What's a weekend without a fluffy rumali roti on the side of a smoky shik kebab? not at all Whether it's the luxurious atmosphere of a restaurant or a small street-front shop—hand-bread is an undisputed supremacy on the weekend feast list. Of course, if you know the past history of the medal that we think of as a symbol of nobility and luxury, you can eat Virmio by taking out a rough note from your pocket. Rumali bread is a proof of how the change of taste over time gives a very ordinary thing the title of royal food.
What goes to the stomach with absolute satisfaction today, had a completely different value in the Mughal court. King's feast means divine arrangement of pure ghee, butter and fragrant spices. Parotta, Kebab and Kaliya arranged in gold and silver plate. There were no spoons and forks, the princes ate with their hands. And at the end of that meal, this very thin bread, as soft as a handkerchief, was arranged next to the dish to wipe off the large amount of oil and ghee on the hands.
In other words, today's pada is not enough for foodies, it was just 'tissue paper' for the Mughals! After absorbing the oil and spices by hand, the used bread was directly placed in the dustbin. It is called 'Rumali' because it was used like a handkerchief. Researcher Salma Hussain's famous book 'The Emperor's Table: The Art of Mughal Cuisine' has beautifully revealed this strange custom of the royal court.
However, there is no less debate about this evolution of Rumali bread. According to many there is another historical truth to this. Some believe that a type of thin bread known as 'mandaka' in the Buddhist era takes on new forms over time. Crossing the geographical boundaries to Punjab, the people there lovingly named this bread 'Lambu Ruti' because of its appearance.
The way in which it is made by the magic of the hand by floating the flour-dough on the back of the upside-down pan, is no less than a fairy tale! What was once a mere object to wipe the hands of kings, is today one of the main companions of our people's lust. What a strange time!