Indian Culture

Chapati

Chapati, also phulka, is a thin unleavened flatbread made from atta, whole wheat flour.1,2,3,4 It is baked on a tava and puffed up over an open flame.1,2,5

Also known as Phulka

Chapati is a thin, round flatbread without yeast, made from atta, whole wheat flour, and water, often with a little salt.1,2,3,6,7 In India, roti is the general word for bread; in some places chapati itself is simply called roti.1,2,6,8 The dough is rested, rolled out thin and baked without fat on a tava, an iron griddle.1,2,9,10,11 Finally it is often held over an open flame: the steam inside the dough puffs it up and it turns soft; baked this way it is also called phulka, puffed.1,2,4,5 A good chapati is pale with brown spots and is eaten fresh.9,11 Many households in North India and Pakistan bake it every day and eat it with dal, vegetables and curries.1,2,10,11 The atta in our range, for example from Aashirvaad, Annam and Heer, is whole wheat flour according to the pack.12,13,14

What does chapati mean?

The word comes via Hindi capātī from Sanskrit carpaṭī, “thin cake”, and carpaṭa, “flat”: the dough is traditionally slapped flat between the palms. It has been used in English since 1810.2,3,9,10,15,16

Where does chapati come from?

From the Indian subcontinent: its roots are traced to the Indus Valley, though some accounts place its origin in East Africa. Today it is everyday bread in India, Pakistan, East Africa and the Caribbean.1,2,8,10,11

What is chapati made of?

Atta, a whole wheat flour, and water, often with a little salt. There is no yeast: it puffs up from steam inside the dough on a hot tava or over an open flame.1,2,3,5,9

Recipes with Chapati

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Sources

  1. Davidson, A. (2014). chapati. In The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  2. Castro, M. (2023). chapati. In Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  3. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). chapati. In Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  4. McGregor, R. S. (n.d.). phulkā. In The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary (p. 685). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  5. Panghal, A., Khatkar, B. S., Yadav, D. N., & Chhikara, N. (2019). Effect of finger millet on nutritional, rheological, and pasting profile of whole wheat flat bread (chapatti). Cereal Chemistry, 96, 86–94. DOI: 10.1002/cche.10111
  6. Alford, J. & Duguid, N. (2005). chapati. In Mangoes & Curry Leaves.
  7. Baljekar, M. (2017). Chapatis. In The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook.
  8. Davidson, A. (2014). roti. In The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  9. Wright, J., Treuille, E., & Le Cordon Bleu. (1996). Making chapatis. In Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques.
  10. Yule, H. (1903). Chupatty. In Hobson-Jobson (p. 219). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago.
  11. Yousaf, S., Arif, S., Akbar, Q. U. A., Iqbal, H. M., & Khurshid, S. (2020). Textural properties of chapatti from different wheat varieties flour. SN Applied Sciences, 2(4), 711. DOI: 10.1007/s42452-020-2532-7
  12. Indian Culture: Aashirvaad Wholemeal Wheat Flour (Atta).
  13. Indian Culture: Annam Stone-Milled Wholemeal Wheat Flour (Chakki Atta).
  14. Indian Culture: Heer Stone-Milled Wholemeal Wheat Flour (Chakki Atta).
  15. Platts, J. T. (1884). ćapātī. In A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (p. 421). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago.
  16. McGregor, R. S. (n.d.). capātī. In The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary (p. 302). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.

Cite this entry

MLA

“Chapati.” Indian Culture Glossary, Indian Culture, https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/chapati.

Chicago

Indian Culture Glossary, s.v. “Chapati,” https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/chapati.

APA

Indian Culture. (n.d.). Chapati. In Indian Culture glossary. https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/chapati