Simple and nutritious Avocado Spinach Chapati (Roti or Phulka) recipe for super soft, puffy and healthy round Indian flat breads. Avocado Chapati and Spinach Chapati are both popular recipes, but this Avocado Spinach Chapati recipe incorporates both in one. Avocados make chapati buttery soft, while spinach adds the essential nutrients. This is a great way to add both avocado and spinach into your daily diet. Once you start eating these avocado spinach chapati, you’ll never go back to your simple plain chapati or roti.
“Once you start eating avocado spinach chapati, you’ll never go back to plain chapati or roti.”
Introduction to Avocado Chapati / Roti
Avocados are loaded with heart healthy fats, which are good for controlling bad cholesterol. However, Avocados were not easily available in India during my residence there, so I never had a chance to use or taste them in any recipe. In fact, they are seldom used in any Indian recipes. My elder daughter was a very picky eater during early childhood and I use to puree avocados for her. One day I just added the left over to the dough I was making to finish it off. And I got introduced to the deliciously soft avocado chapati or roti.
Nutrition in Every Bite fo Avocado Chapati
Natural fats in avocado make roti / chapati‘s soft and buttery. Adding spinach further enhances the nutritional content of each roti / chapati. My children, especially the younger child, does not want to eat vegetables but loves all kind of breads including roti / chapati. Hence, this is a great way to add greens to my family’s daily diet without any extra effort. Now, I know that in every bite they are getting good nutrition, even if they do not eat much vegetables.
Roti / Chapati in Everyday Meal
Indian family dinner spread usually has an assortment of vegetables, lentils and side dishes served with a round flat-bread. Roti or Chapati is the most commonly used round flat bread in Indian home kitchens due to it’s light texture and ease of making. Roti can be made using whole wheat fours, multi-grain four or millet flours.
On the contrary, Naan is more popular as Indian flat bread outside of India and often people ask me if I eat it everyday at home. Naan is more of a festive or special meal flat bread that is not common in day-today Indian household.
Avocado Chapati with Spinach
Equipment
Ingredients
From Pantry
- 200 g Multigrain Flour 2 cups Plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Water
- 2 tsp Ghee apply on rotis
Produce
- 100 g Avocado 1 Ripe avocado peeled and smashed
- 100 g Spinach 3 1/2 cups approximately (Optional – Look for Recipe variation below)
Instructions
Avocado Spinach Chapati Recipe
- Place 2 cup flour in a stand mixer bowl with dough hook attachment.
- Make a puree of avocado and spinach using blender. Use just enough water to facilitate the blending. Add salt per taste as well while making puree.
- Start adding this puree into the flour in small increments while kneading on lowest setting of stand mixer.
- Continue to knead until the flour comes together. For two cups of flour you'll need approximately 1.5 cup of puree.
- Sprinkle your hands with dry flour and smooth out the kneaded dough to make a smooth dough ball. At the end, it should not be sticky and smooth to touch.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes
- When you are ready to grill, start by preheating your cast iron skillet or grill at medium heat.
- While skillet is getting heated up, divide the dough in equal size balls.
- Take one ball and flatten it out between your palms. Now dust it into dry flour so that it does not stick while rolling to the rolling pin and the board.
- Roll out the dough ball using rolling-pin to 5-6″ in diameter, dust more dry flour if needed.
- Turn the heat of the griddle up to medium-high. Dust off the excess flour from the rolled roti / chapati before placing on the skillet.
- Cook for 20 to 30 seconds until small bubbles appear on the surface. Now flip, and the bottom side should have small brown spots from cooking.
- Now, flip again in a few seconds and the bottom side should also have the brown spots from cooking.
- From this point you may continue to cook on skillet or use can use a grill to puff up the roti.
- If you continue on the skillet, press the sides and center of the chapati down on the griddle using a paper towel, cheesecloth or a spatula.
- Over the grill use a tong to flip the roti back and froth while it puffs.
- Once cooked, remove the chapati from the heat and place it on a perforated surface like cooling rack or a mesh to avoid the sogginess from the steam. Immediately smear the top side with melted ghee or butter.
- Repeat the process with remaining dough balls.
Avocado Chapati Recipe variation without Spinach and no use of mixer / blender:
- This avocado chapati recipe variation only uses Avocado and does not require spinach. Stand mixer or blender is also not required in this recipe variation.
- Place 2 cup flour in a medium bowl.
- Smashed avocado and salt in flour.
- Starting mixing the avocado mixture with the flour.
- Gradually start adding continue to knead till the dough comes together as a ball.
- Once all the flour is all together, knead it for 5-7 minutes using your knuckles or until smooth.
- Make sure that dough is soft enough not stiff, that it leaves an impression when you press your finger against the dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes
- When you are ready to grill, start by preheating your cast iron skillet or grilled over a medium heat.
- While skillet is getting heat up, meanwhile divide the dough in equal size balls. I was able to get 10 balls out of it.
- Take one ball, flatten it between your palms, and dust lightly in dry flour.
- Roll out the dough ball using rolling pin to 5-6″ in diameter, dust more dry flour if needed.
- Turn the heat of the griddle up to medium-high.
