Darjeeling Market Tibetan Breads

Phale (pronounced “pah-lay,” and sometimes written pali) is the Tibetan word for “bread.” These round empanadalike filled breads are called shaphale (sha is the Tibetan word for “meat”; the filling on its own is called shapka). They’re made from two flatbread dough rounds pinched together around a cooked meat filling, then skillet baked in a little oil. The edges are attractively fluted, the breads pale golden brown. We first tasted them on a damp, cold Ma