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4 key steps to follow if you want a perfectly cooked soft-layered chapati
24th November, 2025 11:31 AM
As the festive season approaches, nothing brings family and friends together like the aroma of freshly cooked chapati wafting through the home. Here is a recipe for how to make the best soft layered chapati this festival season.
Ingredients.
– all-purpose flour
– sugar and/or salt
-vegetable oil
-water and/or milk (room temperature or slightly warm).
Step one: Mixing
Combine 4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a bowl. Using your hands or a flour mixer, mix these ingredients well until they all come together.
Add water in bits with one hand as the other hand continuously combines it with the flour mix. Continue this until most of the dough is sticky, then stop. Now knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 to 15 minutes until you get a firm dough.
Step two: Dough testing
If the dough is sticky, alternate between sprinkling some more flour and applying the salad oil to your hands. When you apply the oil to your hands, the dough stops sticking to your hands, hence making the kneading process easier.
Continue this until the dough is smooth and you can knead without it sticking to your hands or the surface.
A tip for when the flour is ready: put a finger through the dough until you touch the bottom, then take it out. If it comes out clean or with very minimal dough stuck to it, then it’s ready.
Step three: Rolling the dough
Next, place the dough in a bowl and cover it with a piece of cloth and let it rest for about an hour. After the wait, cut the dough into equal balls and place them on a floured surface.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until you achieve a diameter of about 16 cm. Add 1/2 a tablespoon of oil and spread it on top of the rolled-out dough. Cut the center to the top part of the dough, then lift the right side of the cut and roll the chapati into a cone.
Tuck the last bit at the bottom of the cone and press the tip of the cone towards the centre by placing a finger at the tip and pressing it down. Repeat this process until all the balls are done.
Step four: Cooking
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each cone one at a time and place it on a heated pan. Let it sit for about a minute or two, or until bubbles can be seen forming. Turn it and spread 1/2 a tablespoon of oil on the surface, then turn it back.
Now apply oil to the upper part of the chapati, and using a spoon, lift it partly to check if the bottom side is well done. If so, turn it once more and let the other side cook.
When done, remove the chapati from the heat and place it on a dry surface and keep it covered with a clean piece of cloth. Repeat this until all the chapatis are done.
And there you have it, sweet, soft, layered chapatis.
