What is a Kulcha?

If you’ve never experienced Kulcha, imagine if a soft, chewy Naan had a love child with melt-in-the-mouth Laccha Paratha. Hello beautiful baby Kulcha.

How to make Paneer Kulcha

Stick around and I will help demystify the layering process and teach you how to make Kulcha masala from scratch. But wait, that’s not all. You can also read my tips for how to achieve GOD-TIER flakiness and a charred finish, all without a tandoor.

What’s the difference between Kulcha, Naan and Paratha?

The world of Indian breads is complex, yet beautifully simple at the same time. For example, there’s grilled bread, roasted bread, shallow fried bread, deep fried bread, steamed bread, baked bread, bread cooked in a tandoor and so much more. Some Indian breads use leavening agents like baking powder, baking soda and sometimes yeast — the latter brought to India via the British Empire.

Indeed, you may wonder what the difference between a soft and chewy Naan or a flaky Laccha Paratha is, and how they become one in the form of Kulcha. After all, there seems to be a lot of crossover.

Here’s a simple breakdown of differences between these three North Indian breads

Naan: Soft and chewy. Made using either plain flour (maida) or wholewheat atta. Leavened. Not usually stuffed.
Paratha: Soft and flaky. Made using either plain flour (maida) or wholewheat atta. Unleavened. Stuff them or keep them plain.
Kulcha: Soft, flaky and chewy. Made using either plain flour (maida) or wholewheat atta. Leavened. Often stuffed.

Paneer Kulcha: Commonly-asked questions

More Kulcha filling ideas

• Potatoes
• Onions
• Cauliflower
• Peas
• Cooked, mashed daal (dry)

How to serve Paneer Kulcha

These Kulchas are super wholesome. Indeed, you can eat them as they are for a main dish. You can pair them with your favourite Indian pickle, plain yoghurt or raita. For a heartier meal, you can serve Kulcha with Chole (channa masala) — a spicy chickpea curry.

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Paneer Kulcha

Learn how to make ultra-flaky Amritsari-style Paneer Kulcha with me. These flatbreads are famous in North India for their crispy layers of dough and delicious variety of fillings. My version is stuffed with soft paneer, onions, ginger, chillies and a blend of toasted spices. I grill each Kulcha over an open flame and finish the flaky breads with a pool of melting butter.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, cheese, kulcha, naan, north indian, paneer, paratha

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 300 g plain flour all-purpose flour/maida
• 50 g plain yoghurt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150 ml lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp oil I used sunflower

For laminating the dough:

• 50 g butter softened
• 25 g plain flour all-purpose flour/maida

For the filling:

• 225 g paneer grated or crumbled
• 2 tbsp coarse semolina or plain flour
• 75 g red onion finely chopped
• 2 green chillies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp amchur
• 1/4 tsp whole fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/4 tsp ajwain
• 3/4 tsp salt

You will also need:

• Extra flour for rolling
• Extra oil for rolling
• 50 g fresh coriander finely chopped
• 1 tbsp kasoori methi
• Butter to serve

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the yoghurt and water. Mix well to form a dough. Knead for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the oil and knead again for 7-8 minutes until smooth and soft. It’s okay if the dough feels slightly sticky. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

To make the paneer filling:

• Dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain, fennel seeds and kasoori methi for 90 seconds, or until aromatic. They should turn a shade darker but not turn brown or black. Crush the spices in a pestle and mortar. Some coarse bits are fine but the majority should be well ground.
• In a large bowl, combine the paneer, semolina (or flour), onions, chillies, ginger, amchur, coriander leaves, salt and the ground spices. Use your hands to combine the filling ingredients well.
• Begin to squeeze the filling in your hands to mash it as if you were kneading dough. It’s ready when it feels quite smooth and holds its’ shape when you squeeze it together.
• Divide the filling into 6 equal portions (weighing about 60g each).

