Phulka / Chapati — Tawa and Direct Flame Puffing (फुलका / चपाती)

Pan-North and Central Indian — the daily bread of the Indian subcontinent; described in ancient Sanskrit texts as 'chapati'

Phulka is the daily flatbread of North and Central India — thin whole-wheat discs cooked first on a tawa (flat iron griddle) until partially set, then placed directly on an open gas flame or live coal where the trapped steam inflates the bread into a hollow balloon. The inflation is where the bread lives or dies: it requires uniform thickness (achieved by rolling from the centre outward with even pressure) so that the steam can distribute evenly. The entire cooking process takes 60–90 seconds per phulka. It is the most produced bread in India — an experienced home cook will produce 30–40 per meal.

• The direct-flame puffing parallels the Ethiopian injera's clay griddle cooking and the Yemeni lahoh. The puffing mechanism is shared with the Turkish gözleme tradition.

With any dal, vegetable curry, or meat dish. Applied with ghee, it is the primary vehicle for sauce in the Indian meal structure.