This whole wheat sweet potato chapati or flatbread is so versatile you can have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This simple and easy recipe makes the softest sweet potato flatbread ever. And, you can have it on its own or as bread with your main course.
Have you tried making chapati yet? Perhaps whole wheat tortilla? I love whole wheat because it really does add more nutrition than white flour.
This sweet potato chapati can be called in many different names: sweet potato flatbread, sweet potato tortilla, sweet potato paratha. In fact, it doesn't matter how you call it, it's one heck of a flatbread. And, you are bound to fall in love with. Since the sweet potato keeps the chapati really soft, and the cooked onions and herbs make it so delicious, my kids eat it on its own.
Ingredients and substitute
- Flour - While you can use whole wheat or all-purpose. I recommend using a combination of both whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
- Sweet Potato - a great trick to keep chapati soft is to add sweet potato to the dough. It works like magic and tastes delicious too! Not to mention it's healthy too!
- Yogurt - you can use any yogurt, vegan or regular. The yogurt adds a nice creamy taste that just melts in the mouth. Of course, you can omit the yogurt completely and just use water instead.
- Oil - you can use as less as 1 tbsp when to knead and omit any oil when cooking. I do like a light smear of oil on the cooked chapati as this keeps them soft too.
On the other hand, you can go liberal with oil, ghee or butter which is often done in Indian homes. The resulting chapati will be very rich and of course high is saturated fat. - Onions - I think onions, when cooked, add a nice sweetness to the chapati. If you chop it really fine you can also use it raw but I honestly think a little cooking on the stovetop takes that raw bite out of it making it easier on the palate.
Step by step instructions (Save/Pin)
Cook sweet potato
- Cook the sweet potato in the microwave for 5 minutes on high or until fully cooked.
- Or, bake the sweet potato for 20 minutes at 180 C / 360 F.
- Or, peel and boil the sweet potato on the stove-top for 3 to 5 minutes until tender.
- Then, peel and mash the sweet potato with a fork.
Prepare dough
- Add flour and sweet potato to a bowl.
- Use a fork to combine the two together.
- Next, add salt, pepper, and oil - and combine again.
- Now, add onions, fresh herbs, and yogurt.
- Mix all ingredients until you have a soft dough.
- If the mixture is dry - add a few tablespoons of water.
- Alternatively, if the mixture is wet - add a little extra flour.
- You want a soft smooth dough that you can roll.
- Let rest for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap
Roll chapati
- Once the dough has rested, divide the dough into 8 balls.
- Then, dust each ball with flour and roll on a lightly floured surface.
- You can also roll all the disc, keep them covered with a kitchen cloth to prevent drying out.
- Or, you can cook them simultaneously.
Cook flatbread
- Heat a skillet or frypan over medium heat.
- Then, place the flatbread and cook for 30 to 40 seconds on each side.
- Turning as necessary to ensure even cooking.
- Usually, takes about 2 minutes per flatbread.
- Next, brush lightly with oil using a pastry brush or such.
- Lastly, keep the chapatis soft - wrapping in a kitchen cloth or placing them in a Tupper Ware.
What do you serve flatbread or Indian chapati with?
First, chapati goes well with any Indian dish non-vegetarian or vegetarian. For example, below are just a few of my favorites that you may like to try. Also, you can find a lot of Indian recipes on this blog and my other blog: East Indian Recipe.
Chicken malai kebabs
Tandoori Prawn Masala
Quick Indian Chicken Tikka Masala
Indian Lamb Biryani
Homemade Garam Masala Spice Mix
Minced Beef Curry
Black beans curry
Kidney beans coconut curry
Lamb Masala aka Mutton Masala
Slow-cooked Beef curry
easy chicken curry in 15 mins
Frequently asked questions
Indian chapati will stay well for two days at room temperature if wrapped well.
And, you can also save them for a week in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
Flatbread is simple and easy to make. And, you can use plain all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or a combination of the two.
Most important, as soon as the flatbread or chapati is out of the skillet, wrap in a clean kitchen cloth. Since, retaining steam in the flatbread/chapati is what creates moisture and keeps the chapati soft.
First, you must knead the dough well. In addition, add just enough water to keep it soft not hard. And, if the dough is too stiff, it will be hard to roll, and it will also get dry and brittle when cooked.
