I have a few tricks up my sleeve, including how to prepare potatoes that’ll melt in your mouth, as well as how to clean fresh methi (fenugreek leaves).

My first time cooking with methi

… was a disaster! Funnily enough, it was also a complete accident because I didn’t set out to make methi anything that day.

My mother was in India with my masi (her sister) so I was home with my brother, dad and Bapu (dad’s bother) who was visiting.

With dad and Bapu in our family newsagents all day, my 11-year old self thought it would be nice to prepare dinner for when they got home. My plan was to make Bhaji and Rotli, a simple curry of spinach leaves and chapatis to go with it.

First problem: We didn’t have any fresh spinach. Never mind, I thought. I’d seen my mum make Bhaji with both frozen and tinned spinach before and it was always great. To the freezer I marched.

I pulled a bag of the solid leafy greens from the freezer and got to work. I chopped the garlic, did a tadka of cumin seeds, asafoetida and fresh chillies. It was going famously. I felt like a young Tarla Dalal. Finally, a dash of salt and a little taste test…

The spoonful of Bhaji went into my mouth and then immediately came back out. Wretched. It was as bitter as Cobra Kai’s sensei Kreese in The Karate Kid.

So what went wrong?

I dug the packet of frozen spinach out of the freezer and re-read the label. ‘METHI BHAJI‘. My bubblegum brain had made a solo fenugreek leaf curry!

If this happened to me today, I’d simply chuck in a load of cooked potatoes but when I was first starting out, my instinct was to cut my losses and make something else.

My dad, Bapu and brother came home and sat down to the plan B Kadhi and rotli I had made last minute (Mrs Doubtfire style). They ate the methi bhaji, too. Dad and Bapu said it was great, my brother told me I was “a plonker”.

Did they eat it out of courtesy? Probably. Did that still mean everything to my novice cook self? Absolutely.

Where to buy fresh methi (fenugreek) in the UK

I recommend visiting your local fruit and vegetable market. South Asian food shops and greengrocers will certainly have bunches of fresh methi.

Many large supermarkets now stock fresh methi in their ethnic produce sections.

How to clean fresh methi

How to freeze fresh methi

Follow all the steps in the how-to above. Ensure the methi leaves are completely dry before packing into a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for 6-8 months.

Is methi the same as fenugreek?

Yes. Fenugreek is the English name for Methi (its’ name in Hindi, amongst other South Asian languages).

Can I use dried (kasoori methi) in place of fresh methi?

No. I don’t recommend replacing the fresh methi in this recipe with dried. The flavours differ a great deal. Dried methi is extremely potent and fresh has a mild, grassier flavour, so they cannot be used interchangeably.

Other recipes you may like:

• Softest-Ever Roti (Chapati/Rotli)
• Methi Thepla
• Aubergine Ravaiya
• Bateta nu Shaak
• Garlic Chutney

My star ingredient: fresh turmeric

My recipe includes juliennes of fresh turmeric for both a golden colour and a bright, citrusy flavour. They balance the earthy, caramel-bitterness of the fenugreek, while the potatoes make it a meal.

3 tips for preparing fresh turmeric

1. Wear gloves! It’s wise to glove up before you begin handling fresh turmeric. The colour will stain your hands and nails for days.
   
2. Protect your work station. As well as covering your hands, it’s a good idea to lay down newspaper or an old tea towel before you start. This will save you having to bleach them back to their normal colour.
   
3. Use a teaspoon to scrape off the skin. Just like preparing fresh ginger, the most effective and least wasteful way to peel fresh turmeric is with a teaspoon.

How to prepare potatoes for 20-Minute Aloo Methi

My cooking medium of choice may be an unconventional one, but it s a fast and easy method: Microwave!

I simply wash my potatoes, prick the skins with a fork and them microwave for 8 minutes or so, until they’re soft inside. The cooking time will vary depending on your microwave so keep an eye on them.

Once they’ve cooled, I peel them (keep the skins on if you prefer) with my fingers. They’re really easy to peel because the potatoes shrink slightly and the skin becomes loose.

What type of potatoes should I use for 20-Minute Aloo Methi?

Any variety of potato will work in this recipe, although floury potatoes for baking such as Maris Piper or King Edward produce the best results.

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20-Minute Aloo Methi recipe

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20-Minute Aloo Methi

Have my vegetarian 20-Minute Aloo Methi curry on the table faster than it takes to order a takeaway! This Indian potato and fenugreek leaf curry, also know as Aloo Methi ki Sabji is a weeknight staple in my home alongside roti.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword fenugreek leaves, methi, potatoes, turmeric

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 750 g potatoes about 4 large
• 100 g fresh methi leaves only, chopped
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 4 cm piece fresh turmeric julienned
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2-3 chillies slit in half lengthways
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder optional
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large fresh tomato roughly diced
• 1/2 tsp garam masala optional

Instructions

• Wash the potatoes and price the skins all over using a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool. Peel and cut into 2cm/1-inch pieces.
• Heat the oil or ghee in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Next, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for a few seconds and then add the slit chillies, fresh turmeric juliennes and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add chilli powder, fresh methi and salt. Stir to combine. Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time for 4-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir well to coat the potatoes in the spices and methi. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Add optional garam masala at this stage. I often prefer it without! Stir briefly and then remove from the heat.
• Serve hot with roti or paratha.

