The traditional Indian flatbread Kulcha is greatest loved with a sturdy Punjabi Chana Masala. This mixture was, is and can at all times stay a winner! So, on this submit, I’ve acquired my Kulcha Bread so that you can strive at dwelling. It’s a indisputable fact that Amritsar in Punjab homes the perfect kulchas on the planet. However this Kulcha recipe of mine also can give a troublesome competitors to them! Attempt it.
What’s Kulcha
A well-liked and well-known leavened flatbread from Punjab in North India, it may be plain or stuffed, and might be made within the tandoor (clay oven), baked in an oven or cooked on a tawa or skillet.
Other than Punjab, it’s discovered within the meals cultures of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
This soft-textured flatbread is straightforward to organize and tastes divine. You simply should be a bit affected person until the dough leavens. I’ve cooked these on a tawa, however you can too bake them in an oven. Finest, in case you have a tandoor at dwelling, use it.
This flatbread recipe doesn’t use yeast in its leavening. This Kulcha recipe has curd, baking soda and baking powder which helps within the means of leavening the dough.
Since I’m not a fan of the soapy scent of baking soda, I’ve used it in much less amount on this Kulcha recipe. Thus, added baking powder too. Paneer Kulcha and Aloo Kulcha are a few of my favourite stuffed kulchas.
Whether or not plain or stuffed, kulchas style greatest when paired with Amritsari Chole, Chana Masala and even Pindi Chole. You may as well have them heat with a cup of tea or espresso.
I additionally love the Delhi fashion Matar Kulcha – a mixture of kulcha with a tasty matar curry made with dried white peas.
For those who like this pairing too, then you have to strive the quintessential Chole Bhature and the Bengali particular Luchi with Alur Dom (Aloo Dum) too at dwelling.
Step-by-Step Information
The right way to make Kulcha
Make Dough
1. Combine 2.5 cups all-purpose flour (maida), ¾ teaspoon salt, 2 to 2.5 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon baking soda in a bowl. Make a properly within the heart.
2. Add 4 tablespoons yogurt (curd), 2.5 tablespoons oil and roughly ¾ cup water.
3. Start to combine the flour with the liquids first after which begin to knead.
4. Make a easy, supple and tender dough.
5. In the identical bowl or pan, cowl the dough with a moist kitchen serviette. You may as well frivolously brush some water on the dough and canopy the pan with a lid.
6. Let the dough leaven for two hours.
7. Frivolously knead the leavened dough once more.
Roll and Make Kulcha
8. Make small balls of the dough and frivolously flatten them. Sprinkle some nigella seeds or sesame seeds on the dough ball.
With the rolling pin, flatten the dough and roll every right into a small-sized kulcha on a frivolously dusted rolling board.
Don’t roll thinly however hold a medium thickness – like a paratha or bit extra thick than a paratha.
9. Warmth a skillet or tawa on medium-high to excessive warmth. The tawa or skillet needs to be extremely popular. Place the kulcha on the tawa.
10. Cook dinner one aspect partially until it’s ¼ᵗʰ cooked.
11. Flip and cook dinner the opposite aspect until it’s ½ cooked. Apply oil or ghee on each side of kulcha whereas cooking.
You’ll be able to skip the oil or ghee for those who desire.
12. Flip a couple of instances as wanted and roast until the kulcha will get golden spots and is evenly cooked. Put together extra kulchas in an analogous means.
13. Serve the Kulcha scorching with chickpea curry or chole masala. These can be stacked in a roti basket after which served heat.
Kulcha Vs Naan
Kulcha and naan are the 2 most admired flatbreads throughout India, even the world too. Nevertheless, each these are distinctive of their nature.
Whereas each might be stuffed or plain, once we speak of the variations between the 2, it’s majorly within the substances, leavening brokers, spices used for every and likewise the feel and thickness. In brief,
- The bottom flour in kulcha is basically all-purpose flour (maida) and in naan is both all-purpose flour or a mixture of each entire wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
- Kulcha is leavened with baking soda, baking powder or each and likewise yeast. Naan is leavened with yeast.
- Naan is normally rolled skinny to a tear drop form and cooked in a tandoor and have a tender or chewy texture. Whereas a Kulcha might be rolled thick or skinny and has a tender or fluffy texture. Some variations of kulcha even have a flaky texture.
One of many similarities between them is that each Kulcha Bread and Naan are both ready in a tandoor, and can be made in an oven and tawa.
Kulcha Variations
As we journey via the size and breadth of the Indian subcontinent, we are able to discover the common-or-garden Kulcha with lots of its variants other than the Amritsari one. Learn on to know extra.
- When milk or curd (yogurt) is used as an alternative of water to knead the dough, leading to a extra softer kulcha. This kind can also be known as Doodhia Kulcha. The fluffy Lucknowi ones are additionally kneaded with milk and ghee.
- Yet another stuffed model is the Kalari Kulcha, in style on the streets of Jammu – with a crispy, grilled stuffing of the standard Dogri cheese or the Kaladi cheese – additionally referred to as Maish Krej in Kashmiri. As a result of cheese, this has a stretchy texture.
