phulka recipe How to make soft phulka

Phulka is a soft Indian flat bread made by cooking directly over an open flame. Phulka uses very less oil or ghee compared to regular chapatti so it is healthier too. Phulka is softer than roti and is savored with gravy or curry or raita or pickle. Learn how to cook phulka with step by step pictures.

Phulka is one of the main food of North India. It is like our regular chapatti but smaller and thinner and usually served with ghee. Children will love Phulka as it is very soft, make it and enjoy it at home.

about phulka

Phulka/Pulka is nothing but Indian flat bread which is half baked on a pan and cooked directly on open flame. It is usually dry and prepared without adding ghee or oil. It takes time and practice to get it right.

Many years ago, I tried puffing the bread but it was not perfect so I gave up on it. Finally one day I asked my North Indian neighbor and came to know that there is a trick to rolling the rotis, the rotis should be rolled thinly from all sides, otherwise the rotis will not puff up completely. Now I can say with confidence that I am doing it right every time. Seeing the roti puff up takes chapatti/roti making to a whole new level and Mitthu loves these phulkas, it’s another added joy.

similar recipe

phulka ingredients

• wheat flour – You can also use homemade wheat flour or store bought wheat flour. You can also use multigrain flour.
• salt water – Salt is added for taste. Water is added to knead the dough.
• Oil – Oil is added to make the phulka soft.

How to make phulka step by step

1. In a wide mixing bowl add the wheat flour, salt and mix quickly until the salt is incorporated first. Then add water little by little and knead a soft, elastic dough. When it becomes smooth, add ½ teaspoon oil and knead it. The dough should not be too stiff or too loose, it should not be sticky at this stage.

2. Keep aside for 15-30 minutes. Open it, knead it again and make lemon sized balls (size depends on your preference). Roll each ball into a thin circle (rolling should be uniform). Sprinkle flour if necessary but do not add too much flour while rolling.

2. Heat the pan, place on medium flame – add the roti and wait till small bubbles appear, then flip to the other side, wait for a few minutes till golden spots appear. Then carefully place it directly on the flame using tongs (keep it on high flame). Let it rise, then carefully put into the hot pack. Repeat the same process for all the other rotis. Brush it with oil/ghee if you wish.

This way the rotis will remain soft for a longer time. You can also use a chapatti/roti griller to make rotis this way. Hope the video helps beginners who want to try it.

Expert Tips

• While offering the rotis on direct flame, ensure that the flame is high. Apart from this, the part which has not turned golden brown, should be kept directly below the flame.
• I’m sure this will come with practice, but still don’t worry, if it’s not puffy like mine, I’m sure the rotis will be very soft.
• Make sure to roll it out thinly and evenly. It should not be very thin or transparent on the other side.
• While kneading make sure to add water in right amount and knead well to make a soft elastic dough.
• Don’t be tempted to add more flour while rolling, because we are not adding any oil and if you add more flour while rolling then the rotis will be very dry and will taste raw.
• Use tongs and be very careful while removing the roti without tearing it 🙂 Because I personally faced this problem in the earlier days when I started making these.
• The size of each roti depends entirely on your preference, but make sure the roti is big enough to fit inside the flame, the edges that are not open will not puff up, so roll it out accordingly.
• This way you can reduce the oil completely and still the chapatti remains soft for hours and is best for packing too.
• Once the rotis are cooked, apply ghee/oil on it and put it in a hot pack and wrap it in kitchen towel/tissue, which will keep it warm and soft till the time of serving.

serving and storage

Serve phulka with gravy, curry or raita. You can store phulka at room temperature for about 2 days. But you can store wheat flour dough in the refrigerator for about a week.

If you have any further questions about this phulka recipe Mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. Also, follow me Instagram, Facebook, pinterest ,youtube And Twitter .

tried this phulka recipe ? Do let me know how you liked it. Tag us @sharmispassions on Instagram and hash tag #sharmispassions.

📖 Recipe Card