Fabulous INDIAN FLATBREADS
INDIAN FLATBREADS
What are Flatbreads?
Flatbreads are an important part of most Indian meals. In the North, we find chapati, roti, phulka, poori, kulcha, and naan, and in the South, we find dosa lentil crepes. Chapatis, Rotis, and phulkas are similar flatbreads. One might be slightly thinner than the other, depending on the region and personal preferences. Phulkas are flatbreads that are puffed up on the stove. Flatbreads are most often used to pick up the vegetables, sauces, deals, and anything else that is served on the plate. A typical plate, or thali, would include one or more wet dishes, such as curry or dal, one or more dry vegetable sides, chutney or raita, and flatbread.
INDIAN FLATBREADS TYPES
⦁Puffy Restaurant-Style Naan
⦁Avocado Naan
⦁Baked Chickpea Flour Naan
⦁Gluten-Free Oat Naan
⦁Wheat Flatbreads
⦁Gluten-Free Chia Flatbreads
⦁Vegetable-Stuffed Parathas
⦁30-Minute Rice Dosas
⦁South Indian Lentil and Rice Dosas
Some of these recipes u will get can be very lovely for dinner
Puffy Restaurant-Style Naan
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 45 minutes |Inactive: 2 hours |Makes 8 flatbreads
This puffy naan goes with everything. The recipe involves a bit of preparation, but really, once you get the hang of it, you will want to make and eat these naans every day! Garlic naan is the favorite in my house (see variation below). I often make the naans with half whole-wheat flour and half unbleached white flour. This recipe uses plain unbleached white flour for the restaurant-style side you’ll definitely want to make when entertaining. To serve, brush the naan with melted vegan butter or oil. This puffy flatbread makes a wonderful pizza as well. Shape the dough into a pizza base and bake at 450°F for 12 to 16 minutes, depending on your toppings. Use coconut yogurt to make this soy-free.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 cups bread flour or unbleached white flour, plus more for dusting 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup safflower oil, coconut oil, or melted vegan butter, divided 3/4 cup plain nondairy yogurt (unsweetened or lightly sweetened), at room temperature 1 to 2 tablespoons safflower or other neutral oil, for cooking 1 tablespoon nigella seeds, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast into the bowl and set aside for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. To the yeast bowl, add 3 1/2 cups of the flour mixture, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and the yogurt. Mix well to combine. Add the remaining flour, a few tablespoons at a time, and knead into a soft, smooth dough, either in the bowl or on a floured surface, for 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Place the dough back into the yeast bowl. Drizzle one tablespoon of oil over the dough, and roll to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a heavy kitchen towel, and let sit to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down. Knead for a few seconds, adding a tablespoon or more flour if needed. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape it into balls. Roll the dough balls lightly in flour and place them on parchment paper. Cover with a towel or another sheet of parchment, and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Take a dough ball and shape it by hand into an 8-to 9-inch oval, working lightly so the air stays in the dough. You can also use a rolling pin to roll it out. Dust lightly with flour to help with the rolling/shaping. Spray the top of the naan lightly with water. Sprinkle with nigella seeds, and brush or spray lightly with oil. Repeat with the remaining balls.
6. To cook the naan: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a pizza stone in the oven, and heat for at least 30 minutes. Place as many rolled-out naan bread as the stone can accommodate. Bake 2 to 3 minutes, until the bread, puffs up and the tops become golden. Broil for 30 seconds to crisp/char if desired. Remove the bread from the stone. Repeat with the remaining bread.
Avocado Naan
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 45 minutes | Inactive: 2 hours | Makes 8 flatbreads
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
4 cups bread flour or unbleached white flour, plus more for dusting 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup or more safflower oil, coconut oil, or melted vegan butter, divided 3/4 cup well-mashed ripe avocado
1 tablespoon nigella seeds, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast into the bowl, and let it sit for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour with the salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk well.
3. To the yeast bowl, add 3 1/2 cups of the flour mixture, 3 tablespoons oil, and 3/4 cup avocado. Mix well. Add the remaining flour, a few tablespoons at a time, and knead into a soft, smooth dough, either in the bowl or on a floured surface, for 2 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon or more of water if the dough is not soft.
