 2006 at 5:25 pmSHilpa,
Thanks,
November 12th, 2006 at 5:59 pmI made the chapathis for yesterdays party and it came out so soft n even fluffy,….Everyone appreciated about the chapathis.
As you replied , i should master the techique of making fluffy phulkas rather than making burnt rings on my chapathis
Priya
Ohh thats good.
November 12th, 2006 at 6:17 pmSorry to know about your phulkas. Keep the heat on medium or low and try next time. Beleive me, even though you would burn them a couple of times, you can master only by trial and error. Even my phulkas had that black ring initially. Now I can say they come out really well :). All the best
Well, this is a nice thread. I was just searching for chapathi recipes, as my first attempt came out just OK. I will definitely try your method, Shilpa. Thanks.
November 22nd, 2006 at 8:51 amHey thanks for this post…while I can make decent phulkas my chapatis are still not great…But practice will make me good….I never kept a count of how many times I fry them..now I will thanks to you
December 9th, 2006 at 8:53 amWell, my wife (Sadhana) taught me to add Tofu (silken) to the chappati dough. The chappatis retains its softness for a longer time and also increases its protien contents. Alternatively, thick curds can be used, which is normally i used for Puris.
December 15th, 2006 at 12:59 amHas anyone tried making dough in a food processor? It is predictably soft and not too sticky dough. It allows u to make soft rotis right away without a wait. as soaking of wheat flour is done best by the processor blades. ofcourse if u let the dough sit idle for half an hr is great. but many atimes we run out of MOOD to make chapatis by then. does anyone agree?
Each time I make a sevearal batches of dough at onece. but I keep this ratio constant. after several tries of standerdizations i finally settled with this;
In a food processor Add half cup water, 1/3d Ts salt, and 1 Tb of oil. This ensures no mess later. no sticking of flour to the proceesing bowl.Then on that I add 1cup of wheat flour. just run the machine few seconds. pause and run again. the tenis ball size dough ball starts spinnning in and u know it is well done.
since no mess, no sticky hands, no contamination this dough lasts well in ref so well. pl do try. rolling phulka or chapati with such dough is a pleasant experience. it allows to roll thin rotis. do give a try.
If u feel removing a food processor just for the sake of dough a big hassel, consider this; first i make a dough, then i throw in 3-4 onions in the processor and chop them rough or fine as i need for vege preps, Remove onions throw in some chillies and chop, remove chillies and then chop chop some fresh corinder leaves, followed by some corrots big chunks for coarse chopping( which i make in to carrot raita ) and tomatoes at the end. I dont have to wash the processr at all. Remember after the dough ball is formed there is nothing stuck in side. so i dont need to wash before i put my onions. the tomatoes at the end has bits and pieces of cilantro but that is ok. this makes my cooking so easy and quick. at times i chop extra onions to keep them handy in refrigerator. Thanks. hope u find this tips useful.
January 9th, 2007 at 12:14 pmShilpa et al u have done great job by running this site.
Hi Shilpa, thanks for all the detailed information.
Worth every picture you took.
Keep up your excellent work.
Best regards,
January 13th, 2007 at 7:14 pmRoshan Pai
Hello Shilpa,
Last week I googled for some recipe and came across your site. It was like finding a treasure. There are so many things I liked about your site that I do not know from where to begin. The best thing I liked is the name” aayi’s recipes”. Your recipes are tasty and traditional yet very easy to make. You have taken great efforts to take snaps at each stage of recipes that I do not remember seeing anywhere else. I enjoyed reading introductions before each recipe. I also liked the layout of the site. All in all it’s a wonderful site. I will write again to ask for few recipes.
Keep up good work,
Smita
January 23rd, 2007 at 5:48 amhi i tried making chapatis in processor and its coming super soft. thanks annie
March 12th, 2007 at 4:08 amHi Shilpa…
I was just laughing at your post. I was in a similar situation with the chapathis I make. My collegue at work always said he makes better chapathis than mine…. My mom makes soooooooo soft chapathis but mine are not worth talking about even… So hopefully going your way should improve my ability to make chapathis. Today I am going to try for the third time… Wish me luck
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:32 pmJovitha, all the best. For correct measurements, add 1 and 3/4 cup of flour to every 1 cup water. I am sure they will come out fine. Let me know your experience.
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:57 pmDear shilpa,
I agree with every one.. you really have a good patience in explaining in detail with photos of the steps which is really very useful… Thank you so much.
Its a very good tip too.
