Q.Name some traditional Indian foods made of wheat, rice and Bengal gram (or their products) which involve use of microbes.

Traditional Indian foods that use microbes include dosa and idli, which are made from rice and Bengal gram (urad dal) — the batter undergoes natural fermentation by lactic acid bacteria like Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus. Bread (especially the leavened variety) is made from wheat flour using baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Dhokla, prepared from Bengal gram and rice, also relies on microbial fermentation. Jalebi, made from wheat flour or rice flour batter, is fermented before frying. Nan and kulcha are leavened wheat breads that use yeast or a starter culture. Bhatura is another fermented wheat-based bread. Khaman (a steamed Bengal gram snack) and handvo (a mixed rice- …

The story of Indian fermented foods is really a story of how our ancestors, without knowing the word "microbe," learned to harness invisible helpers to make food more digestible, more flavourful, and longer-lasting. When you look at the three ingredients you mentioned — wheat, rice, and Bengal gram (chana dal) — you find that each one features in a distinct family of fermented preparations, and the microbes involved are as varied as the dishes themselves.

Let’s begin with rice and Bengal gram — this is the classic combination behind the most famous Indian fermented foods: idli and dosa. The batter is made by soaking rice and urad dal (black gram, a close relative of Bengal gram) separately, then grinding them together and leaving the mixture to ferment overnight. The key microbes here are Leuconostoc mesenteroides (a lactic acid bacterium) and yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The bacteria produce lactic acid, which gives the batter its characteristic sour tang, while the yeasts generate carbon dioxide that makes the batter rise and become light and spongy. When you steam idli or spread dosa on a hot griddle, that trapped gas expands, giving you the soft, porous texture. NCERT textbooks specifically mention idli and dosa as examples of microbial fermentation in Indian cuisine.

Now, wheat takes centre stage in another set of fermented foods. The most widespread is dough for breads like bhatura or nan, where wheat flour is mixed with a small amount of previously fermented dough (a "starter") or with curd, and left to rise. The microbes here are again yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and lactic acid bacteria. The yeast consumes sugars in the flour and releases carbon dioxide, which gets trapped in the gluten network, causing the dough to puff up. In many Indian households, a fermented rice-and-lentil batter is also used to make dosa and appam, but for wheat specifically, the fermented dough for bhatura is a textbook example. …

Sort by ingredient first, then ask which fermented product uses it -- rice with urad/Bengal gram gives idli, dosa and dhokla, while wheat alone gives leavened breads like bhatura. Organising the answer around the three named ingredients, rath …