Indians are fond of varieties. Be it cuisines, cloths, culture or language, every region has its own variation and tradition. Just like the country, the Indian breads are also diverse, rich and versatile. The scrumptious Indian thali is incomplete without breads. We have a plenty to choose from- phulkas, theplas,naan, pathiri, puris, kulchas, luchi and bhaturas. Different states serve different textures ane flavors of bread, flatbreads are the most common in many parts but leavened breads are popular as well.
1. North: Known for its vast array of breads, North India serves the most scrumptious naan, kulchas and paranthas. Mostly made with atta or maida, its traditional breads are stuffed or fried. Makke di roti and missi roti are aldo popular and are served with a dollop of home made butter to brighten up the cold winters. Kulchas and bhaturas are served with chana masala and punjabi chole. Bhaturas are usually deep fried and the dough is made up of maida and kept for fermentation with curd. Kulchas are baked in tandoor or oven and have flaky texture. The famous lachcha parantha which is a tempting bread tastes best when served with dal makhani and gravies. Stuffed aloo paranthas, paneer paranthas or onion paranthas are best known breakfast items and are served with curd and pickles.
2. South: South being the rice ruling region replaces wheat as a staple cereal even when it comes to breads. Southern breads have three base ingredients- rice flour, wheat flour and lentils such as urad dal or moong dal. Most of the breads in south are leavened naturally like idlis and dosas. Jonna rotte, taida rotte, makka rotte and korra dossa are also some of the popular breads made from locally grown millets in Telangana. Andhra pradesh serves chappatis and puri made up of atta, Kerela serves appam, neer dosa is famous in Karnataka and dosa in Tamil Nadu are made from rice. In south, different breads are eaten at each meal. For breakfast, appam, dosas and idlis are served. Iddiyappam or string hoopers with curry is also popular. Malabari parantha or parotta, akki roti, oroti, ceylon parantha are also favorites.
3. East: Bengalis love rice but their luchis are just lip smacking. A meal of luchi and dum aloo is legendary.Cholar dal and kosha mangsho are must have in Kolkata. Luchis are similar to puris and are made up of fine maida instead of atta. Radhaballabhi, another variant of bread is served with cholar dal or chana dal. Koraishutir kochuri is a puri stuffed with green puris. These items are served with aloo dum or a similar potato preparation.
4. West: From west comes thin flatbreads like theplas and khakhras which are served with pickle and curd. Equally famous is bajra na rotlo or millet rotlo which is a small thick flatbread grilled over coal. Gujarat is also known for its bhakris and dhebras. Goa also has a variety of breads like pao, poie, kankon, katricho made up of maida or atta, yeast, salt, sugar, oil, water and milk.
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