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7 min
12/01/2026
Indian bread and the Western white bread could not be more different, yet locals and foreigners alike go gaga over Indian bread. But which Indian bread are we talking about here? Is naan really the face of Indian bread, or does chapati hold that title in the Indian kitchen, irrespective of external influences? This article dives deep into the origins, methods, cultural relevance, and modern popularity of the two, unravelling the layered story behind India’s most iconic flatbreads.
Indian bread comes in a variety of forms and shapes, and India’s relationship with bread is as old as its civilisation. But there’s where the twist lies for what goes under the ambit of ‘bread’, in the Indian context, is a whole different world from the sliced loaves in the West. From the humble chapati handmade with love to the restaurant-favourite naan charred in tandoor ovens, both of these breads carry stories of heritage, class, and centuries of evolution.
Agriculture was a major occupation in India, and people were able to grow wheat, millets and other grains in bulk. Chapati was born by cultivating these grains, grinding them and mixing them with water. Chapati’s roots stretch back thousands of years, with archaeological evidence suggesting that wheat was cultivated in the Indus Valley Civilisation, which existed around 3300-1300 BCE, and rustic flatbreads were a common part of daily meals.
The word chapati comes from the Marathi word ‘chapat’ meaning ‘slap’ or ‘flat’, describing the traditional method of forming round pieces of thin dough by slapping the dough between the wetted palms of the hands. The word chapati was first noted in the 16th-century document Ain-i-Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, vizier of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Naan has a more cosmopolitan history than its humble counterpart, chapati. The word naan comes from the Persian ‘nân-e sangak’, meaning ‘bread baked on hot pebbles’. The history of naan can be traced back to ancient Persia, where leavened bread was baked in vertical clay ovens similar to the tandoor.
The earliest mention of naan in the Indian region comes from the memoirs of Indo-Persian Sufi poet Amir Khusrau living in India during the 1300s AD. Khusrau mentions two kinds of naan eaten by Muslim nobles: Naan-e-Tunuk (light or thin bread) and Naan-e-Tanuri (tandoor-baked bread).
Naan became popular among the Mughal nobility in the 1500s, when it was served as a breakfast food accompanied by kebabs or keema. Due to the lengthy process of making leavened bread and the requirement for a tandoor oven, naan historically was available primarily to royalty and remained a delicacy for Northern Indian royals for decades. By 1700, there were mentions of this flatbread reaching other classes of Indian society.
Chapati is made with finely ground whole‑wheat flour mixed simply with water (and sometimes a pinch of salt) to form a soft, pliable dough. That dough is shaped into a thin, circular disc using a belan (rolling pin) and cooked on a hot flat griddle (tava), resulting in a flatbread with a lightly browned, often blistered surface and a tender interior. The simplicity of its ingredients and method has made it an enduring everyday bread across India.
Naan, by contrast, uses a richer dough that includes refined flour (or white wheat flour) and a leavening agent (such as yeast or yoghurt fermentation), which gives the bread a soft, airy texture with visible air pockets. The dough is stretched or rolled and then baked at very high heat – traditionally in a clay tandoor oven, so that one side is blistered, charred and crisp while the interior remains tender. This method of preparation and its elevated status in royal kitchens give naan its distinctive character.
Chapati is a staple food across India and represents the heart of home cooking. Its simplicity – made with just flour, water, and minimal ingredients – makes it the bread of daily sustenance. Every Indian household has someone who knows how to make chapati, a skill that is commonplace yet unique, as its traditional circular shape is hard to master.
Chapati is prepared fresh for nearly every meal in millions of Indian homes. It's the bread you tear to scoop up dal, vegetables, and curries at the family dinner table. Its preparation is woven into domestic life, where mothers, grandmothers, and other family members gather around the tawa to roll and cook these simple flatbreads.
Due to the lengthy process of making leavened bread and the requirement for specialised equipment like a tandoor oven, naan was available primarily to royalty. This exclusivity has persisted in modern times, though for different reasons. Naan is predominantly associated with dining out. The requirement for a tandoor – a cylindrical clay oven that reaches temperatures of up to from an upwards of 480°C, makes it impractical for most home cooks. The preparation time, use of yeast or other leavening agents, and the technique also position naan as a special-occasion bread.
When Indians go to restaurants, particularly North Indian or Mughlai establishments, ordering naan – whether plain, butter, garlic, or stuffed varieties – is part of the dining experience. Naan represents indulgence, celebration, and the pleasure of foods prepared with specialised skill and equipment unavailable at home.
If Instagram and food influencers are to be believed, the West is even more obsessed with ‘naan bread’ than Indians; they can't seem to do without it whenever any Indian food comes their way. The locals love it too and like theirs with butter chicken, dal makhani and paneer butter masala. But it’s not one naan to rule them all. While plain naan and butter naan (naan brushed with butter to keep it moist and indulgent) are the most basic versions, there are a few different varieties to sample from as well.
This is the crown jewel of naan varieties and ranks numero uno on TasteAtlas’s Best Rated Breads in India. After baking the naan in a blazing hot tandoor oven, the naan is generously brushed with melted butter or ghee and topped with minced garlic. The butter-garlic duo creates an irresistible aromatic experience and flavour.
This one’s for the meat lovers, which emerged from the practical tradition of repurposing leftover meat. The bread is filled with spiced minced lamb or goat meat, then brushed liberally with butter after baking. The rich, savoury filling makes it substantial enough to enjoy without additional accompaniments.
Comfort food at its finest, this naan features a filling of spiced mashed potatoes seasoned with herbs and spices. The mashed potato stuffing is similar to aloo paratha but different, because naan is baked in the tandoor, not fried. To make up for the fatty content, it is generally brushed with ghee or butter. Aloo is one of the most common stuffings, but stuffed naan can include any spiced stuffing, from paneer to gobhi.
Chapati is the OG, but there are variations which are not exactly rotis but are quite similar to it. Essentially, much like chapati, these varieties are not fried or baked (like parathas and naans), and end up being more nutritious than the typical naan.
This flavorful flatbread combines gram flour with whole wheat flour with spices like red chilli powder, cumin seed powder, carom seed powder, turmeric, coriander, and crushed dry pomegranate seeds. This is a North Indian speciality, and might also feature onions and green chillies. Traditionally cooked on a clay oven, it can also be cooked on a tawa until toasted well.
Hailing from North Karnataka, this rustic flatbread is crafted from jowar flour, giving it a notably coarser texture compared to standard wheat chapatis. The bread can vary in consistency from soft to quite firm, and its distinctive grainy quality sets it apart. It’s typically served alongside curries like jhunka or vegetable preparations.
Thalipeeth is a Maharashtrian speciality which showcases the region's love for multi-grain preparations. The flour blend incorporates roasted tapioca, rajgira, wheat, and rice, along with aromatic roasted coriander and cumin seeds. This creates a complex flavour profile that's more robust than simple wheat chapatis.
If you’re talking heritage, simplicity, and ubiquity, chapati is the clear winner – it’s the bread of the people. It’s made at home, eaten daily, and has ancient Indian roots. But if you're going by popularity, presentation, and modern-day associations with Indian cuisine, naan takes the crown – it’s the face of Indian food globally and is much loved by the locals too.