You can also start of mixing the dough by first adding a teaspoon of oil, then a 2 pinch of sugar, flour and then water with salt….this also works out for a softer chapati…
thanks againg…
cheers
March 29th, 2007 at 3:14 amShannu
Hi Shilpa,
For the first time I got to know about this website.I saw your detailed explanation about making chapatis and pulkhas soft.Really great job.
This helped me in improving mt chapatis.Thank you very much
Cheers
April 4th, 2007 at 8:57 amsireesha
Hi Shilpa,
April 6th, 2007 at 8:18 amSuggestion..Please use a different word for ‘frying’. We do not fry the chapati rather we ‘roast’ it? The ‘frying’ word is inappropriate and confusing.
Hi Annie,
The food processor u mentoin is a other word for mixie right?
April 11th, 2007 at 12:04 am(Indians call it mixie in slang).
very good
April 12th, 2007 at 1:53 am[...] my very first batch of Chapathi today, after watching an episode of Anthory Bourdain’s show. (aka, one of those guys [...]
April 15th, 2007 at 12:29 pmHow can I preserve rotis for 15-20 days?
April 18th, 2007 at 2:18 pmWhat should I do To keep them fresh?
Prajakta, somehow I hate anything that is more than 2 days old. So I never tried to save chapathis more than a day. I will try to find out.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:15 pmShilpa,
April 20th, 2007 at 8:23 amExcellant 4 a bigginer like me.
I AM GOING TO TRY IT IMMEDIATELY
THANKS.. Moni
Hi Shilpa,
April 30th, 2007 at 3:29 amIs food processor the same as a mixie.If not kindly let me know the correct brand name and its cost.
Ramani, I never used food processor to make chapathi dough. So don’t know much about it. Sorry.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:55 amHi Shilpa,
May 10th, 2007 at 4:35 amIn Trinidad the chapati is filled with a powder made from cooked and dried peas. A lady from Suriname who worked in a Dutch hospital explained to me how this was done. Take a ball of dough, make a hole in it with the thumb, put a small spoon of peapowder inside, close the ball by folding and then flaten the ball as normally done. The result is fantastic! The chapati is then folded around a currymix(potato or chicken)
Kranendonk, we call it stuffed parathas. One example is potato(alu) paratha.
May 10th, 2007 at 7:53 amThank you for your info potato paratha. This is not what I meant. However after further browsing I found Caribian Child and than TnT Cookbook in which Dahlpouri Roti. The cookbook is very interesting and shows that the Trinidadian Indians probably came from a distinct part of India and as so often is the case took their kitchen and medical recipes with them. In the late sixties the WHO send students to gather these because in India these hed sometimes gradually been changed by certain influences. Thanks again and good cooking!
May 11th, 2007 at 10:38 amKrenendonk, sorry for guessing it wrong. I think you will get Caribbean food in Cynthia’s blog. She introduced her culture and recipes to us, before that I never had a clue about it.
May 11th, 2007 at 11:15 amWith such variety and such a large country no wonder to pick another recipe. When we talk about Indian food we could also say European food and everybody knows thar Swedish or Italian food is totally different. The same thing goes for Chinese food! Any way google to “carribbian child” and than select TnT cookbook. Also well designed and clear.
May 12th, 2007 at 1:31 amWhat a wonderful world that we can converse with ease with all members of the human race! I am 83 and started with the IBM 360. (RAM 400 bits!)) an access with punched cards and printing witk character chain! I do this on an Apple. What do you ues? Best regards, Kees Kranendonk
Hi,
May 14th, 2007 at 5:44 pmI make terrible chapatis. In fact, if I dint explain to my family the thing they are eating is chapati, they would think they are having papad for dinner!!
I have a question - does even rolling of the dough have anything to do with the softness and/or fluffiness?
Thought kranendonk might be interested in this bit of info - my MIL makes this amazing roti called “Sattu Roti”. It is a stuffed roti and the stuffing is basically chick pea flour along with spices, garlic and onion. I think it is a Bihari specialty.
Rema, please follow the method I have mentioned above. For every cup of water add 1 and 3/4th cup flour and little salt, oil. Mix very well. The more you kneed while mixing, the better (I tell my hubby to knead it, he keeps on kneading till it gets a perfect shape and the chapathis turn soft). You have to keep the dough closed for around 30mins(minimum) before rolling.Do not mix too much dough while rolling. If you fold them, apply ghee in between, so they remain soft. Do not turn them again and again while frying. These are the factors I take care while making chapathis. I use Pillsbury’s or Sujata wheat flour.
