Top 4 Western Indian Breads

Khakhra is a popular, crispy flatbread originating from the Indian state of Gujarat. Made with wheat flour, moth bean, and oil, the crackers are typically consumed for breakfast, providing a healthy snack that is best enjoyed when accompanied by chutneys or curries. Since khakhra is very similar to chapati, another popular Indian flatbread, it is believed that a cook in Gujarati roasted leftover chapatis on a griddle and served them with tea for breakfast, creating khakhras in the process. Khakhra can also be transformed into a sweet snack by spreading some ghee and sugar on top of it. Today, the snack has moved out of Gujarat and became popular throughout the world, but it is still believed that a true Gujarati home is incomplete without its khakhras.Expand

Bhakri is a popular Indian unleavened flatbread native to the Indian state of Maharashtra, although it is commonly found throughout Gujarat, Goa, and Rajasthan. It can be made with jowar, ragi, sorghum, wheat, or rice flour, all of them high in dietary fibers, making bhakri a healthy type of flatbread. It is sometimes additionally flavored with ghee butter or cumin seeds, and served with chutneys, baingan bharta, vegetables, curry, or rice. Traditionally, bhakri was often consumed by the farmers for breakfast and lunch, providing sustenance throughout the long working days. Since it tastes the best when the flour is freshly milled, some Indian cooks use a millstone before making the bread in order to enhance bhakri's texture and flavor.Expand

Thalipeeth is a pancake-like bread belonging to the Maharashtrian cuisine of India. The batter is prepared with a base of Bhajani multi-grain flour, while cumin, chilies, coriander, turmeric, and onions are also added to the mix, making the dish slightly hot and spicy in the process. Thalipeeth is commonly served for breakfast with butter, yogurt, or curd, and it is characterized by a hole in the center. Hot oil is drizzled in the hole, making sure that the pancake is cooked evenly. Although the dish is mostly served for breakfast, it is also popular as a daily snack or a flavorful dinner, best accompanied by tomato chutney on the side. There are also some variations on the dish, such as thalipeeth with potatoes and peanuts, and thalipeeth with finely chopped vegetables.Expand

Rotla is a traditional flatbread originating from Gujarat. The name of the bread is a Gujarati word for a roti made with bajra, also known as black millet flour. Other ingredients include warm water and salt, while melted ghee is used for brushing the flatbread. Once shaped, the dough is cooked on a tava griddle pan over high flames until it puffs up and brown spots develop on both sides. Rotla is usually served immediately because if it cools down it will become dry and hard. It's recommended to serve this flatbread with jaggery, ghee, and garlic chutney. In some villages, the thicker version of rotla is traditionally cooked over cow dung cakes, giving the flatbread a smoky flavor. Interestingly, rotla is especially popular during cold winter months.Expand