Missi roti is a North Indian variety of roti, an unleavened flatbread made by combining whole wheat flour, gram flour, salt, water, and a blend of freshly ground Indian spices such as red chili powder, cumin seed powder, carom seed powder, turmeric, coriander, and crushed dry pomegranate seeds.
The resulting dough is often enhanced with sliced green chilis and finely chopped vegetables such as onions, spinach, or fenugreek leaves. The dough is then rolled into flat disks before it is traditionally cooked on a hot iron griddle called tawa until brown and slightly crispy.
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Baati is a hard, unleavened Indian bread that is typically prepared in the desert areas of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Traditionally, baati is baked over the ambers of dried cow-dung. It consists of wheat flour, salt, ghee, and very little water, so the resulting low moisture and high fat content give it an extended shelf life.
Baati is often eaten with dal, resulting in a dish called dal bati, a popular Rajasthani delicacy where baati is dipped in ghee and traditionally served in an earthenware pot. The bread can be prepared in a basic, plain version, but it can also be filled with peas, onions, or sattu.
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Bhakri is a popular Indian unleavened flatbread native to the Indian state of Maharashtra, although it is commonly found throughout Gujarat, Goa, and Rajasthan. It can be made with jowar, ragi, sorghum, wheat, or rice flour, all of them high in dietary fibers, making bhakri a healthy type of flatbread.
It is sometimes additionally flavored with ghee butter or cumin seeds, and served with chutneys, baingan bharta, vegetables, curry, or rice. Traditionally, bhakri was often consumed by the farmers for breakfast and lunch, providing sustenance throughout the long working days.
MOST ICONIC Bhakri
View moreMasala papad is a traditional snack and a version of papadum flatbread that’s topped with a mix of tangy and spicy ingredients. The flatbread is roasted or fried and it’s usually made with lentil, chickpea, or rice flour. After it’s been roasted or fried until crunchy, it’s topped with a mixture of onions, tomatoes, coriander, hot chili powder, lemon juice, chaat masala, and salt.
It’s important to add the topping after the flatbread has been fried or roasted, otherwise it will get soggy. If desired, additional ingredients can be added to the topping, such as cucumbers, mint leaves, carrots, or raw mango. Masala papad is traditionally served as a snack or an appetizer, but it can also be served as an accompaniment to various Indian meals.
Hailing from North India, dal puri is a variety of puri, a type of round-shaped Indian bread that is deep-fried until crispy, puffy, and golden. This version of the bread consists of puri dough that’s kneaded with a lentil-based mixture.
Numerous versions of the dish exist throughout different regions, and depending on the spices used for its preparation, the dish can range from mildly spicy to hot. The dough is typically made with plain flour, water, salt, and oil, while the filling usually combines mung dal lentils with oil and spices such as ginger, green chili, cumin, fennel seed powder, mango powder, asafetida, and salt.
Roti is a flat, unleavened whole wheat bread, visually similar to a pancake, cooked on a traditional iron griddle called tawa, a key element of the rural cuisine of Punjabi. It is one of the most basic breads in India, a cross between pita bread and a tortilla that is buttered on one side.
Makki ki roti is made from makai atta cornmeal flour, salt, and water, and once it's done, it is brushed with ghee and traditionally served piping hot with sarson da saag (cooked mustard leaves and spices), especially during the winter months.
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Phulka is a traditional flatbread that’s very similar to a chapati. Although both flatbreads are made from wheat flour, there are some key differences. Phulka is smaller in size and diameter than a chapati. Regarding the cooking method, phulka is first cooked on a tawa on one side, while the other side is placed over direct heat such as embers, resulting in its puffed up, ballooney appearance because of the trapped steam between the layers of dough.
Consequently, phulka is served immediately, as it is, otherwise it will lose its puffed up shape, while chapati is often brushed with ghee or butter after it’s been cooked. This puffy flatbread is usually served with different curries.
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Kulcha is an Indian flatbread made with wheat flour, and it is commonly served as an accompaniment to chickpea curry. The bread is cooked in a tandoor or on a griddle, and it is usually brushed with ghee and served while still hot. Chewy and soft, it is also easily cooked on a traditional tawa, making it accessible both to the common people and royalty, a fact that led to its popularity in North India.
In the royal kitchens, kulchas were typically stuffed with vegetables and meat. Kulcha was the official symbol of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, and it even appeared on the Hyderabad state flag, which additionally popularized the bread. Today, the most popular version of this bread is the Amritsari kulcha, stuffed with potatoes and traditionally served alongside Amritsari chana masala.
VARIATIONS OF Kulcha
MOST ICONIC Kulcha
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Khakhra is a popular, crispy flatbread originating from the Indian state of Gujarat. Made with wheat flour, moth bean, and oil, the crackers are typically consumed for breakfast, providing a healthy snack that is best enjoyed when accompanied by chutneys or curries.
Since khakhra is very similar to chapati, another popular Indian flatbread, it is believed that a cook in Gujarati roasted leftover chapatis on a griddle and served them with tea for breakfast, creating khakhras in the process. Khakhra can also be transformed into a sweet snack by spreading some ghee and sugar on top of it.
Kashmiri naan is a traditional flatbread and a variety of naan originating from Kashmir, a state that borders India and Pakistan. The dough is made with a combination of flour, yeast, salt, sugar, dahi, and ghee. Once rolled, the dough is filled with dried fruits, nuts, and spices such as raisins, almonds, cashews, cumin, and fenugreek.
The naan is then baked in a hot tava pan until fully cooked, a bit puffy, and golden brown. This type of sweet naan is usually served for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, when it’s typically paired with tea (Kashmiri chai) or coffee. It’s often served with spicy curries, gravy, raita, or chutneys.
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