- A few of the different all-time favourite stuffings embody potato, onions, paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cauliflower, mint leaves, different seasonal greens and greens.
Skilled Suggestions
- Be certain that to knead the dough tender and easy or else the Kulcha Bread will end up chewy.
- Whereas making the dough for this Kulcha recipe, the quantity of water to be added relies on the standard of flours. So, add accordingly.
- For greatest outcomes, hold the dough in a heat atmosphere for leavening.
- To get a restaurant fashion texture on the Kulcha, the tawa or skillet needs to be extremely popular whereas roasting it.
- Be certain that to wipe the tava with a cotton kitchen towel after making every kulcha to do away with burnt flour particles.
- This can be a vegetarian recipe. However you possibly can even make it vegan by utilizing a plant-based yogurt like almond or cashew yogurt, and roasting it in oil as an alternative of ghee.
FAQs
Sure, you need to use an identical quantity of atta as an alternative of maida. Knead the atta with ¾ cup water first after which add extra water if required, to get a easy tender dough. As in comparison with maida, atta requires extra water whereas kneading.
Sure, you can also make Kulcha Bread in oven at 220 to 250 levels Celsius. Preheat your oven for quarter-hour earlier than baking.
Sure, you possibly can.
No. It’s barely thicker than roti or chapati, extra like an aloo paratha.
Sure, the kulcha dough might be ready and refrigerated to retailer in a single day. Unfold some oil on the dough and retailer in an hermetic metal field.
There is no such thing as a substitute for nigella seeds. Nevertheless, you possibly can skip it, for those who don’t have or use black or white sesame seeds.
For the reason that recipe has curd in it and the kulchas are cooked on tawa and never baked, you possibly can retailer them within the fridge for simply someday.
An unleavened flatbread is a paratha and a leavened flatbread is a kulcha. Historically, kulchas are made in a tandoor or clay oven and baked kulcha bread might be saved for a lot of days.
Sure, this recipe can simply be halved.
It takes about 6 to eight minutes roughly.
Sugar is added on this recipe because it helps in leavening of the dough.
Extra Indian Breads To Attempt!
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Kulcha Recipe | Kulcha Bread
Kulcha is a well-liked tender leavened North Indian flatbread. It may be made within the tandoor in addition to on a tawa or skillet. Serve Kulcha with a sturdy and spicy Chana Masala or Chickpea Curry.
Prep Time 2 hrs 15 minutes
Cook dinner Time 30 minutes
Whole Time 2 hrs 45 minutes
Stop your display from going darkish whereas making the recipe
Making dough
Combine the all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
Make a properly within the heart. Add the yogurt, oil and water.
Start to combine the flour with the liquids first after which begin to knead. Make a easy, tender and supple dough.
In the identical bowl or pan, cowl the dough with a moist kitchen serviette and let the dough relaxation for two hours.
Rolling and making kulcha
Make small balls of the dough and flatten them a bit. Sprinkle some nigella seeds or sesame seeds on the dough ball.
- With the rolling pin, flatten the dough and roll every right into a small-sized kulcha. Don’t roll skinny however have a medium thickness much like a paratha or barely thicker than paratha.
Warmth a flat skillet or a tawa. Place the kulcha on the recent tawa.
Cook dinner one aspect partially until its ¼ᵗʰ cooked. Flip and cook dinner the opposite aspect until it’s ½ cooked.
Apply oil or ghee on each side of kulcha whereas roasting. You’ll be able to skip the oil or ghee for those who desire.
Flip a couple of instances as wanted and roast the kulcha until it will get golden spots and is evenly cooked. Put together extra kulchas in an analogous means.
As you put together them, stack the cooked kulcha in a roti-basket, in order that they keep heat.
Serve Kulcha scorching with chana masala.
- As a substitute of utilizing solely all-purpose flour, decide so as to add equal parts of entire wheat flour and all-purpose flour.
- You may as well bake kulcha at 220 to 250 levels Celsius till they’ve some charred spots on them and are evenly cooked. Preheat oven for quarter-hour earlier than baking.
- The recipe might be halved or doubled.
Vitamin Details
Kulcha Recipe | Kulcha Bread
Quantity Per Serving
Energy 178 Energy from Fats 63
% Each day Worth*
Fats 7g11%
Saturated Fats 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fats 0.4g
Monounsaturated Fats 5g
Ldl cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 207mg9%
Potassium 66mg2%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 8IU0%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg13%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.2mg12%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2mg10%
Vitamin B6 0.02mg1%
Vitamin B12 0.03µg1%
Vitamin C 0.04mg0%
Vitamin D 0.01µg0%
Vitamin E 3mg20%
Vitamin Ok 0.5µg0%
Calcium 24mg2%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 58µg15%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 8mg2%
Phosphorus 55mg6%
Zinc 0.3mg2%
* % Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight-reduction plan.
This Kulcha Recipe from the weblog archives first revealed in June 2013 has been up to date and republished on December 2022.