I admit, Indian bakery does not hold much, if any, recognition in world of culinary arts. As much of a sweet tooth I have, I would not be caught dead with a chocolate cake, or any cake for that matter, that I pay for anywhere in India. However, when it comes to flatbread, I claim without bias, that India beats Spain, Italy, and France all together on any ordinary Sunday. The reason you may be inclined to disagree is no-thanks to Indian restaurants in the west that pass a sorry excuse of poorly baked, pasty ovals for mass-market Naan with a high profit margin. In reality, I have counted over 26 well-recognized flatbreads using different taste, texture, regional ingredients, and flavor profile that will have you say ‘pow’! Here I present a few common ones, along with some not-mine video-recipes of how to make them. Let’s dig in…

My inspiration for writing this blog is largely to educate the amazing group of folks who are attending Yoga for Life’s India Yoga Retreat this winter, as we travel and savor North and South Indian destinations. They will get an authentic taste of the most amazing Indian culinary treats!

Broadly, Indian flatbreads can be divided along the following axis:

Category A: baked, pan fried, or deep fried
Category B: made with wheat flour, non-wheat grains, or specific lentil flour such as besan (i.e., chickpea/gram)
Category C: stuffed or unstuffed with delicious … stuff
Category D: unfolded before cooking, or folded before its baked or fried, or folded after cooking (very regional)
Category E: unflavored, flavored spicy, or flavored sweet

First-up: well-known Naan.

To give it proper recognition, it should be called Tandoori Naan because it’s traditionally made in a tandoor oven that is popularized by Mughals (yep, the same Muslim invaders who gave us the incredible Taj Mahal mausoleum and other incredible landmarks and traditions) as their very unique way of cooking. Thickest of most Indian flatbreads, cooked in clay oven, often with blisters, Tandoori Naan can be served plain, or with a coating of ghee, along with sprinklings aromatic herbs and garlic.

“A staple of Bengali family, I grew up with my mother’s famous paper-thin Rumali Roti that puffs up with steam on tawa.”

— Raj Patra

A widely-known, thinner cousin is the famous Roti. And, even through it may look like Naan, Roti are quite different. While Naan is baked in a woodfired clay oven, Roti is cooked on a tawa or a cast iron flat surface. Roti is tender, delicate, soft, and the thinner the better. A staple of Bengali family, I grew up with my mother’s famous paper-thin Rumali Roti that puffs up with steam on tawa.

Although most folks will interchange Roti with Chapati, to me Chapati is slightly thicker Roti, made on flat iron and dusted with flour. It has blisters like a Naan, but Chapati is not baked in wood-fired or coal oven. The fun part is to see professionals roll out geometric perfect circles at blinding speed with wrist-work that I am yet to master.

Next up: Bhatura, commonly served with a side of delicious garbanzo bean curry: chana or chole bhatura. It is rolled thin, and then floated in a wok of oil or ghee, making them crispy on the outside with thin layer of soft middle. Many people get confused and don't know the actual difference between a Poori, and Bhatura: poori is made of whole wheat flour (atta flour) and is small in size and Bhatura is made of all-purpose flour adding baking powder and yogurt to give a sweet and salty taste, and is impressively large in size. Poori, also Puri, is a type of deep-fried bread, made from unleavened whole-wheat flour, smaller in size. Whole wheat flour Poori has a nutty flavour, while Poori made with all-purpose flour taste more soft. Although it gets chewier as the Poori cools. Popular Bengali version of Puri known as Luchi is made exclusively from all-purpose flour with butter or ghee added to the dough.

Now, we move on to the stuffed bread.

One closest to Poori is Kachori. There are regional variations of how or what it is stuffed with. But Kachori is a breakfast favorite with the aloo daam (or steamed potato curry) from neighborhood shop around the corner. The dough which is flavored with lots of butter and herbs is stuffed with soaked, ground moong daal that is then fried with ghee and a variety of aromatic spices is rolled out. It is flakey deliciousness! Here is how to make it in your own kitchen.