To laminate the Kulcha dough:

• Uncover the rested dough and give it a brief knead, about 30 seconds. Dust a large, clean work surface with some flour and begin to press the dough out into a large oval or rectangle, measuring about 20-25cm or 8-10 inches. You can use a rolling pin for this if you like.
• Spread the dough with 50g softened butter and sprinkle with 25g plain flour. Roll the dough up into a log, as though you were making cinnamon rolls. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions.
• Pinch the ends of the dough closed and pull them together the bottom of the dough to form a ball. The butter should now be enclosed inside. It’s okay if some butter leaks out too. This is a very forgiving recipe. Flatten the dough balls slightly.

To fill the Kulcha:

• Take one portion of dough and keep the rest covered with a damp tea towel. Begin to flatten the dough out to around 8cm-10cm in diameter, keeping the middle part slightly thicker than the edges.
• Place a portion of paneer filling on top and carefully bring the sides of the dough around to enclose the filling inside without pulling or tearing it. Pinch the dough together to fully enclose the filling inside. There should be no gaps or holes the filling could escape from during rolling. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling portions. Chill in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

To roll out the Kulcha:

• Place a portion of filled dough a wooden board or clean work surface, drizzle with a small amount of oil.
• Next, use your fingers to pat the dough into a thick round disc, starting from the centre and working your way outwards. This will help distribute the filling evenly.
• You can continue to use your fingers to press the dough all over to form a round Kulcha. You can also use a rolling pin to roll the dough a little thinner. Stop once the Kulcha reaches 20cm (8-inches) in diameter. It should be around 1/2cm thick.
• Mix together coriander leaves with 60g fresh coriander leaves with 1 tbsp kasoori methi.
• Sprinkle the surface of the Kulcha with a pinch of the coriander and methi mixture. Now gently make indentations over the entire surface of the Kulcha using your fingertips (be gentle — we want craters not holes).

To cook the Kulcha:

• Heat a tawa or non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Gently and carefully lift the Kulcha and spread water over the bare base (not the side with coriander). Slap the Kulcha down on the preheated pan and cook over a medium-low heat for 90 seconds. Flip and cook the other side for 30-40 seconds or until golden all over.
• Optional step: For a tandoori flavour, use a pair of metal tongs to roast the cooked Kulcha over an open flame until beautifully charred.
• Remove from the heat and spread the Kulcha with butter. Serve hot.
• Repeat this process for the remaining 5 Kulcha. Serve them hot with your favourite pickle, plain yoghurt or raita.

Video

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Aloo Paratha

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The flavour of these buttermilk naans is slightly tangy and so delicious with a slick of salty butter. Use them to scoop up your favourite curries, or dunk them in daal for a a comforting meal — you won’t believe they aren’t from a restaurant!

How to make restaurant-style naan at home

What would you say if I told you that you can make them without a tandoor, and have them on the table in under 40 minutes? If you love the flavours of sourdough bread, you will go wild for these delicious Indian restaurant-style naans. They’re quick, easy and require no yeast or time for raising. Simply mix the ingredients, knead the dough, rest it for a short time and then roll and cook.

The shape of the naan doesn’t have to be perfect either. In fact, I think that the more rustic and imperfect the edges, the better they look.

What makes this Quick Buttermilk Naan recipe so special?

The revolutionary thing about this naan recipe is the cooking method. You don’t need to switch on the oven or grill. They are made on a tawa on the gas cooker. The only requirement is that the pan is not a non-stick one and the cooker has an open flame. This method won’t work on an electric cooker or induction hob. If you don’t have a traditional Indian tawa, a cast iron frying pan or skillet is ideal.

How to cook naan without a tandoor

Lets face it, a home tandoor is nothing more than a pipe dream for the average Indian home cook, myself included. Luckily, there’s a quick and inexpensive way to give naans a beautifully-blistered surface without a tandoor.

