Pakistani Cuisine has a variety of breads. Some are easily cooked at home on flat griddle pans and some are bought from bread shops because they are cooked in clay ovens, which need proper space and area. However, a special area is reserved for clay ovens “Tandoor” in some Pakistani homes. Pakistani breads range from simple to seasoned and stuffed breads, light to heavy ghee and deep fried breads, simple, sweet to spicy breads, fluffy to flat breads. Pakistani kitchens and bread shops are equipped with a couple of handy tools and utensils for easy bread making like:

FLAT GRIDDLE PAN
Flat pan griddle known as “Tawa” in Pakistan is a flat based pan with very little or no raised edges. It is used to cook chapattis, parathas and stuffed rotis or parathas.

ROLLING PIN AND BOARD
A rolling pin and board is used to shape the bread round and thin. A ball of dough is placed on the lightly floured board and it is flattened gently by rolling a rolling pin over it until it comes in to desired diameter and thickness. Rolling pin is used for both, bread making at home and bread shops for clay oven breads.

A PAIR OF FLAT TONGS
A pair of flat tongs is used to handle the hot bread while cooking for bread making at home. The tongs used in bread shops for clay oven breads are much longer and round rod like for easy handling of bread.

CLAY OVENS
Some of the popular Pakistani breads cannot be cooked on flat pan griddles. They need to be cooked in clay ovens, heated by charcoals or wood fire at the very base of the ovens. The flattened breads are stick to the sides of the clay oven and are easily removed with the help of long rod tongs when done. Clay ovens are used to make breads like naan, tandoori roti, khameeri roti, tandoori and khameeri parathas and stuffed naan.

BREAD PAD
Bread pad is used for bread making in clay ovens. It is a stuffed cotton pad with a handle in the back. After rolling out the bread, it is spread on the pad and stick to the edge of the clay oven. Since clay oven is extremely heated, bread pad protects the hand from burning without disturbing the shape of the bread.