Taftan

Flaky Bread

Non-vegetarianOrigin AwadhPrep 30 minutes, plus standing timeCook 6-9 minutesMakes 8

A soft, enriched flatbread with an airy, pillowy crumb and a delicate crust. Flavoured with yogurt, egg, and ghee, it carries a mild sweetness balanced by the savoury, onion-like bite of nigella seeds.

Topping seeds

9 gScattered over the shaped dough before baking (step 5)

Nigella seeds · Kalonji

9 g1 tablespoon

spice

Keep whole.

Everything else

Milk · Doodh

129 g125 ml

dairy

Fast-action dried yeast · Khameer

20 g

other

Granulated sugar · Cheeni

44 g3½ tablespoons

sweetener

Plain flour · Maida

475 g

flour

Salt · Namak

~0.3 gpinch

salt

Plain yogurt · Dahi

45 g3 tablespoons

dairy

Egg · Andalightly beaten

100 g2 eggs

egg

Vegetable oil · Telplus extra for brushing and oiling

18 g4 teaspoons

oil/fat

Gheemelted, plus extra for basting

20 g1½ tablespoons

oil/fat

Milk · Doodhfor basting

to taste

dairy

Method

Warm 129 g milk slightly, then whisk together with 20 g yeast and 44.1 g granulated sugar in a small bowl. Leave undisturbed until the surface turns frothy.
Sift 475 g flour and 0.3 g salt into a large bowl. Form a well in the centre and add the frothy yeast mixture, 45 g plain yogurt, 2 eggs, and 18 g vegetable oil. Mix until a dough forms, then knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth and supple.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, drape with a damp cloth, and let it prove in a warm area for 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Deflate the dough gently and divide it into 8 equal portions. Lightly brush the portions with vegetable oil and let them rest for 20 minutes.
Flatten each ball using your hands into a teardrop shape, tapering one end while leaving the other broad. Brush the tops with 19.8 g melted ghee and sprinkle over the topping seeds.
Set the breads onto oiled baking trays and bake for 2 to 3 minutes. Take them out of the oven and immediately baste the tops with milk and extra melted ghee to taste.

Don't have something?

Milk

Whole milk
Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.
Single cream
Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.
Plain yogurt
Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

Fast-action dried yeast

Dried yeast
Use the same weight. Proof in warm water with a little sugar for 10 minutes before mixing, as it is not instant. Slightly slower.
Fresh yeast
Use about 2.5 times the weight. Crumble into warm liquid with a little sugar and leave for 10 minutes. Slower and needs longer proving.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Plain flour

Whole wheat flour
Use the same weight, add 10–15% more water and rest the dough for 20 minutes; the result is heavier and nuttier.
Rice flour
Use the same weight for crisp coatings; for doughs use no more than half rice flour with wheat flour, or it will be crumbly.
Cornflour
For thickening use half the weight, mixed with cold water; it is not suitable for bread or chapati dough.

Plain yogurt

Yogurt
Use equal weight, whisked thoroughly until smooth before adding to hot dishes to prevent curdling.
Coconut milk
Use equal weight with 1 teaspoon lemon juice mixed in. Provides rich creaminess in curries, but adds a noticeable coconut flavour.
Single cream
Use 80% of the weight plus a squeeze of lemon juice for acidity. Enriches sauces nicely, though it is richer and less tangy.

Egg

Chickpea flour
For binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.
Full-fat natural yoghurt
Use about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.
Tofu
Use the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
Ghee
Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oil
Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Ghee

Unsalted butter
Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.
Vegetable oil
Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.
Mustard oil
Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Nigella seeds

Black cumin seeds
Use equal weight. Imparts an earthy, slightly bitter note in temperings, though it lacks nigella's oniony sharpness.
Black sesame seeds
Use equal weight. Gives a similar speckled appearance and light crunch on breads, but provides a nutty rather than herbaceous, onion-like flavour.

Similar dishes

Kerala Paratha

Kerala Paratha is richer, crispier, and more buttery, lacking the noticeable sweetness, yogurt tang, and onion-like flavor of nigella seeds present in this dish.

Same: Like this dish, Kerala Paratha is an enriched flatbread prepared with milk, sugar, salt, and ghee.
Different: Kerala Paratha incorporates substantially more ghee alongside peanut oil and butter, but it omits the plain yogurt and nigella seeds found in this dish.

Malabari Paratha

Paratha from Malabar

Malabari Paratha tastes significantly more buttery and less sweet, lacking the tartness of yogurt and the pungent, onion-like flavor of nigella seeds.

Same: Both are enriched flatbreads prepared with milk, sugar, and salt.
Different: Malabari Paratha uses a large amount of butter as its sole fat and omits the yogurt, ghee, vegetable oil, and nigella seeds found in this dish.

Rogani Kulcha

Rich Kulcha

Rogani Kulcha tastes eggy and chilli-hot on top, while this dish tastes mildly sweet with yogurt tang, ghee richness, and nigella's onion-like bite.

Same: Rogani Kulcha shares with this dish a soft, enriched leavened flatbread base made from plain flour, milk, egg, sugar, salt, and vegetable oil.
Different: Rogani Kulcha lacks this dish's yogurt, ghee, yeast, and nigella seeds, and instead uses baking powder and a chilli-powder egg glaze brushed on after cooking.

Ulte Tawe ka Paratha

Paratha Cooked on the Griddle

Ulte Tawe ka Paratha has a richer, nuttier profile, lacking the mild tang of yogurt and the savoury, onion-like bite of nigella seeds found in this dish.

Same: Both are rich, sweetened flatbreads made with milk, sugar, and ghee.
Different: Ulte Tawe ka Paratha incorporates cashew paste and is cooked on an inverted griddle, omitting the yogurt, vegetable oil, and nigella seeds used in this dish.