4. Place the dough back into the yeast bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the dough, and roll to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let sit to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down. Knead for a few seconds, adding a tablespoon or more flour if needed. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape it into balls. Roll the dough balls lightly in flour and place on parchment. Cover with a towel or another parchment and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Roll or shape a dough ball into an 8-to 9-inch oval. Roll with a rolling pin or shape by hand, working lightly so the air stays in the dough. Dust lightly with flour to help with the rolling. Spray the top of the naan lightly with water, and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Brush or spray lightly with oil. Place the naan on a parchment-covered baking sheet or another surface, cover with another sheet of parchment, and repeat with the remaining balls.
6. To cook the naan: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a pizza stone in the oven and heat for at least 30 minutes. Place as many rolled-out naan bread as the stone can accommodate. Bake 2 to 3 minutes, until the bread, ppuffsup and the tops become golden. Remove the bread from the stone. Repeat with the remaining naans. Broil the naans for 30 seconds to crisp/char if desired.
Baked Chickpea Flour Naan
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 20 to 30 minutes | Makes 6 to 8 small flatbreads
Ingredients:
2 cups chickpea flour or besan
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon flaxseed or chia seed meal
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/3 cup nondairy yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons safflower or other neutral oil
3/4 to 1 cup of water
1 to 2 teaspoons nigella seeds, for garnish
1 tablespoon safflower or melted vegan butter for brushing
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine the chickpea flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flax seed meal in a large bowl, and whisk well.
2. Add the garlic powder, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, and 1/2 cup of water. Mix well until there are no lumps. Add more water if needed to make a thick, smooth batter (slightly thicker than pancake batter). You will need about 3/4 cup with besan, and 1 cup or more with chickpea flour. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Drop about1/4 a cup of the batter onto the baking sheet. Spread into an oval with a ladle. Repeat to make 2 or more naans to fit the sheet.
4. Spray the naans lightly with water, and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Spray or brush lightly with oil. Cover the naans entirely with another parchment paper.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, and brush with melted vegan butter, or oil. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing them from the parchment. Repeat for the next batch. The batter might thicken as it sits. Mix in a few teaspoons of water if needed before the next batch
Gluten-Free Oat Naan
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 35 to 45 minutes | Inactive: 15 minutes | Makes 6 (7-inch) naans
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (use golden flaxseed meal or white
chia seed meal)
1 cup finely ground oat flour
1/4 cup brown or white rice flour
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup potato starch
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nondairy yogurt, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter or olive oil, for brushing
1 to 2 teaspoons nigella seeds, for garnish
Directions:
1. Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Mix and let sit until frothy, about 5 minutes. Add the flaxseed meal and mix in. Let it sit for 2 minutes to thicken.
2. In another bowl, combine the oat flour, rice flours, starches, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well. Add the frothy yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Add the yogurt and oil, and mix to make a thick, stiff batter or sticky dough. Add a tablespoon or more water if needed (the amount will depend on the moisture content of the yogurt). The batter will continue to dry as it sits, so a little extra liquid is okay. Cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough sit for 15 minutes before using. Cook the naan on STOVE TOP:
1. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes instead of 15. The dough should dry out and be less sticky at this point. Add some starch if the dough is still too sticky.
2. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Take one ball, flatten it, and place it on parchment. Place another parchment on top, and roll or press to shape into an oval. Remove the top parchment, spray the naan lightly with water and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Do not let the naan sit for too long at this point.
3. Use a heavy-bottom skillet that can withstand high heat. Heat the skillet over medium-high until heated evenly. Remove one shaped naan from the parchment and place it on the skillet. Spray water on the naan. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium-high until the flatbread starts to puff about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook the naan for another minute. Brush with vegan butter and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Wheat Flatbreads
Roti, Chapati, and Phulka
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 30 to 45 minutes | Inactive: 15 minutes | Makes 12 flatbreads
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached white flour or all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon safflower or other neutral oil or melted vegan butter
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, plus 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour, for dusting
Directions:
1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, and the water. Grease your hands, and knead to make a fairly smooth and not too sticky dough. Add more water (1 teaspoon at a time) during the process if the dough seems dry or starts to come together as a stiff dough. Brush the dough lightly with oil, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
2. Grease your hands, knead the dough for a few seconds, and then divide it into 12 equal parts. Roll them into smooth balls. Keep the balls covered while you roll out and cook each flatbread.