I prefer to cook my flatbread on cast-iron pans. Since they retain heat and distribute heat evenly. In India, we use a pan called tava, which is thick and does exactly the same thing as the cast-iron. In fact, you will see me using it in most of my videos
No, it is best not. Since we roll these quite thin, they tend to dry out very easily and the flatbread/chapatis can become very hard in the oven. So, if you want to bake, I suggest you use these yeast-based recipes - homemade naan, garlic naan, pita bread, potato stuffed pita bread, cheese-stuffed pita bread.
Yes, you can. You can also try my soft easy flatbread recipe, homemade flour chapati, homemade tortillas, potato-stuffed flatbread.
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Herb Sweet Potato Chapati aka Sweet Potato Flatbread
Print Pin Rate VeenaazmanovDescription
Ingredients
- 200 grams (1.6 cups) Chapati flour
- 60 grams (0.50 cups) Extra flour for kneading as needed
- 200 grams (1.5 cups) large Sweet Potato (1 ½ cup mashed)
- 120 ml (0.50 cups) Yogurt
- ½ (0.5 ) Onion
- ½ cup (0.5 cup) Fresh herbs (cilantro/parsley)
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Oil
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Salt
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) Pepper
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Water if necessary only
Instructions
Cook sweet potato
- Cook the sweet potato in the microwave for 5 minutes on high or until cooked thru.
- OR bake the sweet potato for 20 minutes at 180 C/360 F
- OR peel and boil the sweet potato on the stove top for 3 to 5 minutes until tender
- Peel and mash the sweet potato with a fork.
Prepare Dough
- Add flour and sweet potato to a bowl
- Use a fork to combine the two together.
- Add salt, pepper, and oil - combine again.
- Now add onions, fresh herbs, and yogurt.
- Mix all ingredients until you have a soft dough
- If the mixture is dry - add a few tablespoons of water.
- Alternatively, if the mixture is wet - add a little extra flour.
- You want a soft smooth dough that you can roll.
- Let rest for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap.
Roll Chapati
- Once the dough has rested, divide the dough into 8 balls
- Dust the ball with flour and roll on a lightly floured surface.
- You can roll all the disc, keep them covered with a kitchen cloth to prevent drying out.
- Or you can cook them simultaneously.
Cook Chapati
- Heat a skillet or frypan over medium heat.
- Place the flatbread and cook for 30 to 40 seconds on each side.
- Turning as necessary to ensure even cooking.
- Usually takes about 2 minutes per chapati.
- Brush lightly with oil using a pastry brush or such
- Keep the chapatis soft - wrapping in a kitchen cloth or placing them in a Tupper Ware.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
VIcki
Tried this last week and it was so delicious. We didn't need anything to eat these, they tasted so good on their own. Definitely going to make this more often.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Vicki. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Yes, my kids eat this just as is, they are so delicious. Thank you for coming back to leave this feedback. Appreciate it very much.
Jolina
I looove making bread. I haven't tried flatbreads though and this looks like a fantastic recipe to try on. Love the sweet potato and yogurt in it. I can just imagine the awesome texture and taste those lend!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Jolina. You will love this one. It's so simple and easy.
Racheal
I was so excited when I saw this yesterday I had to try it. Made it yesterday itself. We loved it!! So soft and so delicious. You are right I could eat them just as is. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Racheal. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. I know what you mean. I make this so often the kids really love it. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a great day.
Marisa Franca
I'm hungry just looking at your flatbread. I'm totally fascinated by using the sweet potatoes in it. We've made lots of flatbread but just the regular kind. I like the idea of the additional nutrition in the bread. I bet it tastes delicious with just about anything. We'll definitely be trying this out.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Marisa. My kids love this- they snack on it when they are hungry.
Victoria Berman
Love love love that this is made with sweet potatoes ! I need to try this. I have made garlic naan before but never chapati! YUM!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Victoria. I know, right? so delicious.
Helena
I would usually call it sweet potato tortilla - your second option. But agree - whatever the name is, it is still about that taste. Pair it with some mince, sour cream and tomatoes and ain't nothing mode delicious than that!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Helena. Absolutely any name works with me. Its' so versatile.
Ginny McMeans
Sweet Potato flatbread sounds like a dream come true. Thank you for this recipes. I have to switch out the yogurt for dairy free yogurt but that's easy and thanks again.
Veena Azmanov
I know what you mean Ginny. You can totally use a vegan yogurt too.
Ann
I make Indian food all the time and this sounds like the perfect accompaniment! Love putting sweet potato in everything! Instant health boost 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Ann. Definitely a perfect accompaniment with anything in our home.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
This looks so delicious! I love sweet potato and love chapatis so a sweet potato flatbread sound perfect to me!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Bintu. Me too - love sweet potato and love chapati.