What does chapatti mean?
A chapatti is a thin, round, unleavened flatbread that forms a dietary staple across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other parts of South Asia. Made simply from wholemeal wheat flour (known as atta) and water, the dough is kneaded, divided into small balls, rolled flat, and cooked quickly on a hot iron griddle called a tawa, where it puffs slightly when turned. Chapattis are eaten daily in millions of households, typically torn into pieces and used to scoop up curries, dals, and vegetables. In English usage, the word is well established, appearing both in everyday speech and on restaurant menus, and it carries warm associations of home cooking and tradition. Alternative spellings include 'chapati,' and related breads such as roti overlap closely in meaning.
nounA thin, unleavened flatbread of Indian origin, made from wholemeal flour (atta) and water, rolled out and cooked on a griddle. It is a staple food across much of South Asia.
- A thin, round, unleavened flatbread made from wholemeal flour and cooked on a griddle, eaten as a staple in South Asia.
"She tore off a piece of warm chapatti and scooped up the lentil curry with it."
"Her grandmother still makes fresh chapattis every morning before dawn."
"The restaurant serves dal with rice or chapatti on the side."
The standard English plural adds -s. Some writers keep the uninflected 'chapati' as an invariant plural, but 'chapattis' is more common.
"We ordered three chapattis and a bowl of chickpea curry."
The humble chapatti has been feeding the Indian subcontinent for centuries — no oven, no yeast, just flour, water, and a hot griddle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chapatti
The word 'chapatti' comes from Hindi-Urdu 'caṭpāṭī', derived ultimately from Sanskrit roots connected to flattening or rolling out dough. It entered English during the period of British involvement in India, becoming established by the early nineteenth century as colonial writers described Indian foods. Closely related terms include the broader category word 'roti', which in many contexts refers to essentially the same bread.
How chapatti is actually used
Plural is commonly 'chapattis' in English; 'chapati' (with one t) is also a widely accepted spelling. The word is fully naturalized in English and appears on menus worldwide.
Easily confused with chapatti
Naan is a leavened, often richer flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor oven, whereas a chapatti is unleavened and cooked dry on a flat griddle.