3. Take one ball, flatten it, and dip it into the flour that is kept for dusting. Coat fully. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a thin, 7-inch flatbread. Dust the dough with flour as you roll, to help prevent sticking.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place the flatbread on the skillet. Cook until a few small bubbles start to appear, about 20 seconds. Flip, and cook until more bubbles appear and some become larger 20 to 30 seconds. Now, you can puff the flatbread on the skillet or on the gas flame.
5. To puff the flatbread on the skillet: Flip the flatbread. Using a kitchen towel or a flat spatula, lightly press the flatbread on and around the puffed spots so the air can move around and the flatbread puffs up evenly for about 10 to 20 seconds. Remove the bread from the skillet and store.
6. To puff the flatbread directly on the gas flame: Use tongs to place the flatbread on the open flame (medium-high or high heat). Move it every 1 to 2 seconds so it puffs up like a balloon. Flip once in between. Brush the puffed flatbread with melted vegan butter (optional).
7. Place the cooked flatbreads in a container lined with paper towels or a kitchen towel. Cover with another towel until ready to serve. Repeat for all the balls.
Gluten-Free Chia Flatbreads
Phulkas or Rotis
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 45 to 60 minutes | Makes 10 to 12 rotis or 8 to 9 stuffed parathas
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons chia seeds or flax seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons psyllium husk
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1 cup amaranth flour or sorghum flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
2 teaspoons safflower, coconut, or other neutral oil
1/2 cup amaranth flour or rice flour, for dusting
Directions:
1. Blend or grind the chia seeds and psyllium husk into a coarse meal. Combine them with the water in a large bowl and mix. Let them sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will firm up into a thick gel.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, starch, salt, baking powder, and garam masala.
3. Add the dry flour mixture and oil to the gel mixture, and knead to combine. The mixture will feel very dry initially. Press and knead for a minute or two. The dough is ready as soon as it comes together and starts to feel slightly sticky. Cover with a towel and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Grease your hands well and divide the dough into 12 parts. Roll them into balls. Keep the balls covered while you roll out and cook each flatbread. Take one ball, flatten it, and liberally coat with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin, using light strokes to make a thin flatbread. Dust the dough liberally with flour as you roll it. You can also roll the floured dough between sheets of parchment paper if it is too sticky.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, place the flatbread in the skillet. Cook until a few small bubbles start to appear, about 20 seconds. Flip, and cook until more bubbles appear, and some become larger 20 to 30 seconds. 6. At this point, you can flip, cook for another 10 seconds and serve, or puff the flatbread on the open flame over medium-high or high heat. Use tongs to move it every 1 to 2 seconds so it puffs up like a balloon. Place the cooked flatbread on a plate and, cover with another towel until ready to serve. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Store in a container lined with paper or kitchen towels.
Vegetable-Stuffed Parathas
Prep: 40 minutes including dough rest time | Active: 45 to 60 minutes | Makes 8 to 10 parathas
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon safflower or other neutral oil
1/2 teaspoon carom seeds
1 (1-inch) knob of ginger, minced
1 to 2 hot green chiles, finely chopped (seeds removed to reduce heat)
2 cups grated cauliflower
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
PARATHAS:
1 recipe Wheat Roti Dough or GlutenFree Chia Roti Dough
1/2 teaspoon carom seeds
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt Flour for dusting (whole-wheat flour for wheat parathas, and amaranth or rice flour for glutenfree chia parathas)
1 to 2 tablespoons safflower or vegan butter, for cooking
Directions:
1. Filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carom seeds, ginger, and chile, and cook for a minute. Add the grated cauliflower, cumin, garam masala, cayenne, and salt. Mix well, and cook until the cauliflower is dry 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the cilantro. Cool the filling before using. Alternatively, you can use the filling mixture raw. Combine all the ingredients except salt. Add a generous sprinkle of salt to the filling when it is placed on the flatbread dough, then seal, and proceed with the recipe.
