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I remember this phrase from elementary school. Our class teacher (as she was called in 1977) Ms. Nilsson was a nun and very strict. I remember her so well, because she taught us all the elementary things about Norwegian society. Since she was a Christian, we learned to say the Lord's Prayer before we could start on our packed lunch. I still know it, not quite by heart then.
Gluten-free naan
On Sunday it is World Bread Day and it is appropriate to share a little bit from the Indian kitchen where we have so many alternatives. An Indian meal without bread is quite unthinkable, although you can use rice but it is not a substitute, both rice and bread are served at the same meal. You prefer to eat with your right hand and it is natural to use the bread as an “eating utensil”. The bread is placed over vegetables or meat and used as a “pinch” and picked up with your fingers.
Bread is very central to Indian cuisine no matter which state we are talking about, and we have many different types of bread, that is, made with different grains, in different thicknesses and made in different ways. Everyday bread is preferably made in a cast iron or steel frying pan, while festive bread can be deep-fried or made in a tandoor , a special clay oven that I have written about before. In my courses, the participants get very excited when we make roti and it inflates like a balloon, without the addition of any form of leavening agent or yeast. Here, it is the method of baking that makes the difference.
In the north, chapati or roti is most common for everyday use, while for parties we have pori , bhatura , kulcha and naan. Here you also have several types of roti such as besan ki roti and makki ki roti . In the south you will find dosa , uttpam and idli, which are based on rice and lentil flour. While in the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, alternative flour types are often used. Doughs are made with coarse flour and water for everyday use and for party breads, wheat flour, milk or sour milk are used. In addition, we use many different types of flour such as chickpea flour , corn flour, millet flour, amaranth, rice flour, barley flour and oat flour.
Hope you learned something new about bread in Indian cuisine! Have a nice day and we'll talk soon. 