Breads

There are all kinds of breads in India, most of them unleavened, eaten in the North at every single meal. Many of these everyday breads are made with a very finely ground wholewheat flour that we call ata. This is available to buy at many supermarkets and all Indian grocers, sometimes labelled chapati flour. (In the UK, the brands to go for are Elephant Atta Medium and East End Premium Gold.)

Some of our breads, such as the Poori, are deep-fried. The ideal utensil for this is the Indian karhai. This is very similar to a Chinese wok. If you took a large, hollow ball and cut it into half, that would be about the shape of a karhai. I am not suggesting that you go out and buy a karhai. I just wish to point out that, for deep-frying, it is perhaps the most economical utensil as it allows you to use a relatively small quantity of oil while giving you enough depth in the centre of the pan to submerge foods. It also prevents hot oil from splashing on to the cooker. However, a deep frying pan can be substituted for a karhai.