May 14th, 2007 at 7:21 pmHi Shilpa,
May 16th, 2007 at 8:49 amfirstly, i love the detailed steps in your page!
i tried the steps above, but i think there’s something wrong with my tava? i had to flour the chapati so it wouldnt stick to the board when i was rolling it. so the excess flour on the chapati gets burnt on the tava. what should i do?
Brenda, do not apply too much flour while rolling it. If you have made the dough very soft, then only this problem comes. I use 1 cup water to 1 and 3/4th cup flour. After you make every chapathi, wipe the tava with a paper towel, if you feel there is burnt flour on tava. Yes, tava does make difference. I bought one in Walmart few months ago, and it starts a big smoke when I try to use it.
May 16th, 2007 at 9:17 amok, thanks shilpa! i’ll give it another try. i think my dough was too soft.
May 17th, 2007 at 10:44 amThank you very much for nice chapatis I had the same problem for making them soft now with you step by step I can make family ejoyful. Thanks once again.
May 19th, 2007 at 5:21 amwow, just what I am looking for, great tip & photograph. Will try keeping the dough for 1 hour and make the tava HOT. Thanks !!!
May 21st, 2007 at 6:00 pmI have couple of suggestions on Chapati/Phulkas (C/P).
May 21st, 2007 at 11:26 pmBeing Mumbaikar(Bombayite), I grew up with C/P as during those days my parents used to get wheat/rice on ration cards only (during/after WW II and independanc)); that is why ration card was like modern Driver’s License in US for identification purpose in Mumbai even to get bottled milk from Aarey Colony and to get Kerosene in those shortage days.
As I had noticed, Gujerati and Maharashtrian house wives are experts in cranking out 100’s of Phulkas in minutes and eating those Phulkas as comes off from Sagadi(Indian Charcoal burner, and not gas stove like in US), serving immediately.Eating with Daal or any Subjee(Veggie curries)is more enjoyable than one (or restaurant)who prepares a stack of Phulkas and then serve everybody later. Similarly, most Konkani(or South Indian) Mom, or sister or wife has been credited for making Dosa one at a time (rather than a stack) and serving to their guests or family members or Hubby and derive pleasure or satisfaction that they get flattered(in true sense!)and get pat on the back for well-done job.
So, the point is Phulkas you can enjoy more when one person makes one at time and other person starts eating it. There are still few old fashioned specially Gujearati restaurants in Bhuleshwar and Girgaum area of Mumbai, where I used to eat unlimited lunch for 3 or 4 Anas(One ruppee is 16 Anas)with garam garam (hot from oven)phulkas with daal and one subjee. Even now , every time I visit Mumbai, I visit one or two such restaurants(now lunch is over Rs.80, and it is still a bargain though!!) and try to escape from Konkani food prepared by Aunties or Vanhis(Bhabhi) or sister.
I have learnt by experience here in US that,you can buy semi-readymade thin chapati pack from Indian store or Mexican whole wheat (one brand is Guerraro) and enjoy youself 80-90% like Phulkas two ways. One is of course directly on the fire with your expert palm finger (or pair of ice tongs)in quickly rotating fashion; and second method is on the cast iron tava(flat pan) and tapping gently on the roti 3-4 places by SS spatula(Kailato)while it is being grilled without ghee, and boy, it rises like full blown puri.Initially you might have to play around a little bit until you get proper skill and hang of it.
hi shilpa, Could you tell me how to make longlasting chaptis. I am a student and when I come back from university, sometimes I dont have the mood to make chapatis.yet I love chapatis, and cant live without it for long.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:10 pmHere, in Malaysia we get instant chapatis and paratas from shops, which we just have to cook over tavaa.
But it could not beat the homemade ones.
Is there special way to make the dough, roll it and keep in the freezer , to be fried/cooked whenever I want.
Great explannation indeed..Really helpful for beginners!!
June 5th, 2007 at 7:02 amHello, very helpful tips on chapati thanks. I am in New Zealand making idlis and chapati and was wondering if rice-based and wheat-based breads are completely seperate in Indian tradition. Are there any breads (or roti?) which include both rice and wheat flours? Thanks,
Daniel Munn
June 12th, 2007 at 4:40 amdmun023@wrexham.net
Auckland, NZ
Hi Shilpa..
