Rumali Roti

Rumali roti, also known as Manda, is a delicate and thin flatbread that originates from the Indian subcontinent, particularly popular in India and the Punjab region of Pakistan. This flatbread is a favored accompaniment to tandoori dishes. The name "rumali roti" translates to "handkerchief bread" with "rumal" meaning handkerchief in several North Indian languages. In Punjab, it's also called "lamboo roti" where "lamboo" means long in Punjabi. In the Caribbean, you might hear it referred to as dosti roti.

What sets rumali roti apart is its exceptional thinness and softness, often served folded up, resembling a handkerchief. During the Mughal era, people even used rumali roti to wipe the grease off their hands after a rich meal! The traditional recipe calls for a mix of whole wheat atta flour and white wheaten maida flour, cooked on the convex side of a karahi (a type of cooking pot).

In Bannu and the surrounding regions of Waziristan, there's a variation known as "paosti" or "paosti chappatai." This larger, soft chapati is served as part of a meal called "penda" typically prepared for large gatherings. Paosti is baked on a batt, which is essentially a 55-gallon drum split in half lengthwise and placed over a coal or wood fire.

Historically, during the late Buddhist period, a bread called Mandaka (now referred to as "mande", "manda", or puran poli) existed. This was a large paratha stuffed with a sweetened pulse paste and baked on an inverted pot. Rumali roti is considered the plain version of this ancient bread.