12 Indian Breads You Need to Discover

In the West, we all know and love naan, the puffy flatbread that is the alternative to rice at many Indian restaurants. Don’t get me wrong — I adore the aroma, texture, and flavor of freshly baked naan. Having lived in India for the past five years, though, I have had the pleasure of acquainting myself with many other Indian breads, including puri, taftan, and bhatura. Some of these breads are quite versatile, while others pair best with certain dishes and cuisines. Each bread has variations — sometimes dozens of variations — relating to both preparation technique and ingredients. One will therefore never get bored of trying and making all of them!

In this guide, I will introduce you to a handful of the most prevalent breads in India and make suggestions regarding how to prepare and serve them. However, feel free to experiment with fusion cuisine; for instance, you can use naan as a more flavorful alternative to pizza crust. While all of these breads can be made at home, some are commercially available in restaurants and grocery stores. I have curated this list based on my experiences living, cooking, and eating in India with my husband, who has called the country home all his life. I can’t say that I have any one favorite; they are all my favorites, and you might find that the same is true for you, too.

Thepla is one of the more unique breads on this list, given the variety of flours and seasonings that it can contain. Particularly ubiquitous in Gujarat, theplas are based in various flours (including whole wheat flour, pearl millet flour, and sorghum flour), yogurt, and spices like turmeric and red chili powder. They are usually flavored with fenugreek leaves, which can impart a slightly bitter flavor. One might occasionally find varieties made with ingredients like bottle gourd (also called calabash) and radish. Once the dough is formed, it is rolled into discs and cooked on a tawa. Theplas should be served with plain curd (or yogurt) and pickle, especially mango pickle. They can constitute a meal, but sometimes they are served simply as a snack with chai.

When making theplas at home, I prepare the flour and spice mixture in bulk and keep it in a jar so that I can easily reach for it when it comes time to cook. Because spices lose their potency over time, I try to use this mixture within a few months. My recipe uses besan in addition to whole wheat flour, which makes the flatbreads slightly stiff. To account for that, I sometimes add more curd or ghee to the dough to make it more pliable.

Parathas are nothing short of comfort food, especially when they are hot off the tawa (or pan). In fact, the best parathas are served at such a high temperature that your fingers will scream in pain if you touch them too soon. This seems to be something many Indians are immune to, though. A plain, hot paratha smothered in ghee is the perfect accompaniment to dishes like egg or paneer bhurji, aloo dum, and chole. Parathas are frequently stuffed with ingredients like paneer, potatoes, and cauliflower. In this case, they are typically served only with a few smaller side dishes like raita, tamarind or mint chutney, onions, and achar (Indian pickles).

Regardless of these ingredient variations, you can generally expect parathas to be made with whole wheat flour, oil or ghee, salt, and water. Some folks say that the most authentic parathas are triangular when plain and circular when stuffed. I love parathas with fenugreek leaves worked into the dough. Laccha parathas offer a textural variation to this flatbread, incorporating more flaky layers. You must fold the dough plenty of times to achieve this result, but the muscle power is worth it; I especially enjoy thick laccha parathas when I am in the mood for a rich meal. South Indian parottas are similar to laccha parathas, but use refined flour.

Roti are unleavened breads made of flour, water, and salt. They are thinner and flatter than pancakes, almost like tortillas. The average person needs at least two roti to mop up all their dal, curry, and sabji, though the size of roti can vary by household and restaurant. Whole wheat flour, finger millet, and rice flour are all common styles of this flatbread, which has many North Indian and South Indian variations. Spices can also be added to the dough. Despite such a diversity of ingredients, plain, whole wheat roti remains the most prevalent kind.

When making these flatbreads at home, be sure to let the dough rest for super soft roti. Roti are best cooked over a flame on a tawa, a special type of flat pan. After the dough is initially cooked, each roti is exposed to the fire so that it can develop a few charred spots. This is possible on a gas stove in modern households. In Indian villages, roti are frequently prepared over fires to which cow dung has been added, enhancing their flavor. Roti should be eaten fresh. If you must, you can store them in an insulated casserole, but if left too long, they harden. Making roti chips is one of the only ways to salvage them if this happens.

Many mornings in India have been passed eating aloo puri with friends and family, often in honor of a festival or national holiday. Puri (also spelled “poori”) is a flatbread made of whole wheat flour, water, and a bit of oil and salt. These ingredients are combined, shaped into small balls, rolled into discs, and deep fried until they become crisp and puffy. Puri are smaller in diameter than roti, but significantly more airy. You have the option to incorporate other flour varieties into the dough, each one imparting a distinct flavor and texture. Semolina flour, for instance, can add extra crispiness and keep puri puffy for longer, while refined wheat flour can decrease a puri’s mildly nutty flavor. Short on time or need an instant fix to your cravings? For shortcut puri, all you need is store-bought tortillas and a lot of oil.

