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1
DOUGH:
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Put the flour in a bowl.
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3
Slowly add about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, just enough to gather the dough together and make a ball.
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4
Knead the dough well for 10 minutes.
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5
Make a smooth ball and put it in a bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. It will turn quite soft.
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6
Divide into 12 balls. Keep covered while you work with the twelfth.
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7
COOK:
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Set a cast-iron frying pan or griddle on medium-high heat. Allow it to heat up. Make a small wad with a cloth or paper towel and keep nearby.
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Take a ball of dough and dust it well with flour. Now roll it out into a 5-1/2-inch round on a floured surface. Lift it up and slap it back and forth between your palms to shake off the extra flour.
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10
DO THE FOLLOWING STEPS FAST:
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Slap the chapati onto the hot griddle. Let it cook for 45 seconds.
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12
Turn it over and cook the second side for another 35-45 seconds.
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13
Turn it over again and cook another 5 to 6 seconds, pushing down on it with the paper wad and rotating it a little with each push. Do this fast; it helps to puff up the chapati.
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14
Put the cooked chapati on a plate and cover it with a towel or another upturned plate.
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15
Make all the chapatis this way, making sure to wipe off the cast-iron pan with a paper towel after each one is made. If it takes you a while to roll out the next chapati, turn the heat under the cast-iron pan down to low while you roll it and then turn it up again. (Or have someone else form a chapati while you cook one.).
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Serve immediately.
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These can be made ahead and stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or freezer. To reheat them, wrap a whole bundle of them in foil and put them in a medium oven (350F/177C) for 15 minutes. You can also sprinkle a little water on an individual chapati and then either heat it in a microwave oven for 30-45 seconds or slap it onto a hot, lightly greased griddle for a few seconds on each side.
