12 Popular Indian Flatbreads

Are you looking for some main course items or Indian cuisine? Here's a list of the 12 most popular Indian flatbreads. Indian flatbread is easy to make and healthier than flour tortillas.

Flatbreads are authentic Indian everyday food. Our meal is incomplete without them. Traditionally, flatbreads are unleavened bread made without yeast. Just flour, salt, and water are required to knead the dough. These are instant doughs, as you don't need leavening time for making flatbreads.

If you are not allergic to gluten, these homemade whole wheat flatbreads are the best dinner food to pair up your curries. You can also add some sauces and veggies and wrap them for your lunch or kid's tiffin. Excellent ideas.

The more common variety is made with whole wheat flour and is popular as "chapati/ roti/ phulka" in different parts of the country. This is also the healthiest option compared to the refined flour ones like tortillas, pita bread, naan, and kulcha. Brush some ghee or clarified butter over it after it's baked.

The other varieties of Indian flatbreads like naan, bhature, kulcha, and paratha need slight variation. However, small variation brings in a lot of change in the taste and texture of these flatbreads. One can make these flatbreads with just butter or may love to stuff veggies and cheese to make them extra delicious and healthy.

Regional Variations to Indian Flatbreads

North Indian Flatbreads

In North India, flatbreads are the staple food, unlike in the eastern part, where rice is the staple food. However, people also consume flatbreads on a daily basis in the eastern and western parts. Phulkia, naan, kulcha, tandoori roti, Makki ki roti, and lacchha paratha are more common in North Indian states like UP, Punjab, Rajasthan, etc.

Some deep-fried flatbreads, like poori, kachori, and bhature, are common and loved in North Indian cuisine. Chole bhature, chole kulcha, and Makke ki roti with Sarson ka saag are some of the best food combos of North India. The best ones you will get on roadside dhabas on highways.

Again, paratha is equally loved in the northern parts of countries. Stuffed paratha like aloo paratha, gobi paratha, and paneer paratha make great breakfast options.

West Indian Flatbreads

In West and South India, a type of flatbread is made from multi-grains like jawar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), and bajra (pearl millet). In Maharashtra, "thalipeeth" is one of the most popular types of Indian flatbread made from multi-grains.

It contains many grains and cereals like wheat, rice, bajra, jowar, ragi, green gram, black gram, horse gram, chickpeas, and many more. Each of them is roasted and milled together to make the flour. You can also get ready-made flour in your grocery store and supermarkets. These are healthy ones.

East Indian Flatbreads

In the Eastern part of our country, like Kolkata, Odisha, and Bihar, rice is the staple food. However, roti, paratha, poori, and luchi also loved the food there.

How to make Indian flatbread from scratch?

This is one of the simplest recipes, but it may be difficult for beginners compared to other tasks like prepping or sauteing. But when you know how to make dough, half of your work is complete.

Once the dough is ready, make small balls and roll them into circles (again, difficult for beginners 😉 ). Place the rolled bread on a tawa or griddle and cook both sides until it's a little puffy in areas. Now, take it out with the help of a tong and place it on a direct flame, and it will puff like a balloon (if rolled evenly).

Making of Indian Flatbread (Chapati/ Roti/ Paratha) Dough

In a mixing bowl, take wheat flour and a pinch of salt. Now, add water slowly and gradually. Keep mixing flour and water till it forms into a dough-like structure. Adding all the water at a time may make the dough watery and sticky.

Make sure it's not too watery or too stiff. It should be soft and smooth and not stick to hands or fingers. Now, knead the dough for 8 - 10 minutes. "The more you knead the dough, the softer the chapati/ roti/ bread will be" - a magic mantra for the softest Indian flatbread. So give enough pressure to your palm and fist while kneading the dough. This will also help activate the gluten.

Tips to fix:

1. If your dough becomes sticky and a little more watery, you can fix it by adding flour in batches until you reach the desired consistency for roti, chapati, or paratha.
2. If it's that watery and can't be fixed by adding a little flour, then make wheat flour crepes out of it. It won't be a waste in that case, either.

Making Poori Dough (puffed bread)

Poori is a deep-fried bread with whole wheat flour. If you make it with refined or all-purpose flour, it will be Luchi (famous in Kolkata). These are regional variations. This is also smaller in size.

