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1
Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix with your fingers as you gradually drizzle in the water. Once all the water is added, mix in 2 tablespoons melted ghee (if using). Knead the dough until it's supple and when poked with a finger the indentation remains. This will take about 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
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2
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll out the pieces 1 at a time. (If you added the ghee to the dough, you shouldn't need any flour to roll it out; otherwise, use a bit of flour on your work surface.) I like to roll out a piece into a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Then I gently lift up the dough (you can use a thin metal spatula if necessary) and very gently stretch it while rotating it, as if I was stretching pizza dough. Then I put it back onto the countertop and roll it out again, this time into a circle about 8 inches in diameter. After that it's ready to cook. Set it aside and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
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3
To cook the chapatis, heat a large cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Once it's very hot, turn the heat down to medium-high and add a chapati. Turn the chapati over when it starts to bubble on the top. Cook until lightly browned in spots on the second side, then turn it back over onto the first side and cook a few seconds more until the bubbles puff up. (This entire process for cooking 1 chapati should take about 2 minutes or less. If it's taking longer, your pan probably isn't hot enough.) Repeat this process with the remaining 7 chapatis.
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4
As the chapatis are cooked, transfer them to a wire rack and lightly brush them with melted ghee (if using). Cool completely before stacking the chapatis.
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5
To reheat: Wrap the chapatis securely in foil and place in a 350 F oven until warm, about 10 minutes.
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6
(Adapted from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook's recipe for Chapatis; published by Hermes House.)