June 14th, 2007 at 3:14 amJust looked in to ur site the other day and tried u r phulka’s.For the first time it came out so well..My hubby just loved it..Thanks a lot
Shilpa,
June 14th, 2007 at 8:51 pmi m very glad u posted chapati-phulka wt great efforts - snaps+elaborate expln+tips! amazing girl u r!!! i hv tried making these and not only r they soft after making,stay soft next day too..(since i had made too many)
i m still having phobia of phulkas (having burnt them earlier), but ur chapathi, puri recipes hv been a huge hit wt me & family so i shall surely try ur way of making phulkas too!
hi shilpa,
great.wonderful.previously i used to get hard chapathis.i was almost fed up with them.i thought i will never get soft chapathis.But you procedure has made it possible.Your step by step procedure with pictures is very nice.thanks a lot.i made the chapathis in your method and they turned out very soft.thanks alot.very helpful website.
June 20th, 2007 at 6:33 amThis was great… I made chappatis twice and they came out soft and delicious. I used the mixie version… thanks, very helpful.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:33 amHi,
Even though I’ve made chappatis off and on for past 6 years I’ve neer perfected it. I plan on trying the exact proportions mentioned in your site. I really, really hope this works.
Thanks,
July 17th, 2007 at 2:48 pmSV
hi shilpa,
I am very new to ur site.i enjoy going thru it almost daily now.hope i too start making soft phulkas with ur tips given…very helpful indeed.
July 20th, 2007 at 5:44 amHi Shilpa,
July 22nd, 2007 at 9:42 amjust like almost every1 out here trying out their hands at chapati makin. me too had a fair share of hard knockin chapati experience. looking at your recipe & comments,i’m gonna try out my hands again after a very long time. after trying your recipe, i’ll leave comments. thanks a million…
Hi Shilpa,
tried the recipe as mentioned and it turned out perfect and soft. recieved praises from my sis…hmmm…yummy…turned out excellent. thanks a million…
however, would like to add a comment. i used warm water to knead the dough but the dough was very sticky and even after 1 hour, there was still stickiness in the dough. so i managed to dust extra flour to knead and roll and it just came out fine…hope i’m doin it the right way….
thanks a lot shilpa….:)
Shilpa: Veera, did you try 1 cup water to 1 and 3/4 cup flour? Try with that next time…If you mix too much dry flour while rolling, sometimes chapathis get hard.
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:43 amHey Shilpa
My phulkas always get burnt when I put it directly on electric coil. So I dropped making phulkas. After reading ur article I think I was doing it all wrong. May be I should have used a stand. Does it works?
July 25th, 2007 at 2:36 pmShilpa: I am sorry Anju, I have not used stand any time. I directly fry it on coil on a medium or low flame. One needs to be really careful while doing this.
Hi Shilpa,
July 27th, 2007 at 3:21 ami did used exactly 1 cup of warm water to 1 and 3/4 cup flour. added a pinch of salt and tsp of ghee. did twice but the dough is still sticky….any advice ? thanks.
Shilpa: I have no idea what went wrong Veera. I again tried the same proportions today and it works out just fine. I don’t add ghee, I add 1 -2 tea sps of oil after mixing. It kind of coats the dough.
Hey Shilpa
Few more doubt Shilpa, which flour did u use for making phulkas? The flour should be finner or thicker when u feel it?
Shilpa: If you need the texture of chapathi to be very soft, use the finer one. I use Pillsbury chakky atta which is very fine. It never fails to give good results. I have heard whole wheat atta is best for health, but the texture of chapathi/phulkas does not come out as good as the one with fine atta.
August 1st, 2007 at 4:09 pmHi Shilpa,
I can’t believe this. My rotis turn out very yummy and I have proof to offer. My baby (2 years old next month, who always resisted rotis) eats a couple every night. She eats it with marmalade though. She even likes it with methi and masala.
Thanks so much to you and this wonderful website.
Lots n’ LOTS of love,
SV.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:21 amThank you so much Shilpa. I used to use Golden Temple(durum) flour, let me change to Pillsbury n give a try. Will let you know how it turned out. Hope I will not burn phulkas this time.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:28 amHi,
I use an electric coil burner not a flame burner and since mine is an apartment, I don’t have a choice. My mom and I both use stands for phulkas. It gets very hot in the kitchen when I do this but it’s only for a short while. So I do it on med-high setting of electric coil and with a stand which I found someplace. I tried the same on cookie cooling racks by raising it a bit, but my efforts flopped big time back then.
SV.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:11 pmHi,
Thanks for posting this … I am a terrible and now I am able to make better chappathi.
