Kulchas are Indian flatbreads very similar to naan, very popular in North India. One of our favourite street foods is matar kulcha, available at pretty much every corner of the city. It makes for a quick healthy meal that I enjoy making at home.... Well almost as much as these Paneer Kulchas!
Typically these flatbreads are made without yeast. Yogurt and baking soda are added to their dough while naans are made with yeast. But this recipe from my mom uses yeast for kulcha and my naans have yeast & yogurt...gosh, so confusing! But as long as it works! 🙂
Kulchas are quite soft. They don't get hard and rubbery like naan when cold. You can simply reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds or on a griddle/tawa. Latter is my preferred method, especially with a bit ( or lots) of butter or ghee. It gets nicely crispy on the outside, which we all love. By the way, they freeze rather well too. That's such a convenience as I can use the base to make a quick pizza, serve with any vegetable/ dal or turn it into paneer kulcha!! Weeknight dinner/ after school snack/ tiffin sorted!
Paneer kulcha I make is really a sandwich, and while I'm not sure about this recipe's authenticity, this is the way we've been eating it for years. So purists, please pardon. It's wholesome, delicious and very easy to make..that's what counts in my book! 🙂
NOTES:
- You can add a tablespoon or two of yogurt or milk in the kulcha dough to make it softer. Adjust the quantity of water used accordingly.
- While kulchas are usually made with all-purpose flour, you can easily substitute with wholewheat flour or a mix of the two as well.
- Just so you know, you can make the same sandwich with keema ( minced meat/ chicken ) filling too. It's absolutely amazing!
- If you want to make this a complete VEGAN meal, you can use TOFU instead of paneer.
- Make a double batch and store the leftover kulchas, tightly wrapped in foil in the refrigerator or freezer.
I hope this makes a regular visit on your dinner table as it does on ours. I’d love to know how this turned out for you. Leave a comment below and share a picture on INSTAGRAM using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods !
Paneer Kulcha
Ingredients
KULCHA
- 250 gms Wholewheat/ All purpose flour You can use a mix of the 2 as well.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Dry active yeast + 1/4 cup slightly warm water.
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup Water
PANEER BHURJI/SCRAMBLED PANEER
- 250 gms Paneer Crumbled. You can use tofu if you want to make it vegan
- 1 Onion, medium Diced
- 2 Tomatoes Diced
- 1 Green chilli Add more if you like
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1.5 tsp oil/ghee
- 1 Tbsp Fresh coriander/ cilantro for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
KULCHA
- Preheat your oven to 200C.
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup water. Keep in a draught-free place till it gets frothy.
- Now mix together the flour, salt, oil with the yeast mixture. Slowly add the water and knead it to make a soft, sticky dough.
- Cut into equal sized balls, oil your hands well and press down on each ball to flatten it into an oval or round shape, about 1/4" in thickness. I don't use a rolling pin as the dough is quite soft.
- Carefully place each kulcha and place it carefully on a lightly greased baking tray. Cover and leave to proof for about 15-20 minutes in a draught-free place.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Your kulchas are now ready to eat!
PANEER BHURJI
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. As soon as they splutter, add onions and green chilli. Let it cook for a few minutes to soften the vegetable.
- Add in the tomatoes , garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric and salt. Let it cook on medium heat till the tomatoes soften. Now add the crumbled paneer. Cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly till the paneer is nicely coated with all the masala. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Add the coriander leaves and your bhurji is ready!
Assembly
- Spread a layer of paneer bhurji on one kulcha. Cover with another kulcha to make a sandwich. Place on hot, greased griddle pan and toast till slightly browned and crisped on each side. Cut it into half and enjoy!
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes says
I love Paneer Kulchas from Maxims in Kailash Colony.. These look even better!! I would have loved to bite into those kulchas from the laptop screen itself! They are that inviting!!
natashaminocha says
Awwwww Deepika! You are too kind! Thank you so much for stopping by,I really appreciate it!
Much love
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
I've never had kulchas but I'm craving them after looking at your pics. YUM! These sound beyond delicious!
natashaminocha says
Oh thank you very much Kelsie! So wonderful to see you here 🙂 xx
Asha Shivakumar says
How very perfect do they look. Loving it.
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much Asha!! So happy to see you here 🙂 xx
Supriya Kuttty says
It's something I m going to try after leaving office. The dish is very authentic and an Indian dish. But I don't have yeast so what else I can use instead of yeast?. Waiting for your reply. Thank you.
natashaminocha says
Hi Supriya! Thank you for stopping by! I think you could go with yogurt, add maybe 1/2 tsp baking powder and baking soda. Please do let me know if it works. I'd love to try it too! 🙂
Love
Ashika | Gardening Foodie says
Oh, I love baking my own bread, I have made naan bread before, but not kulcha and I look forward to trying out this recipe. The paneer filling sounds absolutely divine. Great lunchbox idea.
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Have a great weekend!
natashaminocha says
Thank you Ashika! So lovely of you to stop by!Kulcha is quite similar to naan, the making of it..the texture is a bit different though.I enjoy making my own breads too!Have a great weekend dear:)
love
Tamara says
I love all kind of Indian bread - perfect treats for every occasion, you are right! So this one I don't know at all and have to try immediately:-)
Tamara says
I love all kind of Indian bread – perfect treats for every occasion, you are right! So this one I don’t know at all and have to try immediately:-)
natashaminocha says
Hi Tamara! So lovely to see you here!! I hope you give it a try sometime. Do let me know how it worked out for you. Thank you so much for stopping by! xoxo
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
Bread is my arch enemy. It's SO hard to make, but this looks delicious AND achieveable.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
natashaminocha says
Great to see you here Kimberley! Yes, this is an easy, no-fail bread to make. I hope you get to try it sometime. Much love