FAQ
Which other gluten-free flours can I use?
To make gluten-free chapatis, you can use a variety of flours. For our recipe above, we resorted to a mix of gram flour (chickpea, or garbanzo flour) and fine cornmeal.
Here is a list of other gluten-free flours you can use to make chapati:
Buckwheat and rice flour (50 - 50)
Almond or coconut flour, for a keto chapati
Oat flour, for a sweet chapati
Cassava flour, for a Caribbean style chapati
When cooking and baking with wheat-free flours, make sure you also add a binder. In this recipe, we have used arrowroot starch, but you can also opt for potato starch or maize starch. Alternatively, try using a flax-egg or chia egg. They are prepared with ground flaxseeds or chia seeds soaked in cold water in ratio 1 : 3 for 10 minutes until thick and gel-like.
Are chapatis gluten-free?
Traditional chapatis are not gluten-free, as they are prepared using wheat flour. Our chapati recipe above is gluten-free instead, as we swapped the wheat flour with a mix of gram flour (chickpea or garbanzo flour), fine cornmeal, and arrowroot starch.
Is chapati good for you or is it fattening?
Chapati is made with simple and natural ingredients, so it is certainly not bad for you. But if you are on a weight-loss diet, you should minimize the excessive consumption of carbs. Foods like bread and chapati can be enjoyed, but in moderation.
Our chapatis above use a mix of flours that has fewer carbs than wheat flour, but it still has some. But you can safely have one or two of these flatbreads on any balanced diet without putting on weight.
To make these rotis even healthier, you can cook them in the oven instead of pan-frying.
What can I serve with chapati?
Just like bread, you can serve chapati with pretty much anything. Traditional choices are curry, chutney, sagaloo, legumes, and steamed greens.
For extra inspiration, check out our curry recipes, chicken saag, and carrot chutney.
Can I reheat chapati?
Yes you can. You can either quickly re-heat it in a skillet or even in the microwave. We are not big fans of using the microwave, as it makes things a bit soggy and steamy during the re-heating process. But for chapati, this is actually a positive thing.
You can also use a standard oven, but keep the temperature medium/low to avoid turning the chapati overly crispy.
Do I need yeast in chapati?
Chapati is unleavened bread, so you don't use any yeast or baking powder. This is one of the main differences between chapati and naan, which is leavened - more about this below.
Is chapati like naan?
While they may appear similar at first sight, chapati and naan are quite different.
First of all, chapati is unleavened and flat, whereas naan uses yeast which makes it grow thicker and form bubbles.
Second, naan often uses more ingredients, like eggs, milk or even yogurt. These extra ingredients add complexity to both flavour and texture.
Finally, the two are prepared using different methods. Chapati is cooked on a regular skillet, while proper naan requires the use of a tandoori oven
