Indian bread

Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits.

Ingredients

Most flatbreads from northern India are made primarily from milled flour, usually atta or maida, and water. Some flatbreads, especially paratha, may be stuffed with vegetables and layered with either ghee or butter.

In southern India and the West Coast, most flatbreads are basically crêpe made from black lentils and rice. Popular varieties include dosa, Appam, uttapam and rice rotis and ragi rotis.

Most Indian breads make use of the yeast spores in the atmosphere for fermentation.

Preparation

In northern India, a dough of the main ingredient is prepared and flattened by rolling. Most Indian breads, such as roti and chapati, are baked on tava, a griddle made from cast iron, steel or aluminum. Others such as puri and bhatura are deep-fried.

In Southern India, a batter of rice and black lentils is prepared and ladled in small amounts onto a hot greased skillet, where it is spread out into a thin circle and fried with oil or ghee until golden brown. In Western India (including the states of Maharashtra,Gujarat and Rajasthan) bread may be made from coarse grains such as bajra, sorghum or ragi, though wheat is the staple in these regions. These breads are known by various names rotlo (Gujarati), bhakri (Marathi), roti (Rajasthan) or rotti (North Karnataka).