The dough for poori is very different from that of chapati, roti, or paratha. Along with flour and salt, you can add a little oil and carom seeds (optional).

The dough is relatively tight for the poori. This is because we need to roll it without dusting it with flour. However, you can grease the board and rolling pin with a few drops of oil before rolling.

Similarly, to make khasta or kachori, you need to add oil to the flour and mix until it crumbles. Then, add water gradually, making a semi-stiff dough. This makes the kachori crispy and flaky. The same is true for making dough for samosas.

Making Dough for Naan or Kulcha

Naan and kulcha are made with fermented or leavened dough. Use yeast, baking powder, baking soda/ fruit salt, and curd for fermentation. For the vegan dough, use an activated yeast mixture. To make yeast-free dough curd, soda, and baking powder. The detailed process of dough is included in each type of bread recipe. After you make the dough, proof the dough in a warm place. You can also use the microwave and instant pot for quicker dough-proofing.

Types of Indian Flatbreads

As described above, the making process differs for each type of flatbread. Here is a list of 10 easy flatbread recipes. These include roti, paratha, kachori, bhature, and naan.

Tandoori Roti

Tandoori roti is a popular North Indian recipe. This is a famous restaurant-style bread cooked in tandoor or clay fire. Tandoori roti is one of the loved street foods in North Indian dhabas. This whole wheat recipe is similar to plain chapat, but the thickness and cooking method differ.

Lachha Paratha

Lachha paratha is a layered flatbread. The dough can be made of whole wheat or refined flour. The dough-making process is similar, whereas the layers are a result of the rolling style. This goes best with any curry or dal items. Lachha paratha is almost similar to Kerala Paratha.

Aloo Paratha

Aloo paratha is again another popular North Indian food. This is nothing but stuffed with spicy mashed potatoes. This is one of the most loved breakfast items and popular dhaba food (street food) in North India.

Paneer Paratha

Paneer paratha is a paneer-stuffed flatbread. This is a high-protein breakfast item. Though popular across India, this is a primary North Indian food. This is made by stuffing cottage cheese or paneer.

Mughlai Paratha

Mughlai paratha is another type of cottage cheese or paneer-stuffed flatbread. This is a popular street food in Kolkata, but it is a vegetarian version of it. The dough contains typically refined flour, but you can also make whole wheat flour to make this healthy.

Gobi Paratha

Gobi paratha is a cauliflower-stuffed flatbread. Here, you spice up the grated cauliflower and then stuff it into your flatbread (just like aloo paratha). The dough is regular flatbread (roti) dough. This is an excellent filling breakfast recipe from North India.

Methi Paratha

Methi paratha is also famous as methi thepla in Maharashtra and Gujarat. This is an easy flatbread and one of the best nutritious Indian flatbreads. Spice it up with ground spices and mix with fresh fenugreek leaves. The rest of the process is the same as for other paratha recipes. This is excellent for kid's snacks or a Tiffin box.

Dal Paratha

I make dal paratha from leftover cooked dal. This is the best way to use leftover dal. Any dal is okay to make dal paratha. This is an easy, healthy, and high-protein breakfast and tiffin box recipe.

Bhature

Bhature is a deep-fried bread. This divinely goes with chole masala or vegan chickpea curry. But my bhature is not vegan. If you want to make vegan bhature, use non-dairy curd. This recipe has no yeast.

Naan

Naan is another delicious Indian bread made with refined flour. You can also make it with half-and-half flour to make it healthier. Normally, you leaven the dough using yeast or other leavening agents like baking powder. This vegan naan recipe goes well with any restaurant-style curries.

Amritsari Kulcha (Aloo Kulcha)

This is an authentic North Indian recipe. A Punjabi food. This is a combo of aloo paratha and naan, I must say. This stuffed Kulcha naan is extraordinarily delicious and also easy to make. Serve it with Amritsari chole for the best pairing. The leavening agent can be yeast, baking powder, curd, etc. Read the full recipe at the link below.

Aloo Kachori

Aloo kachori is one of the famous North Indian breakfast recipes. This usually is aloo or potato stuffed poori. But to make this little crispy, the dough differs from regular poori dough. It should not be as stiff as regular poori dough. The dough should be as soft as regular flatbread dough. Read the detailed recipe here.

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