Simply heat up a tawa until smoking hot, wet the surface of the naan with water and place it water-side down on the tawa. It will begin to puff slightly. After 20 seconds, grab the pan handle (wearing a heatproof glove if the pan doesn’t have a wooden handle) and flip it upside down to cook the surface directly over the open flame.

Water is the magic ingredient!

The water you sprinkle on the base ensures the naan remains stuck to the pan so you can turn the pan upside down without it falling off. The surface will begin to char and puff, leaving the naan perfectly cooked in 25-30 seconds.

A note on flavouring naan

This is a basic recipe for plain butter naan. If you would like to flavour your naan, there are lots of delicious options open to you. A popular choice and personal favourite of mine is garlic naan, whereby the cooked naan is brushed with a mixture of melted butter and fried garlic. You can also add chopped coriander leaves to the butter emulsion if you like.

Another option is to make chilli naan, also known as “bullet naan” in many Indian restaurants. To make chilli naan, melt the butter in a pan and add chopped chillies. Allow to sizzle for a moment before using this butter to brush the entire surface of the naan.

Kulcha

Then there’s the world of kulcha or stuffed naan. To make Kulcha, are layer up naan dough like paratha and stuff them with a spicy filling. I will write a separate post on these because the possible variations are extensive and utterly deserve of their own deep dive.

Ingredients you’ll need to make Quick Buttermilk Naan

• Plain flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Sugar
• Any flavourless oil of your choice
• Buttermilk

Step-by-step: how to make Quick Buttermilk Naan

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Quick Buttermilk Naan

Make lip-licking naans that are thin, tender and chewy, with perfectly-puffy blisters, just like in Indian restaurants. The flavour of these buttermilk naans is slightly tangy and so delicious with a slick of salty butter. Use them to scoop up your favourite curries, or dunk them in daal for a a comforting meal — you won’t believe they aren’t from a restaurant!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword bread, naan, north indian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• Cast iron, steel or aluminium frying pan (not a non-stick pan), about 25cm in diameter
• Stand mixer with dough hook attachment (optional, you can also make these by hand)

Ingredients

• 400 g plain flour plus more for rolling out
• 300 ml buttermilk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder not baking soda
• 100 ml flavourless oil
• 1 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds) optional
• Water for sprinkling on the surface of the naan
• Butter for spreading on the cooked naan melted

Instructions

For the naan dough:

• In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and optional kalonji seeds. Give it a quick stir and then add the oil and buttermilk. Mix to form a wet, shaggy dough.
• Now, either by hand or using the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer, knead the dough until soft and smooth. This will take 6-7 minutes by hand or 3 minutes in the stand mixer running at medium speed. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or tea towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

To roll the naan:

• Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and roll into balls.
• Heat the frying pan or tawa over a medium heat. It should be scorching hot. It's a good idea to open a window at this point.
• On a very lightly floured surface, roll one of the dough portions into a round-ish shape. It doesn't have to be perfectly round. You could also roll it into an oblong or teardrop shape. The choice is yours. The most important thing is that the surface is of an even thickness so it all cooks evenly. Aim for a thickness of about 1/2 cm.
• Use your fingers to sprinkle and lightly spread water on the entire surface of the naan. Be gentle, you don't want to tear the naan or rub it in.

To cook the naan:

• Carefully, using two hands, pick the naan up and place it water-side down on the hot pan. It will sizzle and bubbles will quickly begin to appear on the naan. Allow to cook for 15-20 seconds.
• Using a heatproof glove, grab the pan handle and carefully tip it upside down to cook the uncooked side directly over the open flame. It will take 20-25 seconds to puff up and blister.
• Remove the naan from the head and use a metal spatula to carefully unstick and lift the naan from the pan. It should come away fairly easily and be nice and charred on the bottom. Wrap it in a dry tea towel to keep warm while you roll and cook the rest of the naans. Keep them together, wrapped in the tea towel until you're ready to serve.
• Brush the naans with melted butter before serving.

