Return of Roti! How the humble India breads are making a comeback on the menu

Relationship of mankind with the humble bread is at least 14, 400 years old or even older. Poets like Omar Khayyam, 18^th century poet Nazir Akbarabadi have dedicated lines to a ‘Loaf of Bread’, ‘Rotiyan’ transforming something innate and mundane to something magical. Bread has been used for making proverbs in several languages, ‘Bread-earner’, ‘Breaks bread’, ‘Stave of life’, ‘Do joon ki roti’ are some of them. Historical figures like Marie Antoinette had been criticized for remarks on the same subject of bread.  Legend has it that a newly appointed Nizam of the Deccan province was blessed by Sufi Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin five generations of reign for having five khulchas. The blessing came true and kulcha was added to the Nizam’s flag.

Restaurants are bringing assorted bread platters for Indian and continental buffets making it easy for guests to order. Even with the growing popularity of European, middle-eastern breads like baguette, sourdough, lavash, pita. In the last few years artisanal breads like rye baguette have earned attention with young bakers.

India too boasts of wide arrays of breads of all kinds, sweet, savoury, crisp and soft. Some can be paired with another gravy-based delicacy, others can be savoured all by themselves. Some regional breads are being revived. Roghani, Kahmeri are popular in Muslim eateries in Delhi Bhopal. Lucknow has sheermal (saffron tinted bread kneaded with milk), flakey kulcha. Amritsar has paratha, stuffed tandoori that resembles a bulls eye.

Sheermal and kulcha are claimed by the Kashmiris. But the ones that they prepare are harder, biscuity and are like cereal for breakfast. They are relished alongside noon cha or cardamom saffron laced kehwa. Rice-eating Kashmiris also relish Girda, a kind of bread made from fermented dough.

Punjabis have their tandoori roti, naan and winters are reserved for makke (cornmeal) ki roti  served with its appropriate partner sarson da saag (green mustard leaves). Uttarakhand prepared dark colored madua from finger millets.

Other drought prone regions also use jowar (millet), bajra (pearl millets) to prepare robust roti and is served mostly with a spicy salsa called thecha, a common meal in the household of peasants in those arid areas.

Southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala that have overflowing rice production use rice flour to make pathiri, gassi, chilada roti.

In Bengal, Bakarkhani is a lesser-known bread that commemorates the love affair of Bakar miyan, a district governor and dancer Khani who was coveted by a vicious police officer. Many other places away from Bengal has also claimed geographical indicator tag for the local bake.

Some Indian breads are cooked in iron ovens, some in clay tandoor. Some use yeast, some use jaggery as an ingredient for being an offering to deities. There is an Indian bread for every season