← Nouns Cooking · West & East African

Ingredients

• 375 g Plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil, plus about 4 tbsp for layering and cooking
• 300 ml warm water

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar (if using) in a bowl. Add 3 tbsp oil and most of the warm water and mix into a soft dough, adding the rest of the water only if needed.
2. Knead for 10 min until smooth and elastic. Rub with a little oil, cover and rest for 30 min.
3. Divide into 8 balls. Roll one out thinly into a circle, brush with oil, then roll it up like a rope and coil the rope into a snail. Repeat with the rest, cover and rest for 10 min.
4. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Roll each coil out to a 20 cm circle.
5. Cook in the dry pan for 1 minute until bubbles appear, flip, and brush the top with oil. Flip again and press down with a spatula; cook each side for about 1 minute more, until golden-brown spots appear and it puffs.
6. Stack the cooked chapatis in a clean tea towel to keep them soft while you cook the rest.

Tips

• The resting time matters: it relaxes the dough so it rolls thin without springing back.
• Great with sukuma wiki, beans or any saucy stew.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Chef Lola's Kitchen Kaluhi's Kitchen