Naans, rotis, parathas and pooris, leavened and unleavened.
A pleated, multi-layered Bengali flatbread laminated with ghee and studded with chillies, fresh herbs and freshly crushed black pepper. The dough is folded fan-style and rolled into a spiral coil so each paratha bakes into a stack of flaky leaves. Best eaten straight off the tawa with dal, a curry, or a bowl of yoghurt.
Soft, slightly leavened Indian flatbreads traditionally served with chole (chickpea curry). The addition of yoghurt gives bhatura weight and flavor, making them a street-food favorite.
Small deep-fried Indian flatbreads built on a half-and-half mix of plain and wholemeal flour, spiked with chilli powder and chopped fresh chilli. Each piece puffs in seconds in the hot oil and stays crisp for a few minutes off the heat. Best served straight from the pan alongside a north Indian curry or pickles and yoghurt.
A Punjabi-style flatbread built on a half-and-half mix of gram (chickpea) flour and wholemeal flour, kneaded with chopped chilli, onion, fresh coriander and turmeric. The result is a thicker, rougher roti than its plain wheat counterpart, with a savoury flavour that works as well alongside a curry as it does on its own with yoghurt.
A grill-cooked version of the traditional tandoor naan: large, light and slightly sweet, with a chewy crumb and a sesame and onion-seed crust. Yoghurt and a touch of sugar in the dough give it the soft, almost briochey texture that the tandoor's blast of heat usually produces. It's the wrap that should hold a kebab, or sit alongside a Balti on the table.
Deep-fried wholemeal flatbreads built on a tight, slightly drier dough than a roti so they hold their shape long enough to puff in the oil. Each disc puffs in seconds and stays crisp for a few minutes off the heat. Best served the moment they leave the pan, ideally with chole or another sauce-rich curry.
A simple wholemeal flatbread that lives or dies on technique rather than ingredients. Rolled to even thinness and cooked first on a hot tawa, then puffed over a naked flame, a properly made roti separates into two thin sheets of soft bread. The right partner for almost any curry, dal or chutney.