Traditional Indian cooking stoves called chulhas are made of local clay and cow dung and use various regional fuels like wood, animal dung patties, mustard stalks, legume stalks, wheat straw, and coal. Coal remains a popular fuel today because of the smoky flavor it provides, though it needs to be stored separately from food areas since it is combustible.

1. Fuels used in various regional cuisines
of India

2. Chulha is a traditional Indian cooking
stove used for indoor cooking.

3. Chulha
• Chulha is a U-shaped mud stove made from
local clay.
• After the clay formation is complete, it is
finished by covering it with a coat of clay and
cow dung mixture.
• The thickness of the walls is not as important
as the dimensions of the fire-side

4. Fuel used
• Wood
• Animal dung patties are called 'Upla'or dung
cakes
• The plant material
• mustard stalks, legume stalks, wheat straw
are commonly used
• coal

5. Wood

6. Animal dung patties

7. The plant material
• mustard stalks
• legume stalks
• wheat straw

8. mustard stalks

9. legume stalks

10. wheat straw

11. COAL

12. COAL
• Popular kind of fuel till today.
• The smoky flavour which the coal gives is
much desired.
• Coal should always stored from food areas,
ideally in cool dark areas.
• Usually a separate room is kept for storage
since it is combustible and messy.