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1
Mix and Knead the Dough
10 Mins
Room temperature, ~22°C (72°F)
Sift 500 g of white flour into a large bowl with the salt and sugar. Rub in 15 ml of vegetable oil until the flour looks like fine crumbs. Pour in the warm water a little at a time, mixing with your hand, then knead on a clean surface for 8 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and no longer sticky.
Add the water gradually — too much at once makes a sticky dough that is hard to fix.
Done when: The dough is smooth, soft and springs back slowly when pressed.
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2
Rest the Dough
30 Mins
Room temperature, ~22°C (72°F)
Shape the dough into a ball, brush it lightly with oil, cover the bowl with a clean cloth or cling film and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step: the rest relaxes the gluten so the chapatis roll out thin without springing back.
Resting is the difference between a soft Kenyan chapati and a tough one — give it the full 30 minutes.
Done when: The dough feels relaxed and stretches easily without tearing.
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3
Roll, Oil and Coil the Layers
15 Mins
Room temperature, ~22°C (72°F)
Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Roll one ball into a thin circle about 25 cm across on a lightly floured surface. Brush the whole surface generously with oil, then roll the circle up into a tight rope. Coil the rope into a flat spiral, like a snail shell, tuck the end underneath and press flat. Repeat with the remaining balls. This rolling, oiling and coiling is what builds the soft, peel-apart layers that make Kenyan chapati different from a plain flatbread — and from the crisp wholewheat lachha paratha, which is layered with ghee and fried until flaky-crisp.
Oil the surface well and roll the rope tight — loose coils make thick, doughy layers instead of thin ones.
Done when: Each spiral is neat, flat and evenly oiled, ready to roll out.
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4
Roll Out and Pan-Fry Until Golden
20 Mins
Medium heat, ~180°C (350°F)
Roll each spiral gently into a round about 20 cm across, turning it often so it stays even and the layers do not press out. Heat a heavy frying pan or chapati pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles. Brush the pan lightly with oil and fry one chapati at a time for 2–3 minutes per side, brushing the top lightly with oil as it cooks, until golden with darker brown spots and light puffing. Stack the cooked chapatis under a clean cloth.
Keep the heat at medium — a pan that is too hot burns the spots black before the inside cooks, and a cool pan dries the chapati out.
Done when: Both sides are golden with brown spots, the chapati is soft and bends without cracking, and the edges show thin layers.
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5
Stack and Serve Warm
5 Mins
Serve warm, ~60°C (140°F)
Keep the stack covered with a cloth for 5 minutes so the steam softens the chapatis further. Serve warm, two per person, with stew or chai — tear off pieces and use them to scoop up the food, as Kenyan families do.
A covered stack stays soft for an hour; an uncovered chapati dries out and stiffens in minutes.
Done when: The chapatis are warm, soft, pliable and peel into thin layers when torn.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the chapatis warm from the cloth-covered stack, two per person, with a saucy stew or a cup of chai. Tear, scoop and eat while they are still soft.
Kenya
1h 15m