I have to pack them for lunch … can u please post some side dishes - dhal etc.
Shilpa: Priya, There is a separate section for “side dishes” under “main menu”. Click that and you will find many dishes that can go well with chapathis.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:21 amHi Shilpa,
great effort and also a very good website!!!
My mom wil do chapathi’s exactly lik this… and it’ll be very soft also. But was not knowing how to prepare pulka.. Thanks a lot for showing with the pictures. But got one doubt, while preparing phulka, is water and wheat floor portion is same as chapathi?
Please clarify..
August 7th, 2007 at 5:26 amShilpa: Yes Sushma, I usually make the dough same for both. Knead the phulka dough for little more time(in case you don’t get them perfect the first time)
great shilpa..
verymuch useful for beginners
lalitha
August 8th, 2007 at 2:21 pmTHANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE. DEFINITELY I WILL TRY TOMM. TO MAKE CHAPATI IN THIS WAY, AND LET YOU PEOPLE KNOW. ACTUALLY I KNOW HOW TO MAKE CHAPATI, BUT MY CHAPATI NEVER SOFT LIKE WHAT I HAVE HAD.
August 14th, 2007 at 5:46 amVery interesting. My Mother made Tortillas, Mexican flatbreads, by hand. She would make at least 6-8 dozen and freeze them since they freeze well. Corn is used in Authentic recipes & Wheat Flour in Northern Mexico and America. I love both.
I will try my hand to make Chapathi/Phulka. Your instructions & pictures are lovely. Thank you for a good website & even better recipes. Gracias.
September 8th, 2007 at 3:56 amwow!!!! i have no words to say….step by step procedures is very helpful for beginners like me…my chapatties are always hard…after seeing this…i’m very happy that i got a method for soft n tasty ones…surely i’ll try ths…thankz for sharing..
September 14th, 2007 at 4:48 pmHi shilpa - made lovely channa masala with horrible chappatis that were so hard despite all the ghee on itlast night - felt miserable. I will try your recipe tomorrow and let u kno how it was. One query though - how do u retain the softness of dough that is refrigerated? I do make dough and keep it in the fridge for use later- but always see that it becomes like pappad! Awaiting your response.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:38 pmShilpa: Priya, you need to keep the dough in a air tight container. While using, keep it out for sometime till it comes to room temperature. Coat the dough with some oil before keeping in refrigerator. If I remember anything else, I will update here.
thanks shilpa - will try that .another query Ihad in this regard is do we necessarily have to add ghee and fold it for the chappatis to be soft?
Shilpa: No Priya, ghee is not a must. Once you know exactly how to make soft chapathis(after making chapathis few times and satisfied with result), you can leave out the ghee. But it is a easy way of making them soft and it also gives nice taste.
September 18th, 2007 at 6:30 amHi,
September 25th, 2007 at 12:40 amI followed your steps to make Chapthi and I was able to make wonderful nice and soft Chapathi first time in my life.Nice job explaining this.
Shilpa,
I tried the Pulkha the same way u have mentioned to my surprise it turned out very well when i saw the Pulkha puff up i literally jumped in joy…..
September 27th, 2007 at 3:18 amhi shilpa - i tried it this way - and it has come out well many times. I did the same and packed it for my parents with a potato stuffing as a roll for their journety to the US. when they landed at london airport and openend it to eat - apprently it was all soggy and tasted uncooked. any reason y? do u have to make differently if it has to be packed for journeys?
Shilpa: Priya, if you stuff anything in the chapathis and roll it, the chapathis absorb moisture from the stuffing and become soggy. If you have to pack it for journeys, you have to pack chapathis only after they are cooled to room temperature(otherwise the steam from them makes chapathis soggy) and the stuffing should be packed separately.
October 1st, 2007 at 3:03 amHey Shilpa !
October 8th, 2007 at 1:38 pmNice pictorial representation on how to prepare soft chapatis. Very useful for Bachelors like me !Gonna try it out tomorrow.
God Bless You!!!
Hi Shilpa,
October 8th, 2007 at 11:04 pmYesterday i tried Phulka with the help of your detailed steps. It came out very well. I loved having it.
Thanks a lot
hi Shilpa,
Can I know which brand flour in the US u use for making chapatis and where is it available
October 19th, 2007 at 8:02 amShilpa: Neha, I buy Pillsbury chakki fresh atta from Indian stores. The other good brnad is Sujata. Are you in US? where?