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If you like these, you will love this recipe for Soft Spinach Roti (Chapati).

Love Sanjana

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These East African-style Mogo Chips are a childhood favourite. It’s the kind of food we’d prepare if we have guests coming over because it’s so simple to throw together. I’ve also never met anyone who doesn’t love fluffy mogo.

Mogo (a.k.a Cassava) is a staple carb in Africa, in many parts of South America where it is known as Yucca and of course, in my house. Countless Indian restaurants all over the UK serve it up in all kinds of ways, popular choices being Tandoori and Indo-Chinese style (with soy sauce). Personally, I think the simpler it is, the better.

What I love about mogo is its earthy flavour, which truly comes to life when it’s gently steamed or boiled. It’s so distinct, you’d know within a split second that someone is making ‘bafelo mogo’ (steamed cassava). It reminds me both of the beautiful Mombasa sunshine and eating as a family.

I cook cassava in lots of different ways, all ones I was taught by my mum when I was a little girl. I hope one day I can proudly say I’ve shared them all with you. My favourite is a mogo and coconut stew recipe, which I’ll post up soon.

Aside from the fried or grilled with a sprinkling of salt kind of mogo, this is probably the simplest mogo recipe I make. It has very few ingredients but is loaded with flavour. Heaps of garlic, chilli and lime make it the perfect party recipe to share with friends and family – there’s hardly any prep involved and everyone can just tuck in from a large platter.

For the perfect Sunday afternoon snack, serve with a cup of hot masala chai. I’ll share my recipe for that in the next post.

This is going to be delicious.

Chilli, Lime and Garlic Mogo
Serves 6

Ingredients

1kg fresh or frozen mogo (also known as cassava or yucca) – peeled if fresh
70g salted butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
6 large cloves garlic, crushed
4-5 chillies (more or less according to taste)
½ tsp red chilli flakes
2 tbsp cumin seeds
Salt, to taste
Juice of 2 limes, zest of 1
Chopped coriander to garnish
Lime wedges, to garnish

Method

1. Chop the mogo in to bite sized chips. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the mogo. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and allow to cool and steam to evaporate for 15-20 minutes.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a large wok (the oil will stop the butter burning). Add the cumin seeds and garlic. Cook for 1 minute before adding the chillies, mogo and salt.

3. Allow to cook, tossing every 2 minutes until golden all over. Finish with the lime juice and zest.

4. Garnish with fresh coriander and lime wedges.

Serve with masala chai and enjoy with friends.

Love Sanjana

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Seeroh is one of those desserts that brings out the greedy little kid in me. Sweet semolina tossed with spices and so buttery it melts as soon as it hits your tongue. Flippin’ gorgeous. And before you ask, it’s nothing like ‘school dinner’ semolina. Not even close.

Years ago we’d make special trips to the mandir (temple) during Navratri and Diwali to pray for the year ahead, see family and have an amazing, spiritual evening. Of course, I was there for all of these reasons, plus for the reason that there would be prashad – sweets like Seeroh offered to the gods that evening. After putting my hands together in prayer, I’d open them up and wait patiently for my Seeroh.

I believe glace cherries have three purposes in life; to garnish cocktails, top cherry bakewells and stud this delicious addictive treat. If you really don’t like them, replace with candied lemon or orange pieces. They’ll add an incredible texture to contrast the soft texture of this dessert.

I love experimenting with different flavour combinations with this recipe. The basic Seeroh is so simple that’s it’s easy to get carried away with different flavourings. One of my favourites is this saffron and lemon version. The other is my mum’s orange and cardamom version. I could eat it all…. day… long.

There are two ways you can serve this dish; The first is to set and cool this in a square thali so you can cut it into pieces, and the second is to serve it loose as a hot pudding. Top with a scoop of ice cream and be blown away by the insane contrast of hot and cold.

You should always store Seeroh in the fridge because it can spoil quickly at room temperature. This should keep well for 2-4 days – whether it will last that long is another story.

