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Indian Breads Naan, Chapati, Roti, Parantha, Poori
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Indian breads are a primary food in the daily menu of most people in the Indian subcontinent. The wide variety of grains and cereals grown in the country are used to make different kinds of breads, broiled, steamed, fried and cooked over direct heat.

They are usually made of finely milled flour and water. Most breads make use of the yeast spores in the atmosphere for fermentation, others use added yeast or curds, a few use baking soda, and still others are made without fermentation.

Again there are dry, moist, soft, and hard breads. So depending upon the ingredients and method of preparation, a variety of breads are made in India - Chapati, Puran Poli, Phulka, Luchi, Puri, Roti, Paratha, Naan, Appam, Dosa, Bhatoora, Kulcha, Pathiri, Baqar Khani, and many more. Some of these, like Paratha and Roti have many varieties. Some varieties depend on the kind of grain used to prepare them, and others depend on the fillings they contain.

Most of these are cooked on a flat pan except Naan and other Tandoori class of breads. A special oven called a tandoor clay oven is used for cooking Naan directly over a flame. Naan is a flatbread usually leavened with yeast. Some breads, like Puri and Luchi, are deep fried in oil.

The Appam is a fermented bread usually prepared with finely powdered rice flour. In Kerala in South India, there are Kallappam, Vattayappam and Palappam (Vellayappam). The kallappam is made on flat iron griddles. The vattayappam is a steamed bread, and palappam is made in small shallow bottomed pans, which are kept covered while the bread cooks. Palappam has a thin crisp lace like strip around it.

Naan Bread Recipe

These soft-textured, teardrop-shaped flatbreads, with their golden bottom crust and soft, rippled surface, are easy to make and eat in great quantity.
Naan Recipe  Yields ten 8-inch breads.
Ingredients
2 cups lukewarm water (about 100°F)
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup milk
27 oz. (6 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more or less as needed
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. coarse salt
Vegetable oil for the bowl
6 Tbs. unsalted ghee, melted
Cornmeal or flour for dusting the peel
6  tsp. nigella (black onion) seeds


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To make the dough: Put 1/2 cup of the water in a cup or glass and stir in the yeast. Heat the milk in a small saucepan to lukewarm, about 100°F. Pour the milk and remaining 1-1/2 cups water into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture. Stir in about 2 cups of flour, stirring always in the same direction, until smooth. Stir in the salt and continue stirring in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir but is still soft. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Wash, dry, and lightly oil the bowl. Knead the dough until it's smooth, 4 to 5 minutes, incorporating only enough flour (by keeping the work surface dusted) to prevent the dough from sticking; the dough should be quite soft and not tight.

Put the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic, and let it rise in a cool place for 8 hours or overnight. If you're not ready to bake yet, punch down the dough, put it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

To shape and bake: About 1-1/4 hours before you want to serve the breads, set an oven rack to an upper-middle rung. Put a large baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles on the rack, leaving a 1-inch gap around the border. Heat the oven to 500°F.

Pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half, putting half of it back in the bowl (covered) while you work with the other half.

Cut the dough half into five equal pieces. Shape each one into a ball by rolling the dough on the counter or by using both hands to turn it, round it, and smooth it. Put the balls to the side or back of the counter (flour the surface), and brush each with melted butter. Cover with plastic and let rest for 20 minutes. During the last few minutes of resting, prepare the remaining dough the same way.

Dust a rimless baking sheet or peel lightly with cornmeal or flour. Put one risen ball of dough on the floured work surface and push it out with your fingertips to a 6- or 7-inch round; don't turn it over. Set it aside; repeat with a second risen ball.

Return to the first piece, pushing it out to a rough 9x7-inch oval; you might try stretching it by draping it over the back of your hands and pulling gently. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Place both ovals on the peel and pull on the front edges. Sprinkle on seeds, if using. Transfer the flatbreads to the baking stone in the oven.

Bake the breads until their rippled tops have light golden spots and the bottoms are golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove them with a peel or long-handled spatula, transfer to a rack to cool for about 5 minutes, and brush with more melted butter, if you like. Wrap them in a cotton cloth to keep them soft and warm. Repeat the shaping and baking process with the remaining 8 balls of dough.