Its really helpful.
October 21st, 2007 at 1:36 pmI made chapathis today by following this, it came out very well.
Great effort!!!
Thanks a lot shilpa, it really helped ……………!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 30th, 2007 at 10:48 amThank you so very much for this step by step guide! I am off to make lunch now. Wish me luck with the Pulkas!
October 30th, 2007 at 11:42 pmHey, Thanks for the detailed procedure.
November 13th, 2007 at 4:26 amI make really bad rotis.They were not very soft and thr rotis were ugly too.
I tried phulkas as per ur procedure.I was surprised tosee it blow up like a baloon.and the phulkas were really soft.Though the phulkas were not exceptionally beautiful.May b that will come with practice.Thanks again.
HI Shilpa,
I followed your tips on chapati it came out soft. As i have electric stove my phulka may be did not come well.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:16 amFor the first time I got to know about this website. I like the way you explain the steps to be followed. Please give me recipe for Fruit salad with icecream and how to make tomato puree at home.
November 21st, 2007 at 5:31 amHi Shipla,
November 23rd, 2007 at 1:45 amNice presentation!!!!!!!
Appreciate your patience & way of teaching.You have taken lots of efforts to show all steps through photogaphs.
good!!!
November 23rd, 2007 at 11:07 pmHi Shilpa,
I must say, I am terrible at cooking (Just got married you know) so I came in search of making chapati’s softer, which always eludes from me even after putting oil,milk & stuff like that. I will try stepwise as suggested by you this time.
I just wonder how come you know so many recipes!!! I dare not think I could ever know those many :o(
Btw, oil paintings are superb, superb would be an understatement though!!! Where do you get time, I always find it so hard to get time for anything. :o( sob… sob…
November 27th, 2007 at 4:51 amHi
I reached to this site while searching asafoetida through google link. But the recipies are really amazing and easy to follow. I will certainly try these things to improve my cooking.
Thanks a lot for providing these valuable information. I didn’t know cooking can also be broken down to technical steps. Now I think guys like me, can also cook well.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:13 amHi Shilpa,
December 10th, 2007 at 2:50 amAmazing!!!!!!U hav alot of patience to take so many pictures and giv such a detailed explanation.
I hav a tip here:
Try adding a little whey(Water remained after removing butter from curd) while kneading the dough. U will get soft and nutritious chapathis.
your dishes have the aroma of home which is what makes them soo different from outdoor foods . keep up the good work .
December 10th, 2007 at 10:46 pmthat is so good and clear.
December 12th, 2007 at 3:14 pmHi..
Try this m sure it will be very helpful for those who are new and want to speed up things but retain the perfection.
Make a soft dough.use a little ghee to grease it so that it dosent stick (optional). WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN MAKING A SOFT CHAPATI IS ROASTING. Kindly follow following steps:
1)Heat your tawa/girrdle well before starting to roast chapatis on high flame.
2)Reduce the flame to sim and place your chappatis. Turn it over in 15 seconds or less before it bears any brownish spots. Turn over
3)repeat it with this side.
4) Now remove from girrdle and roast on the flame. As it startes to bubble press it little with chippiya so as to bubble the whole chappati.
5)Remove from flame and apply ghee nicely especially on the sides (they are very important to keep it soft for long hours)
6)Ghee is absorbed by the fhulkas when kept them for long time (2-3hrs) before eating. so if u have to pack in tiffin or eat late apply ghee/melted butter generously.
7) If in case u want to reheat them put the Fhulkas directly on the flame for abt 2 seconds each side and remove serve immideately.
Wish u a very Happy and Soft cooking..It comes best for me.. Wish the same for you…
December 25th, 2007 at 12:50 amHey Shilpa,
Thanks a ton People like me needed a step by step procedure in making chapaty.Myine used to come like stones.Thanks again.
December 27th, 2007 at 11:41 pmVery useful. Thanks a lot.
December 31st, 2007 at 4:32 amLovely shilpa…
Its nice U put your every effort lively for beginners as well as for those who wants to improve themselves.
Inspite of being a Male I will try this to make my every phulka soft enough.
Thaks a lot…
January 5th, 2008 at 4:02 ambalbhadra patel
Just fantastic! I find it very useful,thanks.
