chapati

noun

cha·​pa·​ti chə-ˈpä-tē How to pronounce chapati (audio)
variants or less commonly chappati
plural chapatis also chappatis
: a round flat unleavened bread of India that is usually made of whole wheat flour and cooked on a griddle

Examples of chapati in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web How a chapati, a South Asian staple, ended up in East Africa is a journey as complex as humanity’s own. Yewande Komolafe, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2023 At night, families told stories over sohbat, a garlicky meat stew served over shredded chapati—a special-occasion dish, meant to be eaten with others, from a shared platter. Alizeh Kohari, The New York Review of Books, 3 Nov. 2022 The chicken pieces are simmered in a medley of roasted spices and coconut, and it is traditionally served with steamed rice or the thin South Indian pancakes called dosa, fried chapati or naan. Terry Ward, CNN, 27 Oct. 2022 A few meters from the polling clerks is a middle-aged man making chapati, an unleavened flat bread that is a popular street delicacy. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 9 Aug. 2022 Fuelled by rising wheat prices, the size of the chapati has reduced by half in the past four months—precisely the kind of inflation that has been at the heart of electoral issues. Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 9 Aug. 2022 The chapati has been a staple in east African countries since Indians introduced it through trading and then settlement during the colonial era. Nakisanze Segawa, Quartz, 8 June 2022 Another casualty is mlawi, a doughy chapati-like semolina flatbread Tunisians serve with iftar or use as a sandwich wrap for a sohour pre-dawn meal. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Apr. 2022 Jackfruit is also cooked as a spicy stir-fry dish called kathal ki sabzi, often served with hot chapati. Bon Appétit, 8 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chapati.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Hindi capāti & Urdu chapātī

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chapati was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near chapati

Cite this Entry

“Chapati.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapati. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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