Roti - Indian Subcontinent

Indian Subcontinent

See also: Indian breads, Naan, Paratha, Chapati, and Makki di roti

There are many different variations of flat breads found in many cultures across the globe, from Indian subcontinent to the Americas. The traditional flat bread originating from the Indian subcontinent is commonly known as roti; pronounced "rho tee". It is normally eaten with cooked vegetables or curries as in the goat roti; it can be called a carrier for curries or cooked vegetables. It is made most often from wheat flour, cooked on a flat or slightly concave iron griddle called a tawa. It is similar to the tortilla in appearance. Like breads around the world, roti is a staple accompaniment to other foods, and may be spread with ghee (clarified butter). In Iran, there are two variants of this bread: "khaboos" and "lavash." These two breads (the former of which is almost exactly prepared like Indian roti) are quite similar to other South Asian rotis.

• Plain roti paratha

• Indian thali with chapati

• Tandoori roti served with other dishes in a Pakistani restaurant

• A chef preparing rumali roti in India

In Sri Lanka probably the most popular type of roti is pol roti (coconut roti), made of wheat flour, kurakkan flour or a mixture of both and scraped coconut. Sometimes chopped green chillies and onion are added to the mixture before cooking. These are usually thicker and harder than other roti types. They are usually eaten with curries, or some types of sambol or lunu miris and considered a main meal rather than a supplement.