January 11th, 2008 at 5:02 amHi Shilpa,
January 16th, 2008 at 12:11 pmJust 2day i gotta know abt ur site. chappathais n phulkas look gr8.Its a very common bread that evrybdy knows, but fails to achieve perfection. i appreciate ur step by step instructions wth beautiful pictures. Lemme give it a go n get back 2 u wth feedbacks
hi shilpa
Just 2day i gotta know abt ur site. chappathais n phulkas come great. I am a student in US and when I come back from university, sometimes I dont have the mood to make chapatis.yet I love chapatis, and cant live without it for long. Could you tell me how to make longlasting chaptis.
Is there special way to make the dough, roll it and keep in the freezer , to be fried/cooked whenever I want.
Shilpa: Ridhi, I make parathas frequently and freeze them. After roasting the parathas(do not apply any ghee/oil), cool them completely, separate two parathas with a layer of wax paper and then store the entire pack in zip loc. Make in small batches so that you need not thaw them and freeze remaining again and again. Try the same with chapathis. I am sure it works well.
January 17th, 2008 at 2:57 pmThank you Shilpa. I am inspired by all the posts here. I am going to try soon.
We go to tiffin centre just to have chapathi / puri bcaz I couldn’t make any softer.
January 17th, 2008 at 3:36 pmHi Shilpa,
January 26th, 2008 at 10:59 amMy mother used to knead chapati flour in the vessel in which we used to heat milk and use buttermilk water [ takaa uddak] to knead the flour and chapatis and fulkas really turn out soft.
Thank you shilpa and i am going to try it immediately
January 29th, 2008 at 4:07 pmGood One
January 29th, 2008 at 9:21 pmHi,
I had seen ur recipe its superb…
but I have some other problem..
I m in US..I love Chole Puri..but dnt knw y I cant make soft puris anyhow..even if puri puffs fully thaey are not soft at all and next day they r more crispy…
I used to make dough with 1 cup aata 3/4 th cup water 1/2 tsp oil,little salt…then I used to roll very thin puris they puffs properly but they r not soft at all..
so plz help to solve my problem…
thanks…
Shilpa: Please refer Puris post.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:58 amhey,
February 5th, 2008 at 7:30 pmthis is an amasing site…keep up the good work…the recipes are fantastic… and they turn out very delicious…thankyou so much.
Hi shilpa, those are good tips you have for making soft chapathi, i too have been on this mission for quiet sometime now:)
February 7th, 2008 at 7:38 amDear Shipa,
February 12th, 2008 at 7:31 pmI was struggling to make Chapathi’s since some time now and I must tell you that you are just wonderful..Your Tips were just awesome and just added you to my favorites..
Thanks a million.
Subhaa
Thanks a lot, It helped me a lot to make soft chapathis.. I appreciate your work , Thank you once again
February 13th, 2008 at 12:33 pmHi
Your chapathi method is certainly very useful. Thanks for providing us with great tips.
But, your emphasis on ghee is something many people may not approve of. No offense meant, but ghee in a chapathi is a recipe for heart troubles.
Congrats on a great article. I am going to use oil in my chapathi and try your method.
Shilpa: Yes ilango. Oil works out great too.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:47 pmthank you i was looking for the recepie for lllllllllong time and i finally found it thank’s
February 16th, 2008 at 6:50 pmHey Shilpa… thanks a lot for the tips ..I will try that folding funds of urs tomorrow and see how it turns ..Apreciate ur patience for explaining each and every step with pic ..
February 17th, 2008 at 5:02 pmHi Shipla, I read your recipe on how to make soft phulkas. But I have a question- can I refrigerate the dough made with oil/milk and make rotis next morning for our tiffins?
Currently that is my practise but the phulkas are still fat and hard, so i have to hold it in my palm and crush it to make it a bit crispy. It’s a make do thing and i so want to feed my husband soft thin phulkas
Any more tips pls write to me!
Thanks-
Bhavna
Shilpa: Bhavna, after making the dough, store it in an air tight container or ziploc bag to avoid the dough getting hard. While using, let it come to room temperature, kneed well and use it.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:07 pmwonderful illustration. chapathis are my favourite and my aunt use to make sof n tasty chapatis. every time she visits our home i insist her to make chapati and brinjal curry for me. she cooks brinjals very tasty. infact i tried many times here in riyadh and my friends played frisbees with my hard chapathees. thanks a lot for the post
February 19th, 2008 at 3:25 amI always think that making roti is a very difficult work And also a donkey work.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:26 amI always tried new dishes but when time comes for roti I depress a lot.
