Chapati: The Everyday Indian Flatbread You Need to Know

When you think of Indian bread, chapati, a thin, unleavened flatbread made from whole wheat flour, water, and salt. Also known as roti, it’s the quiet hero of countless Indian meals. You won’t find it in fancy restaurants as often as naan, but in homes from Mysore to Mumbai, it’s on the table every single day. It’s not just food—it’s ritual. Kneaded by hand, rolled out with a wooden pin, and cooked on a hot griddle until it puffs up like a little cloud. No yeast. No oil. Just flour, water, and patience.

Chapati is different from naan, which is leavened and baked in a tandoor. It’s also simpler than paratha, which is layered with ghee or oil. Chapati doesn’t need fancy tools or long waits. You don’t need a mixer, a proofing box, or even a rolling pin—just a flat surface and your hands. It’s the bread of daily life: eaten with dal, scooped up with curry, wrapped around vegetables, or dipped into chutney. And yes, it pairs perfectly with dosa batter leftovers or a bowl of poha. It’s the blank canvas that lets the flavor of the meal shine.

What makes chapati work isn’t magic—it’s technique. The dough needs to rest, just enough to relax the gluten. The rolling has to be even, or it’ll tear. The heat on the tawa has to be just right—too low and it’s tough, too high and it burns before it puffs. And that puff? That’s the sign it’s done. That’s when you know you’ve gotten it right. It’s the same technique used across North and South India, though in Mysore, you’ll often see it served with coconut chutney instead of tomato pickle. It’s not a trend. It’s tradition.

You’ll find chapati in nearly every post here—not always named, but always present. Whether it’s the bread beside biryani, the wrap for spiced potatoes, or the tool for scooping up dal, it’s the silent partner in every meal. Some people call it roti. Some call it phulka. But whether you’re making it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it’s the same thing: simple, honest, and endlessly useful.

Below, you’ll find real guides on how to make it right, how to fix common mistakes, and how it fits into bigger meals—from dosa batter to curry bases. No fluff. No theory. Just what works.