In India, every food has a story to tell, depicting a rich history of the past era. From biryani to egg rolls and Mughlai paratha, every food here has a fascinating story behind its origin, making Indian cuisine more interesting than ever. While some of these stories have taken the world by storm, some remained closed behind the doors of the locals. Today, we bring you one such lesser-known story of an interesting bread of India, referred to as 'doli ki roti'. It is basically a desi-style sourdough bread that finds its origin in the Multan region of West Punjab (now, Pakistan).
About Doli Ki Roti: History And Origin Of The Sourdough Bread:
Doli ki roti tastes amazing with aloo curry. Photo Credit: iStock
If you look into the history of India, you would find scores of people, coming from Pakistan post-partition, brought along their culture and cuisine to the country. This suddenly brought a huge change to the food map of India, making it yet more diversified and extensive. One such food that came along with the Multanis was 'doli ki roti'. It is considered a heritage food of the region and makes for a wholesome breakfast when paired with rasedar aloo (potato curry).
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Why The Dish Is Named 'Doli Ki Roti'?
Pronounce 'doli' in Hindi and you would understand the story behind the name. Yes, here 'doli' stands for the wedding palanquin. According to legends, back in the day, newly-wed brides used to travel to their in-laws in a palanquin (or doli). And those palanquins had bearers who travelled on foot for days, carrying the bride. To satiate their hunger, the bearers were given these breads to eat on their way. For the unversed, due to the fermentation process, the bread could withstand the rough weather and remained fresh for a long time. This is how, over the years, the roti became popular in the region in the name of 'Doli Ki Roti'. Quite a fascinating story, right?
Today, if you visit a Punjabi household in Delhi, Chandigarh or Punjab, you would find some of the elders in the family still making the bread at home, from scratch. We took inspiration from one such household recipe and thought of sharing it with you.
How To Make Doli Ki Roti At Home | Multani Sourdough Bread Recipe:
Honestly, this recipe is a bit lengthier than usual. But, as you have already tried hands-on making different types of bread in the last few years, it is a must that you try our very own desi sourdough bread too!
Usually, this dish needs almost two to three days to prepare. On the first day, you prepare the water to knead your dough. It is usually a mix of spices, along with sugar and dal, which is boiled and then kept overnight for fermentation. The next day, you need to add atta (flour) to the water and knead a firm dough. Then cut small roundels of the dough and roll small rotis. These rotis are then covered and kept overnight to ferment and rise. Finally, those rotis are fried and savoured with aloo curry.
Let's look at the detailed recipe for doli ki roti here.
Looks quite interesting, right? We suggest, try this desi sourdough bread at home and share your experience with us in the comments below.
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About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.