Kulcha — Amritsari Stuffed Flatbread (कुलचा)

Amritsar, Punjab; the Amritsari kulcha is one of the most specifically regional breads in North India; its association with the Golden Temple town and the specific street vendors around the Harmandir Sahib is absolute

Kulcha (कुलचा) in its Amritsari form is one of India's most distinguished stuffed breads: a leavened maida (refined flour) dough enriched with yoghurt and a small amount of butter or oil, flattened, stuffed with spiced onion, potato, or paneer, sealed, and cooked in the tandoor (or on a tawa with a lid to simulate tandoor conditions). The characteristic of Amritsari kulcha is its buttered exterior, the topping of minced onion and coriander pressed into the surface before baking, and the specific tanginess from the yoghurt in the dough. The stuffing is what makes kulcha different from plain naan.

• Turkish gözleme (stuffed flatbread cooked on a griddle); Georgian khachapuri (stuffed bread) — both are flat-stuffed leavened bread traditions; Amritsari kulcha is unique in its tandoor cooking and butter-heavy finish

Served with chole, a side of raw onion, green chilli, and lassi (yoghurt drink). The hot, buttered, stuffed kulcha with the thick, spiced chickpea curry is one of the most satisfying street food meals in India.