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{{short description|South Asian unleavened wheat flatbread}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Chapati
| image            = 2 Chapati warm and ready to be eaten.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = Chapatis served with various side dishes
| alternate_name   = Roti, roshi, safati, shabaati, phulka, lavash 
| country          = [[Indian subcontinent]],[[Punjab (region)|Punjab]]
| region           = [[Indian subcontinent]], Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, United Kingdom, Arabian Peninsula, Caribbean, Armenia
| creator          = 
| type             = [[Bread]]
| served  = 
| main_ingredient  = [[Wheat flour]], water
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}

'''Chapati''' (alternatively spelled '''chapathi'''; pronounced as [[IAST]]: {{IAST|capātī, capāṭī, cāpāṭi}}), also known as ''[[roti]]'', ''rooti'', ''rotee'', ''rotli'', '' rotta'', ''safati'', ''shabaati'', ''phulka'',  ''chapo'' (in East Africa), ''sada roti'' (in the [[Caribbean]]), ''poli'' (in [[Marathi language|Marathi]]), and ''roshi'' (in the [[Maldives]]),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Oliver |first1=Jamie |title=Roshi ( maldivian roti) |url=http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/member-recipes/recipe-detail/266/ |website=[[Jamie Oliver]] |access-date=18 February 2017 |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219102512/http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/member-recipes/recipe-detail/266/}} (recipe)</ref> is an [[Unleavened bread|unleavened]] [[flatbread]] originating from the [[Indian subcontinent]] and is a staple in [[India]], [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Pakistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Sri Lanka]], the [[Arabian Peninsula]], [[East Africa]], and the [[Caribbean]].<ref name=origin/> Chapatis are made of [[whole-wheat flour]] known as [[Atta flour|atta]], mixed into dough with water, [[Cooking oil|oil]] (optional), and salt (optional) in a mixing utensil called a ''[[parat]]'', and are cooked on a ''[[tava]]'' (flat skillet).<ref name=chakla1>Nandita Godbole, 2016, [https://books.google.com/books?id=YfNhDQAAQBAJ&dq=chakla+roti&pg=PT5 Roti: Easy Indian Breads & Sides] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408110737/https://books.google.com/books?id=YfNhDQAAQBAJ&dq=chakla+roti&pg=PT5 |date=8 April 2023 }}.</ref><ref name=chakla2>Chitra Agrawal, 2017, [https://books.google.com/books?id=M1ZcDAAAQBAJ&dq=chakla+roti&pg=PA35 Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408075444/https://books.google.com/books?id=M1ZcDAAAQBAJ&dq=chakla+roti&pg=PA35 |date=8 April 2023 }}, page 35.</ref>

It is a common staple in the Indian subcontinent as well as amongst expatriates from the Indian subcontinent throughout the world. Chapatis were also introduced to other parts of the world by immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, particularly by Indian merchants to Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the [[Caribbean#Countries and territories list|Caribbean]].<ref name="Bruce Kraig 2013 p.124">{{cite book |last1=Kraig |first1=Bruce |last2=Sen |first2=Colleen Taylor |author2-link=Colleen Taylor Sen |year=2013 |title=Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=124 |isbn=978-1-59884-954-7}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
The word ''chapati'' is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word {{Lang|sa|चर्पटी}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Narendra |first=Dr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wz9jAAAAMAAJ&q=%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80+%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%80 |title=Functional Sanskrit, its communicative aspect |date=1996 |publisher=Saṃskr̥takāryālayaḥ, Śrīaravindāśramaḥ |isbn=978-81-7058-448-3 |language=sa}}</ref> ({{Transliteration|sa|charpaṭī}}). From a derivative of Sanskrit *चर्प (charpa, “flat”).

==History==
{{see also|Roti|Manda roti|Paratha|Kulcha|Puri (food)|Bhatoora|Bhakri|Khakhra| Naan}}
Chapati is a form of ''[[roti]]'' or ''rotta'' (bread). The words are often used interchangeably. The word ''chapat'' ({{Langx|mr|चापट}}) means "slap" or "flat", describing the traditional method of forming round pieces of thin dough by slapping the dough between the wetted palms of the hands. With each slap, the piece of dough is rotated. 

The word ''chapati'' is noted in the 16th-century document ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]''  by [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak]], [[vizier]] of [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Akbar]].<ref name=origin>[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702051%26ct%3D50 Of Bread] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211092218/http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702051%26ct%3D50 |date=11 December 2008 }} ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'', by [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak]]. English tr. by [[Heinrich Blochmann]] and Colonel Henry Sullivan Jarrett, 1873–1907. [[Asiatic Society of Bengal|The Asiatic Society of Bengal]], [[Calcutta]], Volume I, Chap. 26, page 61.</ref>

Chapatis are one of the most common forms of wheat bread, a [[staple food]] in the Indian subcontinent. The carbonized wheat grains discovered at the excavations at [[Mohenjo-daro]] are of a similar variety to an endemic species of wheat still found in India. The [[Indus Valley civilisation|Indus Valley]] is known to be one of the ancestral lands of cultivated wheat. 

Chapatis, along with rotis, were introduced to other parts of the world by immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, particularly by Indian merchants who settled in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean islands.<ref name="Bruce Kraig 2013 p.124"/>

In 1857, the chapati likely may have played a role in the Indian mutiny [[Chapati Movement]].

==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>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
చపాతీలు (2).jpg|Chapatis
File:Baking Chapatis.jpg|A girl baking chapatis in the traditional way
File:Fulka Roti like ball.jpg|Chapatis are cooked on open-flame once partly cooked on ''tava'', which fluffs it
File:Tava Roti 02.jpg|Freshly cooked chapatis once off open-flame
File:Chapaticooking.jpg|Preparing chapati with a [[rolling pin]]
File:Roti - Perfect Gujarati Fulka Roti.JPG|Gujarati chapati, known as ''Rotli'' which is thinner
File:An Athesthtic Sapati.jpg|Chapati being cooked in Tamil Nadu
File:Chappathi and Potato Curry.JPG|Chapati and Potato Curry from Kerala
File:Chuni Roti.jpg|Chapati served with various sides and topped with butter
File:Cooking a chapati (sp) on open flame.JPG|Chapati cooked on open-flame after being cooked on ''tava''
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[List of Indian breads]]
* [[List of Pakistani breads]]
* [[Indian bread]]
* [[Blintz]]
* [[Ciabatta]] (unrelated Italian bread with similar name)
* [[Chakla]]
* [[Chimta]]
* [[Crêpe]]
* [[Crispbread]]
* [[Khubz]]
* [[Lavash]]
* [[Manda roti|Rumali Roti]]
* [[Markook shrek|Markook]]
* [[Matzah|Matzo]]
* [[Naan]]
* [[Pancake]]
* [[Paratha]]
* [[Pita]]
* [[Poori]]
* [[Saj bread]]
* [[Tortilla]]
* [[Tunnbröd]]
{{div col end}}
{{Portal bar|India|Pakistan|Bangladesh|Food}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Bangladeshi dishes}}
{{Pakistani dishes}}
{{Indian Dishes}}
{{Indian bread}}
{{Pakistani bread}}
{{Indonesian bread}}
{{Indonesian cuisine}}
{{Burmese cuisine}}
{{Malaysian cuisine}}
{{Flatbreads}}
{{bread}}

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