Puri can be found in many regional cuisines throughout India, oftentimes with their own variations and preferred accompaniments. One of the most common ways to eat puri is alongside a potato and tomato gravy. Another winning combination is puri and potato masala, a somewhat dry vegetable preparation that can also be used to fill masala dosas. You can even eat puri with vegetable korma, a familiar accompaniment in South India.

Puran poli is one of my favorite Indian breads, but it is also one of the kinds that I eat least often. That’s because it is traditionally eaten during festivals like Holi and Diwali and not usually served at restaurants or for everyday meals at home. This flatbread is beloved in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and across South India. If you are not paying attention, you might think that the puran poli you are about to dig into is a roti. At first glance, the two do share similarities in their beige hue and charred beauty spots. After the first bite, though, all illusions will be shattered as your tastebuds delight in the sweet, spiced flavors of this flatbread.

Flour, chana dal (a type of lentil), cardamom, and jaggery lend a satisfying blend of sweet and savory to puran poli, and this array is often accompanied by other spices like nutmeg, fennel, turmeric, and ginger. Making this flatbread is a bit labor intensive, as the chana dal must be thoroughly cooked and mashed with the spices and jaggery before being encased in a pocket of dough, rolled, and cooked on a tawa. Puran poli is usually served with a generous amount of ghee and perhaps milk or a tangy lentil broth. Yogurt and achar are not uncommon, either.

One of the most versatile flatbreads, naan comes in a variety of styles, but most are made with refined flour, salt, water, and a leavening agent like yeast, baking soda, or baking powder. Many recipes call for yogurt or milk; both add moisture and softness to the dough, and yogurt adds a lovely stretch. Some recipes call for eggs to bind and structure the dough, but this is not always the case, especially in India where eggs are considered non-vegetarian. Naan is shaped into balls, rolled, brushed, and sprinkled with toppings, and baked in a tandoori oven. At home, naan can be made on a pan or baked in the oven, though it requires patience and practice to perfect. Start by learning how to know when it’s time to flip while cooking naan.

Some of the most common variations are butter naan, garlic naan, and Peshwari naan, which is a Pakistani-derived flatbread with sweet ingredients that make it vastly different from others. I recently had a delicious Parmesan and truffle oil infused naan alongside baingan bharta, and I was mightily impressed by the avocado naan I made from the cookbook “Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen” by Richa Hingle. Naan can be paired with almost any curry or dal. I find it particularly delightful with a creamy, dreamy bowl of palak paneer or a rich dal makhani, and many people enjoy it alongside chicken tikka masala.

Kulcha are famously soft, rich, and chewy flatbreads that are common in the state of Punjab. This naan-adjacent bread is one that you should know about if you are traveling through Northern India or want to make a stellar Punjabi meal at home. Kulcha are typically made with refined wheat flour, curd (or yogurt), salt, water, oil, and a leavening agent like baking soda and/or baking powder. Like parathas, kulcha can either be stuffed or plain. For example, aloo kulcha are filled with potatoes, gobi kulcha star cauliflower, and paneer kulcha contain Indian cottage cheese. Kulcha are best baked in a tandoor, or clay oven. It gives them a darker, slightly smoky flavor. However, not everyone has a tandoor at home, and so recipes have also been designed for stove top and oven baked kulcha. 

For a hearty, comforting meal, combine a thick piece of kulcha with a creamy bowl of chana masala or Amritsari chole garnished with coriander leaves; it’s the kind of protein-rich meal that will warm you up when there is a nip in the air and keep you full for hours. It makes sense, then, why kulcha are so beloved and famous in Amritsar, where winter weather can often have you reaching for a coat and a hot meal.

Bhatura is the deep fried Indian bread you should know about if you like the Native American staple food fry bread. In fact, fry bread is the closest food I’ve eaten to bhatura in the United States. The ingredients are indeed similar: both call for refined flour, salt, water, and a leavening agent (like baking powder). Bhature, however, rely on the additional ingredient of yogurt to provide a more complex flavor profile. Bhature can even be made with an effervescent antacid product called Eno as the leavening agent. While much less common, I have eaten bhature made with whole wheat flour and even banana flour.

Each bite of bhatura will keep you coming back for more of its lovely stretchiness and crisp, yet soft, texture. Bhature are deep fried, and they feature a signature pocket of air in the middle; you will know if your bhatura has been freshly made if it still retains this puffiness. The best ones are not dripping with excessive oil. Bhature are usually eaten with a chickpea gravy in a dish known as chole bhature. This gravy can be made using either a light or dark masala. Chole bhature is a distinctly North Indian specialty, with some of the best being served in the state of Punjab. Raw onions are another common accompaniment.