A more substantial version of the same is Khasta Kachori which can have a variety of fillings such as cooked, flavorful cumin green peas, a variety of savory and sometimes very mildly sweet fillings. The dough is thicker and very flakey sometimes infused with fennel, anise, or even black cardamom seeds. Something you should know about Indians is that there is a early evening tea-time. Khasta Kachori will likely be served during that time, but not as breakfast or lunch, and certainly not as an appetizer for dinner. You do not want to be uncivilized about it! Here is how to make khasta kachori.

When talking about stuffed flatbread, it will be impossible to ignore the one bringing the world together through happy bites, the one and only Samosa. Stuffed with a specifically made dry curry of potatoes, peas, black-peas, cauliflower, cilantro, cumin, coriander and so much more. While in the west samosas come as vegetarian item, in the Rajasthan or Muslim areas of India, Samosa comes stuffed with mutton keema (finely chopped, cooked) and other non-veg versions.

Although some may disagree with me, I find it joyful to think of Phuchka or Golgappa as a puffy round flatbread stuffed with spicy, tangy tamarind water, with a thumbfull of spicy mashed potato, gram and chopped cilantro. I have absolutely fond memories of stuffing my mouth with a dozen phuchka for twelve rupees, holding my saal-leaf miniature plate filling up with spilling tamarind water, competing with the phuchka-wala who serves those faster than you can eat. Those cast a spell on the town fairs after riding wooden, squeaky ferris wheel. Phuchka is made with a mix of whole wheat, semolina flours flash fried to turn it into paper thin round and hollow balls. Crack the top, put the fillings, dunk it in tamarind water and put it whole in your mouth for heaven!

Returning to more traditional looking flatbread, we take on Paratha (or Parantha). Parathas are one of the most popular, unleavened flatbreads in the Indian subcontinent, made by baking or cooking whole-wheat (atta) dough on a tawa, and finishing off with shallow-frying. It is a deliciously thick and pliable “chapati”. Paratha can be filled with spicy potato, or with fresh or dried fenugreek, turning it into methi paratha. Fun fact: The Indian stuffed Paratha originated in the early medieval period, pre-12th century CE, initially as sweet variations; the Chalukya King in his work Manasollasa describing this as a flatbread filled with wheat flour, jaggery, and gram paste. People in Bengal made a very identifiable variation by rolling it out and folding it in a triangular (teen-kona) shape.

Cooking the Paratha on the right flame is the secret to making a soft and fluffy Paratha. Make sure the tawa gets hot once and then lower the flame to medium. Putting the Paratha on a very hot tawa will burn it and make it hard, while putting it on a tawa which is not hot enough will make it limp. It is amazing to see moms and aunts sitting in a crammed kitchen and whipping out dozens of these why fly off to the dinner tables and disappear with chutney, curry, and sweets.

We are down to the last few.

Malabar roti, also known as Malabar paratha, is a traditional Indian flatbread that originates from the Malabar region of Kerala. What sets Malabar roti apart from other Indian breads is its unique preparation method, which involves twisting and layering the dough with ghee or oil before rolling it and cooking. This results in a flaky, soft, and vibrant crispy texture that pairs perfectly with a wide range of curries and chutneys. The versatility of Malabar roti makes it a popular choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, enjoyed by many both in India and around the world.

Let’s wrap up on a sweet note.

While most of the flatbreads here are in the savory basket, coming from Bengal, I have to mention a well-loved sweet flatbread call Malpoa. These are traditional north-east Indian pancakes made with wheat flour, jaggery or sugar, and cardamom powder. Various other ingredients like semolina, fennel seeds, milk, khoya (i.e., slow-cooked, reduced milk), coconut, yogurt, and even fruits like banana and pomegranate seeds are added to the Malpoa batter. Crispy, chewy on the edges, but delightfully soft and fluffy at the center, Malpoa denotes celebration and festivities such as Holi, Diwali or Navratri. Here is how to make it.

Curious to taste these delicacies of India? Come join us this December in India for an incredible culinary and spiritual adventure. Learn more here.

—Raj Patra, Co-Founder Yoga for Life

Comprehending Indian Flatbreads

Now, we move on to the stuffed bread.

Let’s wrap up on a sweet note.

Curious to taste these delicacies of India? Come join us this December in India for an incredible culinary and spiritual adventure. Learn more here.

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