One day my husband shouted at me,” bakiki dishes nahi khani hai pahale roti banana sikh le”
At that time I really feel insulting
But now I can make very nice and soft roties.
hi there,
February 25th, 2008 at 6:24 amthank you very much for taking time to give us all a detailed (with phots!) way of making chapathis and phulkas.your mentality to help is great.thank u again.
Hi Shilpa,
Great explanation & pics. I am a novice at this and I must say the phulkas puffed each time whereas they have never done that for me before. I tired this recipe exactly as u stated with 1+3/4 cup flour and 1 cup water and the water seemed like it was too much. I added nearly another cup of flour. Also the dough became so soft that it was difficult to roll out and also tore at times. I had to add more flour and knead it again. What went wrong ? How do u guys find rolling it out?
-Mamta
February 27th, 2008 at 11:20 pmgood info to make soft chappatis for beginners
February 28th, 2008 at 2:04 amShilpa,
Thanks for the detailed description, Im inspired to try it out, incidently my mom makes phulkas exactly the way it is shown here, like they say its easier to recall then remember.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:57 amOnly one gripe, the word ‘frying’ implies that you’re shallow frying with pouring oil on the tava as the chapati cooks, should have used the word ‘roasting’ as that is what we all really do, not fry. roast chapatis !
hey shilpa,
I love ur blog..i keep visiting very often..great work..but i have one question..i tried doing chapati and phulkas in the same way , they turned very brittle..(both the types)..can u pls let me know what is going wrong?
March 5th, 2008 at 7:32 pmthat is such a nice exlanation, illustration for a simple dish. Let me share my learning experience…the art of making good phulkas, chapathees lies in rolling them well without lumps/folds & making them just right -not too thin or thick. Thin rolls make dry hard phulkas while. Also use Maida whle rolling out the dough as maida is finer & would not peirce the dough while rolling.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:25 amHi Shilpaji…
March 14th, 2008 at 4:03 pmThx for ur detailed description on chapathi and pulkas..along with the pictures…Prior to this i used to get them hard…I tried the simple tips given by u to make chapathis and they turned out to be very soft…thats really so nice of u…i liked the way u presented them ..which made my task very simple…This time i am gonna try pulkas and i am sure that i can make them perfectly with ur directions…Looking forward to see many more recipes in ur site…Once again thank u very much…
hi Shilpa,
March 23rd, 2008 at 5:09 amwhat is that traditional kadai….what type of metal….is it available in B’lore or T.nadu?? my Mom even now uses a tawa/kadai..black….not iron…breakable…dosa..chappathi…comes out perfectly….all roasts r good in that kadai…her friend got from somewhere….Mom never uses nonstick utensils…..do u refer that as traditonal ones….pl tell me…
thanks a lot for the tip that the dough needs to be soft to make soft chapaties, i tried it and it worked!!!! previous i would get frizbees but now my chapaties r sooo soft
March 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pmhi Shilpa,
browsed reg my query abt traditional kadai….but there was no reply from u…..
sleela
March 26th, 2008 at 8:42 amHi!!!
I regularly make phulkas which turn out to be very soft, but by luch time they become very dry & what we call in marathi “VAATAD”!!!!!!!!! (although i wrap the fulkas in foil paper)
Pls help me out…..
Thanks,
March 27th, 2008 at 1:03 amPradnya
Hey Shilpa,
I really want to try my hand at cooking, and what better place to start than with soft phulkas!! Thank you for an excellent website and your wonderful way of building up a story about each dish… I’m going to be ur regular visitor!!
April 10th, 2008 at 8:34 amI landed here when I was looking for Crab curry (I don’t do any cooking myself - I was looking for the recipe for my mom) and trust me, ur website stirred and woke up the konkana within me!!
- Shyamala
Hello maam
April 16th, 2008 at 2:40 amI really dont know how to prepare a chapati…. Have seen your way of preparing the chapati….. I am going to give it a try….. I shall feedback to you as soon as i make chapati… Thank you for helping me out….
This is something like someone teaching face to face. its wonderful. Though i prepare good chapati but still it is a good learning for me too. Thank you very much.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:05 amHi Shilpa,
Very very nice work and the basic receipe needed for all Indians.:)
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:12 amGood job and well picturised. Hats off
I must tell you this, i could never make soft chapattis and i just love eating chapatis. i surfed the net and I got your tips on making soft chapatis, Thanks a million. i am now looking up your puran poli receipe
April 25th, 2008 at 1:16 amHi!
I use chilled milk to make dough and leave the dough overnite to make very soft Phulkas at morning .
May 16th, 2008 at 4:41 am