Luchi is the Bengali version of puri, with the main difference being that luchi relies on white flour instead of whole wheat flour. Luchi is also distinct from bhatura in that there is no leavening agent. Especially popular in eastern India, luchis can now be found across the country. This bread is usually kneaded and deep fried in ghee, or clarified butter. This makes it an indulgent and thoroughly delicious accompaniment to many meals. While it is capable of supporting the weight of thick gravies and dals, it nevertheless seems to melt in your mouth. In other words, luchis are small, soft, round, puffy, and incredibly addictive.

Luchis are often eaten on Ekadashi, a Hindu spiritual observance that takes place twice each month. During Ekadashi, rice is forbidden, and so luchi comes to the rescue. In addition to Ekadashi, holidays and festivities like Durga Puja also call for a few batches of luchis. Cholar dal (a lentil dish made with chana dal, raisins, warm spices, and grated coconut) and begun bhaja (spiced, pan-fried eggplant) are two of the most common dishes served with luchi. I have certainly enjoyed luchis with aloo dum (tomato gravy with baby potatoes) as well.

The same soft, buttery dinner rolls served with meatball sliders can also be paired with Indian spiced lentils, vegetables, and meats. Pav recipes usually call for refined wheat flour, yeast, water, and a bit each of oil, salt, milk, sugar, and melted butter. However, you can easily substitute whole wheat flour for some of the all-purpose flour; adjust your flour to liquid ratio slightly to accommodate (whole wheat flour needs more water). I have also eaten pav made with sorghum flour.

Pav is great with a slab of melted butter, but several dishes have been perfected with the bread roll in mind. Pav bhaji capitalizes on a thick, creamy mixture of vegetables like potatoes, peas, carrots, onions, and bell pepper, all spiced with a special masala featuring flavors like cardamom, star anise, and coriander. This messy veggie pav bhaji recipe is a great place for home cooks to start. Meanwhile, vada pav is a Mumbai potato sandwich that features a spiced, deep fried potato patty. It is usually served with coriander chutney and a green chili. Finally, misal pav stars a sprouted moth bean curry garnished with cilantro leaves, onions, lemon slices, and crunchy sev or farsan (spiced besan or chickpea flour snacks). Each of these dishes, which can be served quickly to workers and at roadside restaurants, are quite prevalent in Mumbai and the state of Maharashtra.

Poi, or poee, is a Goan bread that is similar to pita. Like many other Goan specialties, poi was brought to the Indian subcontinent by Portuguese Jesuit missionaries. It is comprised of whole wheat flour and wheat husk, otherwise known as wheat bran. Both lend the bread a nutty flavor, and the wheat husk gives it a uniquely coarse texture. Some recipes use a small amount of white flour as well. While historically, the preferred leavening agent was fermented toddy, most modern poi bakers use yeast to achieve the bread’s airy pocket. Despite the rough nature of the wheat bran, the inside of poi is pleasantly soft, especially when baked at a high temperature.

As ubiquitous as poi is in Goa, it is not often found outside of the region. Locals and tourists like to eat poi with Goan specialties like xacuti, a spicy coconut curry that can contain fish, chicken, or vegetables. Vindaloo, a curry that is tangy thanks to the addition of vinegar, and cafreal, a dish with origins in Mozambique that was brought to India by the Portuguese, are also great alongside poi. Choris (spiced, chopped sausages) famously pairs well with the bread. Don’t limit yourself to Indian cuisine if you have poi on the menu, however. You can treat it like pita bread and stuff it with falafel, hummus, and salad. If you end up with leftover poi, toss it in a bowl of fattoush.

Another one of the less commonly found breads in India, taftan (otherwise known as taftoon) is nevertheless popular in some Northern Indian states like Uttar Pradesh. This golden bread has Persian origins, as one might guess from the occasional presence of saffron and cardamom. It is a thick, leavened bread similar to naan, and it is usually made with refined flour, milk, eggs, yeast, and yogurt. These ingredients are mixed together, allowed to proof, shaped into balls, rolled into discs, and finally baked in a clay oven. Taftan can otherwise be baked at home in the oven. Frequently, it is garnished with seeds such as poppy seeds or nigella seeds. The final product should be soft, yet firm enough to hold heavy gravies and chunks of vegetables and meats.

Taftan is ideally served alongside another Persian or Mughal dish, such as nihari, a goat shank curry. I have also enjoyed it with maa ki dal, a Punjabi lentil preparation. No matter the cuisine, I recommend finding a savory main course to complement the taftan’s moderate sweetness. A similar bread, sheermal, could be mistaken at first glance for taftan, but sheermal always has saffron and carries a sweeter flavor.