Editing Chapati (section)

==Cooking==
{{nutritionalvalue
| name=Bread (chapati/roti), plain, commercially prepared
| kJ=1247
| protein=11.25 g
| fat=7.45 g
| carbs=46.36 g
| fiber=4.9 g
| sugars=2.72
| calcium_mg=93
| iron_mg=3
| magnesium_mg=62
| phosphorus_mg=184
| potassium_mg=266
| sodium_mg=409
| zinc_mg=1.57
| manganese_mg=0
| thiamin_mg=0.55
| riboflavin_mg=0.2
| niacin_mg=6.78
| pantothenic_mg=0
| vitB6_mg=0.270
| folate_ug=0
| vitE_mg=0.88
| vitK_ug=0
| source_usda=1
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171844/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
Chapatis are made using a soft dough comprising wheat flour and water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.indiacurry.com/bread/br001aboutwheat.htm |title=India Curry.com ''About Wheat'' |access-date=20 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034307/http://www.indiacurry.com/bread/br001aboutwheat.htm |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It is more finely ground than most Western-style whole wheat flours.

Chapati dough is typically prepared with flour and water, kneaded with a fist, and left to rest for at least 10 or 15 minutes to an hour for the gluten in the dough to relax. After proofing, the dough becomes softer and more pliable. Small portions of the dough are pinched off and formed into round balls that are pressed between the two palms to form discs which are then dipped into flour and rolled out on a circular rolling board (a ''[[chakla]]''), using a [[rolling pin]] known as a ''velan'' or ''belan'', into a flat disc.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Caballero |editor1-first=Benjamin |editor2-last=Finglas |editor2-first=Paul M. |editor3-last=Toldra |editor3-first=Fidel |year=2015 |title=Encyclopedia of Food and Health |volume=1 |publisher=Elsevier |page=731 |isbn=978-0-12-803511-5}}</ref> There are also automatic roti makers which automate the whole process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Roti-makers for quick and efficient preparation of rotis & pooris - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/most-searched-products/kitchen-and-dining/small-appliances/roti-makers-for-quick-and-efficient-preparation-of-rotis-and-pooris/articleshow/77606920.cms|access-date=23 August 2020|website=The Times of India|archive-date=19 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819121353/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/most-searched-products/kitchen-and-dining/small-appliances/roti-makers-for-quick-and-efficient-preparation-of-rotis-and-pooris/articleshow/77606920.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

The rolled-out dough is then thrown on the preheated dry ''[[tava]]'' and cooked on both sides. In some regions of the Indian subcontinent chapatis are only partially cooked on the skillet, and then cooked directly over a flame, which makes them puff up. The hot steam cooks the chapati rapidly from the inside. In some parts of northern India and eastern Pakistan, this is called a ''phulka''. In southern parts of India, it is called a ''pulka''. It is also possible to puff up the roti directly on the tava.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/acU_m5P68CM Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151127170241/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acU_m5P68CM Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acU_m5P68CM%20chapati|title=Soft Roti/Fulka/Chapati Recipe With And Without Gas Flame &#124; Puff Roti in a skillet/tawa CookingShooking|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Once cooked, chapatis are often topped with butter or [[ghee]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Achaya |first=K. T. |author-link=K. T. Achaya |year=1994 |title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=28 |isbn=978-0-19-562845-6}}</ref> In western regions of Maharashtra, some oil is added inside the rolled-out dough and then put on the tava; this is distinct from paratha.
[[File:0118 Chapati backen.jpg|thumb|A woman frying Chapati]]
Chapati diameter and thickness vary from region to region. Chapatis made in domestic kitchens are usually not larger than {{convert|15|cm|in|0}} to {{convert|18|cm|in|0}} in diameter since the ''tava'' on which they are made comes in sizes that fit comfortably on a domestic stovetop. ''Tavas'' were traditionally made of unglazed earthenware, but are now typically made from metal. The shape of the rolling pin also varies from region to region. Some households simply use a kitchen worktop as a sort of pastry board, but round flat-topped "boards" made of wood, stone, or stainless steel are available specifically for rolling out chapatis.<ref name="Bruce Kraig 2013 p.124" /> 

In most parts of the Indian subcontinent, there is a distinction made between chapati and other related flatbreads eaten in the region like [[roti]], [[paratha]], [[kulcha]], [[Puri (food)|puri]] and [[naan]] based on cooking technique, texture and use of different types of flours. For example, [[paratha]]s are either made layered by spreading them with ghee, folding and rolling out again into a disc which turns out flakey once cooked, or are filled with spinach, [[dal]] or cooked radish or potato. Parathas are mostly made using all-purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chapman |first=Pat |author-link=Pat Chapman (food writer) |year=2007 |title=India: Food and Cooking: The Ultimate Book on Indian Cuisine |publisher=New Holland |page=49 |isbn=978-1-84537-619-2}}</ref>

There are many regional varieties of chapati in India:

* [[Paneer]] chapati: Grated paneer is added to the usual chapati dough which is also called 'paneer paratha'.
* [[Radish]]/[[mullangi]] chapati: Grated radish and [[turmeric]] powder is added to the dough and the chapati is usually thick. It is often eaten by lorry drivers who eat in roadside [[dhaba]]s during long trips. It is also called 'mooli paratha'.
* Vegetable-stuffed chapati: Mashed carrot, potato, [[pea]]s, and [[fenugreek]] are slightly sautéed into a masala gravy. These chapatis are usually served rolled, and many households prepare them using their own combinations of available vegetables.

In the Maldives, chapatis are traditionally eaten for breakfast along with a dish known as ''[[mas huni]]''.<ref name="ReferenceA">[[Xavier Romero-Frias]], ''The Maldive Islanders: A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom'', Barcelona 1999, {{ISBN|84-7254-801-5}}</ref>

Flatbreads are staples of Indian food. Chapatis go well with [[curries]], dry sabzis or sabjis (vegetables cooked in gravy), [[chutneys]] or [[dal]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Vanamali |title=The Taste Divine: Indian Vegetarian Cooking the Natural Way |date=January 1993 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7yb0sGkv3gQC&pg=PA61 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=0-7914-1188-5 |pages=60}}</ref>