Amritsari Kulcha

In Kolkata, Kulcha is served as a starter in the Bengali Wedding menus. It is fluffier than naan and looks more like a pillow and comes in a triangular shape. Unlike naan, kulcha is served with chole. Traditionally Radhaballabhi is served as a starter in the wedding menus with cholar dal or paneer but now a days Kulchas are just becoming the norm. I myself don’t like that pillowy fluffy kulchas. I am more of a naan person. And if you go just by the look...then it’s very hard to distinguish naan from kulcha.

Both, naan and kulchas, are leavened flatbreads...with the difference in the leavening agent only. Whereas for naan, its the yeast, for the kulcha that agent is baking powder and baking soda. Moreover naan comes from the Mughlai Cuisine, and, Kulcha originated from Punjab, and has a more authentic Indian background.

In a bowl take the boiled potatoes. Add in the chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, ground dry roasted cumin and coriander powder, salt and butter. Mash the potatoes and keep aside.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, yougurt, baking power, baking soda, and oil.

Mix everything to create a lump.

Knead that lump to create a smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 1 hour.

After 1 hour knead the dough again and flatten them on a flat surface pressing in the outward direction with the fingers.

Lather the surafce with softened butter.

Fold the dough and spread again. Lather once again with softened butter.

Fold the sheet into an envelope and then fold again, to create a loaf like structure. 

Take a small portion from that dough and flatten with fingers into a small tortilla.

Place 1 tbsp of the filling at the centre.

Gather and seal the edges and spread with a rolling pin or your fingers to give a round shape. Heat a tawa and fry with oil. Baste with melted butter before serving.

Amritsari Kulcha is basically Aloo Kulcha lathered generously with butter. Also, Kulchas are done on the stovetop...whereas naan is made generally in the tandoor. Even for the serving, naan goes with almost any curry you can think of but Kulcha is served solely with chole, and I cannot think of any other combination that can be better or do justice to the taste of the kulcha.

Amritsari Kulcha

Makes 6-7 kulchas

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups of plain all purpose flour

½ cup of yogurt

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

Salt

A pinch of sugar

2 tbsp of warm water

2 tbsp softened butter

For the filling:

2 medium potatoes

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion – finely chopped

2 green chillies – finely chopped

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

1 tsp dry roasted – ground cumin seeds

1 tsp dry roasted – ground coriander seeds

Salt

½ cup butter for basting

Method:

Make the dough:

Take a big bowl and add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, yogurt and oil in it.

Mix them well and start gathering them in one place.

Soon all the flour will be accumulated and create a lump. But this mixture should not be too sticky or too dry. If its too dry add little water and if its too sticky then add some more flour.

Now start kneading until you have a smooth dough.

Cover the bowl with a plate and keep the dough aside for one hour.

Make the filling:

Boil the potatoes until they become soft and tender from the inside.

Drain the water and leave the potatoes in the kitchen counter to cool down to room temperature.

Once they are cool enough to handle peel off their skin and mash them with the help of a fork.

Add in the butter, chopped onions, chopped green chillies, chopped coriander leaves, salt and dry roasted and ground coriander and cumin seeds powder.

Mix them with your hand until everything is perfectly incorporated.

Make the Kulcha:

The dough is now resting for one hour and after one hour when you will uncover the dough the dough should rise a bit.

Put that dough on a flat surface and spread the dough with the help of your fingers into a flat sheet.

Now take the softened butter and lather it on the dough.

Fold the dough in an envelope.

Again spread it with your fingers into a sheet.

Lather it with butter and fold again into an envelope.

Fold it again to give a loaf like shape and with the help of a knife cut them into 6-7 portions.

Give round shape to those portions and place them in a plate.

Cover them with a damp cloth and let them rest for 15 minutes more.

After 15 minutes, take one ball and roll it into a small tortilla.

Take 1 tbsp of the filling and place it at the center of the tortilla.

Gather the edges and press to seal.

Dust this ball with some flour and again flatten by gently pressing them with your fingers into a small chapatti. 

Now heat the tawa and fry the kulcha on both the sides with oil until they become crispy golden.

Then take them out of the tawa and place in a plate or casserole. Baste the kulcha with butter and serve hot with chole.