Breads

India is the country of golden wheat. We use other grains, such as rice, corn, and millet, but wheat, semolina, and whole-wheat flour rule. People around the world are switching from highly refined grains to those that are closer to their natural state—white bread to whole wheat, white rice to brown—but India has been eating what is essentially whole-wheat bread for centuries: the simple, humble, everyday roti and chapati, an unleavened griddle bread.

A puffed-up roti called a phulka always fascinates travelers from abroad, and I demystify the process here. Knead the dough with water, and as the roti is exposed to high heat, the water begins to evaporate rapidly. This creates steam, which is what causes the bread to balloon. Rotis are best rolled out with a light hand that evenly distributes the pressure over the expanding surface (a long, thin Indian-style rolling pin is best for this). Dusting with flour once or twice can help you to prevent folds in the rolled-out roti and thus ensure perfect puffing.