South Asian Breads
Updated: Sep 2, 2023
Following up from the bread recipe I posted last week, here is a short list of some of the different types of South Asian breads!
As I mentioned in that previous post, bread is an absolutely essential part of our diet in Pakistan and is a huge part of the culture. We say, “you haven’t eaten if you haven’t had bread” in my family!
I find that outside of South Asia (or at least in Canada) people don’t seem to know about all the amazing breads there are! People’s knowledge is often limited to naan which, don’t get me wrong naan is amazing, but if you know about these other breads you may find a new favourite the next time you visit a South Asian restaurant. So read on to discover more about some delicious South Asian breads!
NAAN / KULCHA
First up is an absolute classic, NAAN! Having likely been introduced to South Asia from breads originating from the area of the present-day Middle East by the Persians, the presence of naan was first recorded in South Asia in 1300 CE. This shows just how rich the history of bread is in South Asia, dating back centuries ago! At this time, naan was consumed by noble people but today naan has become a staple in households of all incomes.
Naan is a leavened flatbread that is prepared in a tandoor. For those unfamiliar with these terms, leavened refers to bread that contains a leavening agent, usually yeast, that causes bread to rise, and a tandoor is a clay oven that originates from South Asia used to bake breads and other dishes that can reach up to 900 degrees Celsius! To finish it off, the naan is usually brushed with ghee which is South Asian clarified butter and then consumed with any curries or grilled meats!
Kulcha is very similar to naan but can differ slightly in the cooking, leavening agent, and thickness. It also usually tastes different than naan and although it’s not something I have prepared/eaten often it’s definitely worth trying in place of naan if you ever get the chance.
As for a specific type of naan, there is one that I absolutely must mention as it comes from my homeland and that is Peshawri naan. Now if you go to a restaurant or look up how to make Peshawri naan online, there will be a lot of search results on both Western and South Asian websites that share recipes for Peshawri naan including coconut, almonds, raisins, milk powder, etc.
Let me set the record straight in this post by saying this is NOT authentic Peshawri naan! Sure, this is what Indian restaurants (and lots of Indian people) call Peshawri naan but if you go to Peshawar this type of naan would look very foreign in comparison to authentic Peshawri naan. Instead, if you are looking for Peshawri naan you are better off looking up “Afghan naan” because it’s very similar to that… and maybe I’ll post a recipe sometime soon!
ROTI / CHAPATI
Now we get to my personal favourite South Asian bread, roti! This is an unleavened bread that only contains two ingredients, water and atta (the wheat flour I used in my bread recipe). It is cooked on a tawa, which is a type of pan that I use for my bread recipe so you can see how it looks there! Along with being cooked on the tawa, it can be placed directly over heat afterwards so that it puffs up (which is a lot easier with a gas stove than an electric) and gets a really nice texture.
This makes for a bread that’s super easy to make and delicious for consumption with any dish you would have naan with! I also really enjoy roti because although I know some people add ghee in my family roti is generally prepared with no oil/ghee which I personally prefer for my breads.
There are also a bunch of different kinds of roti with one that I personally find really cool which is makki ki roti. This roti is prepared with maize flour which provides a very unique texture and taste! This also may be a good option for those with Celiac Disease as it can be prepared gluten free without compromising on authenticity!
As for the difference between roti and chapati they are essentially the same thing so the terms are usually used interchangeably. So if you see chapati on the menu instead of roti it is probably the same thing.
PARATHA
A favourite of many, paratha is the greasy and flaky cousin of the roti. It is also an unleavened bread made using atta but differs from the roti in that the dough is layered and then fried, which is what gives the amazing flaky texture. Paratha is the common breakfast bread of choice, with three main mouth-watering methods of consumption.
1. On its own with chai! This may sound a bit surprising but not only do people simply have plain paratha with chai, but they also dip their paratha in chai! This is personally my favourite way to consume paratha, having fond memories of eating this when I was younger.
2. Stuffed with any number of delicious fillings. A classic example is aloo paratha, where the paratha is stuffed with spicy aloo (potatoes).
3. Plain paratha with other breakfast dishes is also common. This can range from rich stews that are commonly consumed for breakfast like nihari or lighter dishes that are easy to make at home like eggs (speaking of which, my desi egg recipe is coming soon)!
If you want to start your day off with some amazing food, paratha is one of the best options, perhaps only being beat by the next bread on my list.
PURI / BHATURA
Puri is yet another unleavened dough usually prepared using atta but this one has a fun and delicious twist. This bread is actually deep fried! This may sound a little strange and heavy as a breakfast dish but the dough is really thin so you get this amazing texture without the bread being too heavy.
The fun part comes when it’s being fried as the puri puffs up until it looks like a bread balloon!
I mentioned that puri is also a breakfast bread and it is in fact associated with a famous breakfast dish in Pakistan, halwa puri! This dish is so delicious, especially if you like sweet and savoury food. Essentially, it is puri served with halwa which is like a sweet semolina pudding and chana which is chickpeas. If you’ve had chana masala (a chickpea curry) before this chana usually isn’t quite the same so you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the unique flavour when you try it!
As for the difference between puri and bhatura it is again subtle. There can be changes in shape, size, and flour that can be differentiating factors, along with what they are typically consumed with. Just know that both are pretty similar though so you can get/make either.
This may not sound like a typical breakfast to people outside of South Asia but trust me if you find yourself at a Pakistani restaurant for breakfast or lunch you absolutely must try it if it’s on the menu!
DOSA
Yet another predominantly breakfast bread/dish, I have been craving dosas ever since I had the best dosa in North America on my recent trip to NYC. Dosas are super different from all the other breads on this list, being made from a fermented dough of ground rice and black gram lentils. This dough is then formed into a thin bread, often compared in thickness to a crepe but generally crispier.
It is then common to fill the dosa with a filling, like aloo for example. The dish is then typically served with sambar and chutneys like coconut and tamarind chutney. As far as breakfast goes, halwa puri may be king in Pakistan but in South India dosas absolutely dominate, I’m not sure which one I enjoy more but what I do know is that these have got to be two of the best breakfasts in the world!
PAPAD
The last entry on this list is more crispy snack-like than bread-like and if you have seen my post of the different types of chaat you know that South Asians absolutely love this! This dough is made out of any of a variety of flours that is fried into a super thin crispy texture. It can then be eaten as a snack or appetizer (which is how you will commonly see it in Indian restaurants in Canada) that can be dipped in chutneys or sauces.
You might be surprised but the history of the papad actually dates back to 500 BCE and you can find it being mentioned in Buddist-Jain canonical literature. Jains, a religious community in India, refrain from consuming leafy greens and fruits during the monsoon season. Thus, during this time their diet is dependent on grains and lentils and that’s why papad fits right in.
I personally love the cultural side of papad and how women in South Asia come together to make papad and bond over this activity. There are several pieces of Jain literature that mention papads being made using urad, masoor, and chana dal. Shubhra Chatterji a renowned culinary researcher and founder has said that “from historical records, papad on the subcontinent is at least 1500 years old, if not more”.
That’s all for this post you guys! Make sure to checkout my other blog posts and let me know through social media or email whether or not you enjoyed this post and anything else you might want to see!
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