2. Parathas: Make the dough, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 8 to 10 balls. Take a dough ball, flatten it, and coat liberally in flour. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 7-inch circle. The flatbread needed for the parathas is rolled out slightly thicker than for Rotis, and slightly larger, to accommodate the filling.
4. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the dough. Fold the flatbread into a square and press to seal. Or collect the edges and seal in the middle like a siu mai dumpling.
5. Flatten with your hand, coat with flour, and roll out the flatbread with a rolling pin using light strokes.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, place the flatbread in the skillet. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Flip, and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Brush the top lightly with oil or vegan butter, flip, and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown on the bottom.
7. Brush the top lightly with vegan butter, or oil, flip, and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown on both sides. Store in a container lined with paper or a kitchen towel. The parathas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet before serving.
30-Minute Rice Dosas
Prep: 15 minutes | Active: 30 to 40 minutes | Inactive: 30 minutes | Makes 11 to 12
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oat flour or oats
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds or fenugreek powder 1/4 cup black gram flour or split black gram, or use oat flour 1 cup + 2 tablespoons rice flour (brown or white) 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 (1-inch) knob of ginger
1 hot green chile (remove seeds to reduce heat) or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions:
1. Combine the oat flour, fenugreek, and urad flour in a blender and blend to a fine powder.
2. Add the brown rice flour, salt, water, ginger, and chile to the blender and blend well to make a smooth batter. Blend for three 1-minute cycles to incorporate well, scraping down the sides in between if necessary. Add the yeast and baking powder and blend for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into a bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, drizzle a few drops of oil into the skillet and spread using a paper towel. Drop 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the batter into the skillet. Use a ladle to spread it from the center of the pan out, in circles. Cook until the crepe starts to come off the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Transfer the cooked crepe to a container lined with paper towels, and repeat with the remaining batter. The crepes can be stored at room temperature for the day, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
South Indian Lentil and Rice Dosas
Prep: 1 1/2 days fermentation | Active: 45 minutes | Makes 10 to 12
Ingredients:
1 cup long-grain basmati or brown rice
1/3 cup split black gram (urad dal)
1/3 cup yellow split peas
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 cup or more water
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Wash the rice, drain, and place in a deep bowl. Add 3 cups of water.
2. Wash the black gram and split peas, drain, and place in another deep bowl. Add 3 cups of water. Add the fenugreek seeds to the split peas bowl. Let both the rice and the dals soak for at least 6 hours.
3. Drain the water from the rice and dals into another bowl. Reserve the soaking water to use during grinding. Grind the dals first, with 1/4 cup or more water, to make a smooth, fluffy mixture. Transfer to a bowl. Grind the rice with 1/2 to 1 cup of water to make a smooth batter. Pour the rice batter into the bowl with the dal batter. Mix well to combine. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.
4. Cover the batter with a loose lid and place in a warm place, such as an oven with the oven light on, for at least 8 hours. The batter should get bubbly, increase in volume, and smell fermented. If the batter is not fermented yet, you can let it sit for up to 24 hours to ferment. The fermentation time depends on the ambient temperature.
5. If the batter does not ferment enough, combine 1 teaspoon active yeast and 1/4 teaspoon sugar with 2 tablespoons warm water in a small bowl. Set aside for 2 minutes, then mix it into the batter at any point after the 8-hour fermentation. Let the batter sit for 1 hour before using it to make crepes.
6. To make the dosas, heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, sprinkle a few drops of oil or spray oil on the skillet. Spread the oil using a paper towel.
7. Ladle a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Spread the batter by moving the ladle in concentric circles from the inside out (see pictures). Drizzle a few drops of oil or spray oil on the edges (optional). Cook the dosa until the bottom is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and cook for 30 seconds (optional). Taste the dosa and adjust the salt in the batter if needed. Make the rest of the dosas. Fold and serve.
That would be the most popular Indian flatbreads that are easy to make
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