Top 3 Southern Indian Breads and Flatbreads

Rumali roti is a popular Indian flatbread made with white and wheat flour, water, and oil. The dough is baked on a traditional tawa, and since it is extremely thin, it was named handkerchief (rumali) bread. Some say that the bread got its name because it was used instead of a handkerchief after a meal. Rumali roti is typically served as an accompaniment to various curries or with any sort of liquid meal that can be scooped up with the flatbread. It is important to serve the bread slightly moist so that it does not become stiff and unpalatable. Although it has origins in the Mughal cuisine, today it is mainly consumed in North India and Pakistan.Expand

Pesara dosa (also called pesara attu or mung bean dosa) is India's national dish and one of the most popular breakfast foods in Andhra and Rajasthan. Dosa is the world's thinnest griddlecake, a paper-thin pancake made with an earthy batter that is left to ferment and rise for eight to ten hours. It has a bubbly texture and a unique, complex, toasted, and buttery flavor. Pesara dosa is made with ground mung bean and batter, resulting in a unique flatbread that is healthy and quick to prepare. Additionally, ginger, cumin seeds, onions, and green chiles may be added to enhance the flavors. Served either hot or cold, pesara dosa is usually accompanied with upma and a side dish of various chutneys, such as ginger, tamarind, or coconut chutney.Expand

Akki rotti is a dish that is especially popular in the Indian region of Karnataka, consisting of griddle-baked rice flour that is shaped like a pancake or a flatbread. It is commonly consumed either for breakfast or lunch, usually accompanied by various chutneys. Onions, carrots, coriander, cumin, and sesame seeds can also be added to the dough before baking in order to enhance the flavors of the dish. Originally, a housewife had some leftover rice, but decided to make a new dish using the leftovers, so she mashed the rice, added some salt and rice flour, and baked the dough on a tawa, creating a staple dish in the process. For the most authentic akki rotti, the dough should be flattened on a banana leaf and cooked on a tawa, with the leaf on top of the flatbread, helping it to cook evenly and giving the dish a distinctive, unique flavor.Expand