Video

Notes

• Fresh turmeric gives this curry wonderful flavour and colour. If you are unable to use fresh turmeric, add 1/2 tsp dried ground turmeric along with the chilli powder.
• Do not replace fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) with dried/kasoori methi in this recipe.
• Any variety of potato will work in this recipe, although floury potatoes for baking such as Maris Piper or King Edward produce the best results.

Pin this recipe for later! 20-Minute Aloo Methi

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Bateta nu Shaak

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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

The post Paneer Kulcha appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

If you’re looking for a flatbread with big, bold flavours, you’ve come to the right place. The traditional Thepla of my childhood are unstuffed and served spread with butter or ghee. Paired with Sukha Bateta nu Shaak (dry potato and cashew curry), it’s family comfort food at its best.

My memories of eating Thepla made by the expert hands of my mum are ones I still treasure today. They would be smoking hot off the tawa, rolled up like a cigar and dripping with golden butter – and first thing in the morning too. Thepla are the ultimate breakfast bread and waking up to the smell of them toasting on a hot pan outweigh the feeling of hitting snooze on Sunday morning. Trust me.

Packed with the smoky, slightly-bitter caramel notes of fresh fenugreek leaves, these turmeric-hued discs of fluffy bread are one of the most iconic recipes of Gujarat. Traditional Thepla are as I said, eaten with potato curry, masala chai, pickles and chutneys.

Here, I’ve combined the beauty of fluffy potatoes and fenugreek leaf-studded bread to create Aloo Stuffed Thepla. Yeah, it’s a little unconventional incorporating the potato element into the bread itself, but since when was sticking to the rules any fun?

So WTF is fenugreek? They look like coriander but bury your nose in a bunch of fresh fenugreek and you’ll instantly know they are in a league of their own. Not dissimilar to the deep burnt sugar flavours of Marmite, fresh fenugreek leaves are one of those ingredients you’ll either love or hate. They have a slightly bitter caramel taste and I find that fans of dark chocolate tend to love fenugreek too.

It’s important to know that fresh fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seeds aren’t interchangeable. The seeds have a deeply nutty aroma and the flavour is bitter in the same way great coffee and cacao beans are bitter. They lend amazing complexity to Indian recipes in very different ways so remember not to substitute one for the other. It would be like subbing coriander seeds for fresh coriander. Not a great idea.

Kasuri or Kasoori methi are dried fenugreek leaves and indeed, can be used in place of fresh fenugreek. The flavour is much more concentrated in the same way any dried ingredient is stronger in flavour compared to the fresh counterpart. Added to rich, makhani sauces, it’s an absolute game changer. To release the full aromas, simply rub it between your palms and add towards the end of cooking or to finish a dish.

There’s not a type of bread I don’t love but recently I’ve developed a huge passion for breads with a punch of flavour rather than bread being secondary to another main dish. In this recipe, the Aloo Stuffed Thepla are the star of their very own show, perhaps accompanied by a selection of chutneys, achaars, plain yoghurt and chai.

Find out exactly how to prepare these step-by-step in my first YouTube video below. Let me know what you think.

Aloo Stuffed Thepla
Makes 18-20

Ingredients

For the filling:
1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled, boiled and mashed until really smooth
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
2-3 chillies, chopped
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or 2 tbsp lemon juice
80g frozen peas, defrosted and pulsed in a food processor until coarsely crushed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander, optional

For the dough:
550g chapatti flour
2 tsp turmeric
5 tbsp chopped fresh fenugreek leaves (if you’re using kasoori methi, use just under 1 tbsp)
1 ½ tsp salt
100ml sunflower oil
320ml hot water

125g melted butter or ghee

Method

1. First, make the filling. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Allow them to sizzle slightly, then add in the ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook for a minute. Next, add in the peas, potatoes, garam masala, amchur, salt and coriander if using. Mix well and cook until heated through. Set aside to cool.

2. To make the dough, place the chapatti flour in a large bowl or tray. Mix in the salt, turmeric and chopped fenugreek. Make a well in the middle and add the oil. Pour in the water and stir until cool enough to handle. Go in with your hands and knead for 4-5 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.

3. Divide the dough into golf ball-sized rounds and roll between your palms until smooth.

4. Do the same for the filling but take slightly more than the size of the dough.

5. Roll the dough to about 3-4” in diameter and place the potato ball on top. Using your thumbs and forefingers, pinch the dough closed around the filling, starting in the middle and working your way outwards. The filling wrapped in dough should be fully enclosed with no gaps or holes.

6. Flatten the ball using the palm of your hand. Dust with flour on both sides and flip over. You will need to roll the smooth side.

7. Begin rolling the dough, turning gently as you do. Ensure it is even all over and dust with more flour if necessary. Try to aim for 1/2cm in thickness.

8. Cook in a dry, non-stick frying pan, turning once and spreading the dry-cooked side with some butter or ghee. Flip and repeat. The underside should be golden in a few moments, flip again and cook on the next side until golden.

9. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the dough and filling.

So, as if by magic, you’re now a paratha extraordinaire and well on your way to rustling up some bread to accompany your favourite Indian dishes. Enjoy making these Stuffed Aloo Thepla and once you get the hang of rolling, remember to have fun creating your own fillings and flavours.

These are in-freakin’-sane with Gor Keri (sweet mango pickle with fennel seeds). You can buy it ready made or make your own. I’ll share my recipe soon.

Love Sanjana

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