Kenyan Chapati
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The Tale of Kenyan Chapati
Story updated
Chapati arrived in Kenya with Indian laborers brought by the British to build the Kenya-Uganda railway in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Kenyan cooks adapted the dry Indian roti into a richer, oil-layered flatbread, and it spread from Indian communities into Swahili, Kikuyu, Luo, and Luhya kitchens to become one of the region's most beloved staples.
Ingredients
Scale:· 8 servings
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp oil, plus more for cooking and layering
- 1 cup warm water, plus more as needed
Instructions
- 1Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then rub in 3 tbsp oil.
- 2Gradually add warm water, kneading into a soft, smooth dough.
- 3Cover and rest the dough for 20-30 minutes.
- 4Divide into 8 balls, roll each thin, brush with oil, and roll up into a coil, then flatten and roll out again.
- 5Cook each chapati on a hot dry skillet, brushing with a little oil, until golden brown spots form on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
- 6Stack cooked chapatis under a cloth to keep soft and serve warm.
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