- Dust off the excess flour from the rolled roti/chapati before placing on the skillet.
- Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the side that is down on the griddle starts to brown in small areas
- This will only take a few seconds. Flip the chapati using a pair of tongs.
- Press the sides and center of the chapati down on the griddle using a paper towel or cheesecloth, if you continue to cook on skillet only. This will help to puff up the roti. Once the second side is brown, remove the chapati from the heat and place it on a perforated surface like cooling rack or a mesh to avoid the sogginess from the steam. Immediately brush the top side with melted ghee.
- Repeat the process with remaining dough balls.
- If you happen to have gas coking range then you can finish puffing it up on open flame. Set the skillet aside and using tongs cook the chapati on an open flame. Once the chapati puffs up, flip to cook on the other side. Take the chapati off the flame and brush the top side with ghee.
Aditi Gupta
You mentioned that the rotis can stay well for 1 week in the refrigerator.
How long can you keep the dough in refrigerator? I usually make spinach rotis, adding avocado sounds amazing! My dough stays good for about 3 days as I always make fresh rotis.
Rupali Agarwal
Hello Aditi,
Since Avocado oxidized really quickly, you can’t keep the dough for longer period of time in fridge. But if you really wish to store then freezing the dough would be a better option. You can divide the dough in portion for one time use( for example if you need 6 rotis for meal, then divide the dough into portion for 6 rotis) then wrap individual with cling wrap, put it in ziploc and store in freezer. Whenever you want to make rotis takeout the one portion dough an hr or 2 before and just leave it at kitchen counter until you are ready to make rotis.
Hope this makes sense.
Thank you – Rupali
Marianne
These look amazing, can you freeze them?
Rupali Agarwal
Yes you can freeze them. Separate them with parchment paper in between so that they do not stuck to each other. Pack in small portions that you will use in one time.
Sariska
I found this version to be the best for everyday… rotis r so healthy and soft always especially if packing for school and office lunches. I have got so much used to now making avocado spinach & whole wheat rotis/ parantha that i never miss to add both of these while making the dough.
Rupali Agarwal
Thank you Sariska for leaving your wonderful feedback! I am so happy that recipe is working for you great. If you happen to try any other recipe from blog do let me know.
Thank you once again for your precious time!
Rupali Agarwal
Shal
This is super healthy And yummy for kiddos And adults too!!!
Rupali Agarwal
Thank you Shal! I am glad you find it useful.
Thank you!
Rupali Agarwal
Sadaf
This is the most convenient way to add avocado in your diet. My rotis become super soft & delicious not to forget extra nutritious
Rupali Agarwal
Thank you so much Sadaf for dropping your valuable feedback!
April
I am doing the whole30 diet and can’t have flour. Although, I can have almond flour and other nut flours. Would this work with a nut flour or even cassava flour? Thanks!
Mausam
Thanks Rupali for the nutrient rich recipe. I made it and it came really good. wanted to know how do you store these rotis to have it fresh till 2-3 days?
Rupali Agarwal
Hello Mausam, thanks for trying this recipe and I am glad you enjoyed it.
To store these rotis:
Shreya Naik
Put cooked Rotis in a covered plate lined with clean kitchen towels/paper towels or inside an insulated casserole. This will keep the rotis warm and soft until serving time.
The Rotis keep well and soft refrigerated for almost 4-5 days. Store it in a casserole or airtight container lined with paper towel.
To freeze pack them in a pack of in the numbers you are going to use in one time) for us it is 5. So I’ll pack 5 in a ziplock covered with paper towel. To thaw just take out one pack from freezer and place it in the refrigerator the night before.
Reheat your rotis in the microwave for 30 seconds. Covering them with a damp paper towel while reheating. Alternatively you can also reheat them on hot griddle before eating or serving them. Just warm them up on hot griddle for 15- 20 seconds each side. They warm up and get super soft to eat.
Vaishali Ahuja
I just made the spinach avocado chapatti yesterday for my kids. The chapattis were soft & yummy. & we all enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for sharing such a nutritional recipe.
Rupali Agarwal
Thank you Vaishali, for trying this recipe! I am glad that it worked out for you and you enjoyed it!!!
Thank you for dropping your feedback as well
Much Love
Rupali
Reni
I made it came out very soft tasty and healthy..
Thanks for sharing
Rupali Agarwal
Thank you Remi for trying it and taking out time to post your feedback. I am glad that you liked the recipe.
Thank you!
Bindu
Please let me know 190cal serving size per chapati or half chapati. Thx
Rupali Agarwal
Hello Bindu,
Servings: 5 (2 per person)
Calories: 190 kcal
190 calories are for two Chapatis.
Thank you
Rupali
Gigi
These look awesome! Will it mix OK without a stand mixer, or is it really necessary in order to activate the gluten enough?
Rupali Agarwal
Hello Gigi, nope you don’t need stand mixer at all. You can very well knead the dough with hands. I have a variation where you can see that I am kneading the dough with hands.
Stand mixer is helpful when one is making dough in large quantity, for daily purpose I personally don’t use stand mixer and quickly knead it with hands.
Thank you
Rupali