The Pumpkin Chapati
A Nutritious Twist on Uganda’s Favourite Street Food
In Uganda, chapati is everywhere—rolled out on roadside stalls, fried in backyard kitchens, wrapped around eggs or eaten on its own. It’s one of the country’s most beloved and accessible foods.
But the typical chapati is made with refined, imported wheat flour and a lot of oil—making it starchy, fiberless, and nutrient-poor. It spikes blood sugar, contributes to weight gain, and increases the risk of illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes. It’s heavy on digestion and lacks the nourishment our bodies truly need.
At BODY&SOIL, together with schools, youth and farmers we asked a simple question:
What if our everyday staples could nourish us—without losing their familiar taste?
That’s how this soft, spiced pumpkin chapati was born.
It’s still recognisable, still satisfying—but now loaded with flavour, fibre, vitamins and polyphenols from ingredients that can be grown right in your garden.
Above: Chef Kalefu Wilbroad teaches students at our Nutrition and Cooking Club at a community primary school in Mityana how to prepare pumpkin chapati.
Why Reinvent the Chapati?
Wheat chapati has become a daily staple in Uganda, but:
It relies on imported flour, instead of building demand for local produce.
It’s low in micronutrients and fibre, offering mostly empty calories.
It’s typically fried in excess oil, making it hard on digestion and blood sugar.
So instead of asking people to stop eating chapati, we made one simple change:
Add what the land already offers. Pumpkin. Garlic. Ginger. Onion. Spices.
Everything except the flour can grow in your backyard.
The result: a chapati that is not only healthier—but more delicious.
We tested it with kids and adults alike—and no one asked for the old version back.
Pumpkin Chapati Recipe (Makes 12)
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose wheat flour (480g)
2 cups mashed pumpkin (approx. 400g, boiled and mashed)
1 small onion, finely grated or blended (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (for dough)
6 tablespoons sunflower oil (for frying)
No water. The onion and pumpkin will provide enough moisture.
Preferable: chopped up garden herbs like oregano or rosemary
Method:
1. Prepare the Pumpkin
Peel, chop, and boil pumpkin in water with teaspoon of salt until soft (10–15 minutes). Mash until smooth.
2. Make the Dough
In a bowl, combine flour, salt, onion, ginger, and garlic.
Add pumpkin mash and 2 tablespoons of oil.
Mix with your hands—do not add water.
Knead for 8 minutes until the dough is soft and elastic.
Cover and let rest for 20–30 minutes.
3. Roll the Chapatis
Divide into 12 equal balls (about 75g each).
Lightly flour your surface and roll each ball into a 7-inch circle.
4. Fry the Chapatis
Do not start with oil in the pan. Use a clean, dry pan.
Heat the pan over medium heat.
Place a chapati in the dry pan and cook for 30 seconds.
Flip, then brush lightly with oil and press gently with a spatula.
Flip again, brush the other side, and cook until golden spots appear and the chapati puffs slightly.
Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
Tip:
You don’t need oil in the pan at the start.
By brushing only a small amount of oil after flipping, you reduce excess oil absorption while still getting golden, soft results.
Serve With:
Beans or groundnut stew
As classic Ugandan Rolex (with an omelet)
Sautéed greens or cabbage
Or just enjoy it warm and plain—it’s that good.
What Food for the Future can look like
This is exactly the kind of food solution we want to see on the streets of Uganda, in African homes, and in school kitchens across the continent: delicious, nourishing, rooted in local produce, and kind to the soil.
It brings together local ingredients, traditional cooking skills, and regenerative thinking—without asking people to give up the foods they love.
And this isn’t just a one-off recipe. It’s the first official recipe of the BODY&SOIL Community Cookbook—a growing collection of practical, affordable, and healing meals developed with and for Ugandan communities, and relevant to other parts of East Africa.
Recipe developed by:
Samuel Nyanzi, Director of RUCID Organic Agricultural College (Uganda)
Kalefu Wilbroad, Head Chef at BODY&SOIL
Be Part of the Story
The BODY&SOIL cookbook is more than just recipes. It’s about restoring food systems from the ground up—supporting schools, farmers, and families in Uganda to build a healthier, more resilient future.
We’re working to document these dishes, share them with local communities, and eventually publish a version for readers around the world.
If you’d like to support this work, you can share it with your friends, cook with us, or contribute your knowledge—or a donation.
Every step helps bring these recipes to the people who need them most—and to those ready to cook differently.
Enjoy your delicious Pumpkin Chapati