On the Indian table bread is not a side dish. It is a tool: you use it to scoop up the sauce, and it gives the mouthful its texture. That is why there are so many kinds, and why it matters which one you order with what.

Naan, the soft one

Made from a leavened dough and baked by slapping it against the hot wall of the tandoor. That is what gives it a blistered outside and an airy, springy inside. It goes best with thick, buttery sauces: butter chicken, dal makhini.

Roti, the everyday one

Made from wholemeal flour, without leavening. Thinner and drier than naan, and that is exactly why it works: it does not overpower the food. Tandoori roti is baked in the oven, while roomali roti is rolled so thin that, folded, it resembles a handkerchief, which is what its name means.

Paratha and parotta, the layered ones

The dough is folded and rolled out again several times, so that it opens into layers as it bakes. Laccha paratha is coiled, pudina has mint in it, and the South Indian kerela parotta is so flaky that many people eat it on its own. It is rich, so it belongs with lighter dishes.

Kulcha, the stuffed one

A leavened bread with a filling added before baking. This is the type that leaves the most room to play: we make it with vegetables, with Kashmiri dried fruit, with basil, and with cheddar and truffle. It stands on its own, so do not worry if none is left for the main course.

Papadam, the crisp one

Made not from wheat flour but from lentil flour, baked into a thin, glassy disc. Its job is texture: when everything else on the plate is soft, this provides the crunch. It is worth crumbling over the rice rather than nibbling on its own.

Which one with what?

Thick, buttery sauce: naan.
Hot or heavily spiced dish: roti, because it does not add another layer on top.
Drier, fried food: paratha or parotta.
If there are two of you: order two different ones rather than the same twice.

The tandoor breads and the rice dishes on the menu are in one section.