We have modified the recipe from -  Fine Cooking 47, pp. 72-76 October 1, 2001

Besan Roti Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
2 cups Gram Flour (Besan)
Butter / ghee for serving
How to make besan roti:
Mix the flours together and gradually add enough water to make pliable dough.
Divide it into ten portions and flatten them out using rolling pin.
Pre-heat the griddle and cook the rotis on each side.
Butter the besan roti generously and serve hot with lentils, vegetables or curries

Aloo Parantha Recipe (Aloo Ka Paratha)
Ingredients for alu paratha :
Stuffing:
2 boiled Potatoes
1 small finely chopped Onion (optional)
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Small piece of Ginger (very finely chopped or grated)
1 or 2 green Chilies (finely chopped)
Salt Red Chili powder and Garam masala as per taste
Butter
Preparation of aaloo paratha :
For the cover make dough out of whole-wheat flour (atta), as you would do for any parantha/roti.
Mash the potatoes.
Add all the stuffing items to mashed potatoes and mix it properly.
Make two medium size chapati, add the filling to the one chapati and cover it with the second one.
Now roll it slightly. Put it in a pre-heated oven at 450-degree. Cover top oven grill with aluminum foil & Place Paratha over it for easy baking.
When top side is done change the side and keep a check (till properly baked)
Spread butter over it. Serve aloo paratha hot with yogurt.

Gobi Parantha Recipe
Ingredients for gobi parantha recipe:
4 cups Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
2 cups Grated Cauliflower (Gobi)
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1-2 Chopped Green chilies
1" Ginger Chopped
Salt, Red chili powder & Garam Masala as per taste
1/2 tsp Ajwain (optional)
Butter /Oil for frying
Preparation for Gobhi Paratha:
Make dough out of whole-wheat flour (atta), as you would do for any paratha/roti.
Mix grated cauliflower, green chilies, ginger, coriander leaves, ajwain, chili powder, salt, and garam masala as a filling in paratha.
Make two medium size chapati, add the filling to the one chapati and cover it with the second one. Now roll it slightly.
Cook on a pre-heated Tawa (flat griddle plate). Turn it and pour half tablespoon oil or butter.
Spread it on the paratha and shallow fry over low heat.
Turn it and again pour oil or butter on the other side.
Cook on a low heat till golden brown.

Methi Parantha Recipe
Ingredients:
Methi ki sabzi
Whole Wheat Flour (atta) as per your Consumption
Salt as per taste
Oil/Butter for frying

How to make methi paratha:
Make dough out of whole-wheat flour (atta) as you would do for any parantha/roti 15 minute before and cover it with wet muslin cloth and keep aside.
Mash the Methi vegetable slightly with spoon.
Add little salt to the vegetable as per your taste. (Keeping in mind that vegetable already consists of salt).
Make a ball of dough slightly thicker than chapati and roll it a little.
Place the Methi vegetable on it and again make it into a ball.
Seal the edges completely so that the stuffing does not come out.
Flatten these balls and roll like any other parantha.
Pre-heat the griddle (tawa). Turn it and spread little oil or butter and shallow fry over low heat. Turn it again and spread butter/oil on the other side. Cook both sides till golden brown.
Serve methi ka paratha with homemade butter.

Serve gobhi ka parantha hot with yogurt (curd) and your favorite chutney.
Note: It makes 18 parathas.

Paneer Parantha Recipe
Ingredients for paneer parata:
100 gms Grated Paneer
1 finely chopped Onion
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Small piece of Ginger (grated)
1 or 2 finely chopped green Chilies
Salt, Red Chili powder and Graram masala as per taste
1/2 tsp Ajwain (optional)
Butter / Oil for frying

How to make paneer paratha:
Make dough out of whole wheat flour (atta), as you would do for any paratha/roti.
In a bowl mix all the stuffing ingredients.
Make two medium size chapati, add the filling to the one chapati and cover it with the second one. Now roll it slightly.
Cook on a pre-heated Tawa (flat griddle plate).
Turn it and pour half tablespoon oil or butter.
Spread it on the paratha and shallow fry over low heat. Turn it and again pour oil or butter on the other side.
Cook on a low heat till golden brown.
Serve paneer paratha hot with yogurt and your favorite chutney or with pickle.

Roomali Roti Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2cup Whole Wheat Flour (Atta)
1 cup white flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp oil
Water to knead

How To Make Roomali Roti:
Mix wheat flour, maida, salt and baking powder and sieve them together.
Pour oil in the flour and add water bit by bit and make a smooth & elastic dough and set aside covered with moist muslin cloth for 1/2 an hour.
Now make small balls of the dough and roll like a thin chapati of about 12" diameter circle using little dry flour (it should be thin as a tissue)
Heat an inverted griddle(tawa).
Place the rumali roti carefully over it and cook till done. Fold it like a handkerchief.
Serve rumali roti hot with indian curry.

Chapati Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups Wheat Flour (Gehun Ka Atta)
About 4 cups water or Water as per requirement
How to make chapati:
Knead soft dough with above ingredients.
Leave it for atleast 30 minutes.
Break off to a table tennis - ball sized (even smaller) bit of dough.
Roll with help of dry flour to a thin round.
Roll as thin as possible.
Heat tawa and place phulka on it.
When dry on one side, turn it.
When brown spots appear on second side, turn again.
Use a kitchen towel and lightly press the phulka, rotating at same time, it will puff.
Make as crisp as desired.
Serve hot.

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