Burundi: Chapati

African chapati is different to Indian chapati due to the addition of oil - it's closer to a paratha than a chapati, really! My partner and I regularly order an Indian takeaway from our local every week. He's allergic to sesame so he can't have the garlic naan which I order, and we both order a paratha each, and he also has a chapati.

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I was excited to try this recipe as I'm looking forward to recreating our Indian takeaway when I eventually get to the I countries (which is probably still several months away), so it was nice to fast-track it a bit for Burundi. While it's not identical, it was nice to try.

This definitely wasn't as good as our weekly takeaway, but for a first time I was pretty pleased. The dough was flaky and oily, and very similar to the parathas we order. I would make them again!

I based my recipe off this one here.

Burundi Chapati
Makes 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 200mL water

Instructions

1. Place flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add sugar, salt, water, and oil. Knead to form a soft and sticky dough. 
2. Place dough on a clean, floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour if necessary. The dough should be elastic and smooth. 
3. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and rest. 
4. On the floured surface, roll one of the pieces of dough into a circle. Lightly oil and then place onto the floured surface on each side, pressing down on the dough. Shake off excess flour and shape the dough like a paper fan (see photos for examples).
5. Coil the dough into a spiral (again, see photos if necessary). Repeat with remaining dough pieces and cover with a damp cloth. Let rest for an additional 20 minutes. 
6. Gently flatter the coiled dough and roll out, from the centre outwards. Roll to about 1/4 inch thinck.
7. Oil a frying-pan and the outside of each chapati. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes. 
8. Serve!