Orotti, pitha and thalipeeth: 3 flatbreads you can make at home

Thalipeeth is a breakfast staple in Maharashtra. Photo by Vadani Kaval Gheta/Flickr

There’s a kind of bread made in every part of the country, unique in taste and ingredient and if you’re looking for something other than your usual chapati, paratha and puri, there are a range of choices available. We bring you three that can work for any meal be it dinner or breakfast.

Orotti

A traditional Malabari flatbread, popular in Kerala, Orotti is an unleavened thick bread made with rice flour and fresh coconut. Sometimes, it includes a filling of fish and is known as Meen Orotti. While the Meen Orotti is eaten on its own, the plain orotti can be eaten with stew or egg curry.

Pitha

Known as fara in Uttar Pradesh and as pitha in West Bengal, this flatbread is a snack similar to the puri except that is it made of rice and is stuffed with a savoury or sweet filling of jaggery. The savoury filling is usually a paste of Bengal gram mixed with a combination of spice powders including chilli, turmeric, dried mango, aniseed, garam masala and some ginger-garlic-green chilli paste to add heat. The pitha can also be made using wholewheat flour and served with dal or any vegetable of choice.

Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth is one of the healthiest traditional breakfasts, made using a combination of flours, and can be served to break the routine of toast and egg or dosa or even good old oats. The dough to make thalipeeth includes wholewheat flour, any millet flour, rice flour and gram flour with minced onion, minced chillies, minced coriander leaves. You can also add a cup of grated vegetables such as carrot, capsicum, cauliflower and cabbage. If these seem like too much work, just add a bowl of spinach and your healthy breakfast is ready. The thalipeeth can be served with a bowl of curd and coriander-mint-green chilli chutney.