Hot Saffron and Lemon Seeroh with Pistachio Ice Cream
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

700ml hot milk
140ml hot water
100g sugar
50g golden syrup
140g salted butter
260g coarse semolina
Zest of 2 large unwaxed lemons – I love those beautiful Amalfi lemons
A large pinch of saffron
2 tbsp glace cherries, halved

Homemade or shop-bought pistachio ice cream, to serve (I’ll give you my recipe in another post)
Slivered almonds and pistachios to decorate
Icing sugar to dust, optional

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large non-stick pan and add the semolina. Sauté on a low/medium heat for around 3 minutes or until golden and toasted.

2. Slowly add the hot milk and water, whisking all the time. The mixture should thicken as you whisk. Add the sugar and syrup.

3. Cook on a medium heat for around 15 minutes or until a buttery sheen becomes visible on the top and sides of the mixture. Keep stirring all the time and cook for as long as it takes for the mixture to become glossy.

4. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, saffron and glace cherries. Combine.

5. Serve hot with a big scoop of pistachio ice cream.

That’s it. Pistachio and Rose Bombay Halwa, Gujarati Mohanthal and Hot Saffron and Lemon Seeroh with Pistachio Ice Cream. Three Diwali desserts to keep you sweet all year long.

Happy Diwali!

Love Sanjana

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When it comes to guilty pleasures, along with paneer, naan is up there on my list. Brushed with the most flavoursome fresh garlic and coriander butter, these are so perfect for pairing with any Indian curry or daal. They’re soft, slightly chewy and a little charred in places – this balance of textures is so characteristic of good naan.

Naan is one of India’s most famous breads, and probably the most well-known in British Asian restaurants. Very rarely do I leave an Indian restaurant without having filled my belly with garlic and coriander naan – lest they just so happen to have garlic, coriander and chilli naan on the menu (in which case, I’ll take two).

Whenever I’m making naan, I love to add kalonji (nigella) seeds – they impart that special flavour you definitely know, but somehow can never put your finger on. They’re aromatic, slightly bitter, but have an incredibly delicious flavour which mellows out when baked into the bread.

Yeast and plain yoghurt help to leaven the naan whilst keeping them moist all the way through. I don’t put eggs in my naan, nor do I understand why some people do. They’re meant to be soft and chewy with little air pockets inside, rather than fluffy pancakes. Plus, instant yeast is so much easier.

Grilling naan at a really high temperature mimics the traditional method of cooking them in a tandoor (clay oven). It also helps to create an irresistible charred flavour and colour on the outside.

Garlic and Coriander Naan
(Makes 4)

Ingredients

310g strong, white bread flour
1 teaspoon dried fast action yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon kalonji (nigella) seeds
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
140ml warm water
2 teaspoons plain yoghurt

For the garlic and coriander butter:

50g salted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, kalonji and 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander. Make a well in the centre and add the oil, yoghurt and water. Using your hands, bring the dough together. Knead for 5 minutes. If the dough feels sticky, oil your hands and continue kneading.

2. Grease the bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave the dough to prove in a warm place for one hour.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan and add the finely sliced garlic. Allow to fry until aromatic. Add the chopped coriander and set aside until needed.

4. Knock the air out of the naan dough and divide into four equal portions. Take one piece of dough, roll into a ball and using a rolling pin, roll your naan until it’s around 1cm in thickness. Take one end and pull into a teardrop shape.

5. Place the dough on a piece of aluminium foil and grill for 1 minute on both sides. Remove from the grill and brush with the garlic butter. Alternatively, bake in a very hot oven until golden brown. Wrap in foil to keep warm but try to serve immediately.

I like to serve these with Melt in the Mouth Paneer Kofta, Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra, Vegetarian Tandoori Kebabs from Scratch or Kashmiri Dum Aloo. However, you could be far more experimental and make one of my favourite quick dinners in the world – naan pizza. I’ll explain later.

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