Indian flat breads, known as roti, chapati or phulka are a staple in Indian homes. The basic dough is just whole wheat flour or corn meal and water with or without salt added according to your preference. Every family has their own recipe so kids can enjoy being creative and creating a secret family recipe using their choice of fenugreek leaves, onion, cumin, coriander leaves, green chiles or chili powder for flavor. Serve with cooked vegetables, lentils and yogurt for a complete meal.
From religious ceremonies to weddings and birthdays, puri means special occasion in India so the sight of the bread puffs makes kids smile in anticipation of the treat as well as the celebration it represents. Deep-fry the pancakes and watch them puff up and turn golden. Batura, the leavened version of puri contains yeast which makes a fluffier bread. You can mix poppy seeds or lentils into the dough and serve with vegetable dishes.
Indians traditionally bake naan with several coatings of spinach, mustard oil, yogurt and a sugar called, jaggery. If curry is one of your family favorites, serve it with naan to sop up all the rich flavor of the sauce. Kid-friendly dough seasonings such as garlic, dates, cottage cheese, almonds, ginger, onion and green chilies complement the piquant curry flavor. If you don't have a tandoor handy, bake naan in a standard home oven.
Take a basic whole wheat Indian fried flatbread, add a stuffing and you have parathas. Kids can tweak the recipe to their taste by flavoring the dough with mint, fenugreek, salt, paprika, red chili, cumin or mango powder. Cheese loving kids can stuff their bread with an Indian cheese called paneer. Potatoes, cauliflower, minced meat or grated radish give you some more traditional stuffing options.