Indian dishes are best eaten with their staple food – bread

While many regions in Asia are into rice, people from India have another alternative to the common staple food – the breads. And since there are various cereals and grains that grow in the country, one may choose from a wide variety of breads that would go well with the Indian dishes. These breads are also created in different ways as well. Aside from baking, Indians also broil it, fry it, placing it directly on fire, or steam the bread.

The traditional bread in India is the Roti. One can create a roti out of wheat flour. However, you must also have a tawa or a slightly round iron griddle to make one. If you haven’t seen a roti yet, try to look at a tortilla since they look almost the same.

Aside from roti, there are actually more than 15 breads to choose from. One of which is the Naan. Naan is one of the most common Indian breads that you can see in the grocery stores. The Naan is a flatbread, usually round, that is made up of white flour which is similar to the Pita bread. But unlike the Pita, Naan is cooked by the Indians through the use of a clay oven or what they call the tandoor.

Another kind of bread in India is the paratha or sometimes called as the parantha. It is also a flat bread which is made from whole wheat flour. You can either cook it in a pan or deep fry it in oil. More often than not, parathas have stuffings such as paneer (cottage cheese), boiled potatoes, cauliflower or radish. There are even times that a paratha is simply eaten with pickles or dipped in yogurt. The shape of the paratha varies. It can be round, square, or even triangular.

You can also opt for chapatti, a bread made from whole grain durum wheat or atta flour, salt, and water. The size of the chapatti may vary depending on one’s kitchen. In India, the size of the chapatti ranges from 12 to 15 centimeters. However, if Pakistans would bake a chapatti, it is usually between 15 to 30 centimeters. This is a great accompanying food if you would eat soup, curry dishes, or grilled meat.

On the other hand, the most eaten bread in South India is the Dosa. The dosa is made from lentils and rice. It is like the Indian version of the crepe that you eat. This type of bread is rich in protein as well as carbohydrates. Many people from South India eat the dosa during breakfast or dinner. It is usually eaten with vegetables, meats, or even special sauces made from different mild Indian spices.

The southern parts of India also have another bread that they usually eat aside from dosa. It is called the Hoppers, popularly known as the appam. There are different kinds of appams such as the plain appam, egg appam, milk appam, and the string appam or idiyappam. The differences between the variations of the hoppers rely on the ingredients used as it is being cooked. Some have coconut while others have honey.