A wholesome meal for the health conscious, this is a hot favourite in Karnataka; Akki is the Kannada word for rice. Not to be confused with the Maharashtrian bhakri, which is made with rice flour and salt, akki roti has rice flour, coconut, leafy vegetables, and spices, and can be accompanied just by chutney. The Coorgi version is slightly different, home chef Smitha Kuttayya, tells us.

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Smitha Kuttaya

It is made with cooked rice. “Being rice farmers, we always have surplus grain at home, in case someone comes visiting,” she says. “So our ancestors had several ingenious ways to use up leftovers. We knead up the cooked rice with rice flour and cook it like phulkas. It goes with practically everything, but I like it with a pork curry or a pumpkin curry,” Kuttayya tells us.

Dibba roti

Homes in Andhra Pradesh love waking up to this roti made of black gram and rice batter; some  know it as Andhra minapa rotti. The word ‘dibba’ in Telegu means ‘stout’ or ‘plump’ and it looks more like an idli. It is best made in a heavy-bottomed, shallow kadai smeared with oil. The  batter is poured into a neat circle and cooked on low heat. This makes dibba roti crunchy on the outside but soft inside. It is cut into wedges and served any kind of chutneys and avakaya pickle, widely made in the region.

Sumithra Kalapatapu

Variations are born by adding spices and herbs such as green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, asafoetida (hing), coriander leaves, crushed black pepper, and onions. “Rice is the staple in Andhra and hence, dibba roti is a popular variant,” says home chef Sumitra Kalapatapu. “Apart from chutney, we also love to have it with honey. On Saturdays, when we don’t cook full meals such as rice, rasam etc, we prefer quickly-made dibba rotis or upma.”

Onion and mirchi roti

Pic/Sameer Markande

We rolled into this delicious find at Copper Chimney. The menu stated that it is a staple in the pinds of Punjab. Shikha Nath, Culinary Director, tells us, “In the villages of Punjab, farmers  lunch is a wheat roti with pyaaz (red onions), chopped chillies and fresh coriander, topped with homemade ghee. Wrapped in a muslin cloth or potli, they carry this simple rustic roti and enjoy it with a glass of lassi.”

Shikha Nath

The simplicity of the bread that defies dependency on gravy or subzi to complete a meal is what distinguishes it. Of course, it would only elevate a meal comprising a slow-cooked dal, or pindi chole. The ingredients are kneaded into the dough before it goes on the pan, ensuring delight in every bite.

Baquerkhani

There are versions of this Mughlai bread that traces its origins back to a Mughal general of the mid 1700s named Mirza Agha Baqer posted in Chittagong, now Bangladesh. Today, it is popular on the streets of old Delhi, Kashmir, and Dhaka. “Baquerkhani may not have a literal translation or specific meaning in common Kashmiri parlance but is recognised as a variant of Kashmiri bread,” says Gupta. “The tragic love story of Baqer Khan and the dancer Khani Begum inspired the bakers to name his favourite bread Baquerkhani.” The naan version of this maida preparation comes sprinkled with poppy seeds and is preferred with meat gravies. There is also a sweet version, which is thicker with a crunchy crust, much like a biscuit. Traditionally, it is had with tea or just by itself while breaking fast during Ramzan.

Taftan

Pics/Nimesh Dave

A breakfast staple in the valleys of Kashmir, this leavened flour bread features as zaffrani taftoon on the menu at Taftoon, which specialises in Grand Trunk Road cuisine. The 3,710-kilometre-long trade route started from Kabul in Afghanistan, passed through India and ends at Teknaf in Bangladesh, threading cuisine along the way. Chef Nilesh Singh tells us, “The origins of zafrani taftoon can be traced back centuries in Kashmir, however, it is influenced by the Persian original, given the use of saffron. The name taftoon is  a Persian term for a type of flatbread. It continues to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.”

Nilesh Singh, Chef, Taftoon 

The naan is made from maida, milk, yoghurt, eggs and saffron, baked in a clay oven and savoured with dastar-e-khaas, a spicy mutton preparation with a thin gravy, which it soaks up well. In some variations, you’ll find it sprinkled with nigella seeds (kalonji), sesame seeds (til), aniseed (saunf) and poppy seeds as well. Sometimes, it is flavoured with a small amount of cardamom powder and decorated with poppy seeds.