Amritsari Aloo Kulcha (no yeast, stove top method) – Kulcha is a type of leavened bread from North India, from the state of Punjab. It is made using All Purpose Flour (maida) and usually eaten with Chole or Dal Makhani . The dough is rolled into thick, flat and slightly thick shape and baked in a tandoor (large earthen oven). Once, they are baked to perfection, some butter or ghee is smeared on the top to enhance it’s taste 🙂 The best part about these Kulchas are that we don’t use yeast as a leavening agent. Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is very famous as it has a delicious, spicy filling of boiled, mashed potatoes along with some chopped green chilies and a few other ingredients to add flavor!
I usually make these Amritsari Aloo Kulchas on weekends or on Friday nights. It would seem like a heavy meal but if eaten in moderation, it isn’t half bad 😉 Besides, I always look forward to making something special on Fridays, I mean, the week’s almost over and I’m absolutely relaxed and enjoy spending an hour or so extra in the kitchen. This combination also seems like a pretty hectic menu but trust me, it’s not!
As I mentioned above at the beginning of the post, I usually pair these Kulchas with some Dal Makhani. They taste absolutely delicious together and a side of some onion salad is a must have. Have you guys tried my recipe for the dal makhani yet?
Once these kulchas are baked/ cooked, it’s customary to smear them with a generous lob of butter or ghee. I mean you must add some just to make sure you get to enjoy the authentic flavors of this rustic flatbread. Besides, when in Punjab, do as the Punjabi’s do! Personally, I prefer butter over ghee. I feel butter adds a little depth to smokiness of these kulchas/ flatbreads.
Since we are speaking about butter and Punjabi’s, the butter has to be added generously to the Dal Makhani too! I squirt a bit of lemon onto the dal for good measure as the acidity of the lemon cuts through the otherwise buttery dal 🙂
Anyways, coming to these Kulchas, these are not baked in the tandoor. A tandoor is usually large and difficult to fit into one’s kitchen easily. Hence, some folks bakes them in the oven but I prefer to do it over an open flame. I manage to get all the smoky flavors that one gets in tandoor baked Kulchas right on my stove top 😉
Let’s learn how..
For the dough :
- Add maida (APF) in a large bowl, followed by salt to taste, baking powder, baking soda, curd, oil and sugar.
- Next, use sufficient amount of lukewarm water to make soft and smooth dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
3. Use a damp kitchen towel to cover the dough. Set it aside for one to two hours for the for the dough to rise.
For the stuffing:
- Mash the potatoes, add the other ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
- Set it aside for a few minutes for the flavors to incorporate well.
For the assembling:
- Pinch a orange sized ball of the dough.
- Roll in in some loose flour and flatten it out a bit.
- Place the stuffing on the flattened dough. Pinch the dough together and ensure that the stuffing remains within the dough.
- Sprinkle some flour over it and roll the stuffed kulcha using a rolling pin. Flatten it out and give it a slightly enlongated shape.
- Sprinkle some nigella seeds and chopped coriander over the flattened kulcha.
- Turn it over and apply some water on the plain side.
- Alongside, heat a iron tawa on medium flame.
- Place the kulcha, wet side down on the tawa. Press the kulcha a bit and flip it over on the flame.
- Keep the flame on high and keep moving the tawa over it to ensure the kulcha gets cooked and golden brown all over.
- Once the top is done, place the tawa back on the stove to let the underside cook out evenly.
- Brush with butter or ghee before serving it piping hot!!
- Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is ready. Serve it with Dal Makhani.
Easy to make Aloo Kulchas (Potato Stuffed Indian Flatbread) with some rustic Dhaba Style Dal Makhani.
Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour/ Maida ( APF)
- 1/4 cup curd
- lukewarm water as needed to knead the dough
- 2 tbsp oil
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 3 nos. mashed potatoes
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp chopped green chilies
- 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves + some more to garnish the kulcha
- 1/2 amchur powder (raw mango powder)
- butter for smearing on top of the kulchas
- nigella seeds (mangrela) to sprinkle on top of the kulchas
Instructions
- Add maida (APF) in a large bowl, followed by salt to taste, baking powder, baking soda, cured, oil and sugar.
- Next, use sufficient amount of lukewarm water to make soft and smooth dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
- Use a damp kitchen towel to cover the dough. Set it aside for one to two hours for the for the dough to rise.
- Mash the potatoes, add the other ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
- Set it aside for a few minutes for the flavors to incorporate well.
- Pinch a orange sized ball of the dough.
- Roll in in some loose flour and flatten it out a bit.
- Place the stuffing on the flattened dough. Pinch the dough together and ensure that the stuffing remains within the dough.
- Sprinkle some flour over it and roll the stuffed kulcha using a rolling pin. Flatten it out and give it a slightly elongated shape.
- Sprinkle some nigella seeds and chopped coriander over the flattened kulcha.
- Turn it over and apply some water on the plain side.
- Alongside, heat a iron tawa on medium flame.
- Place the kulcha, wet side down on the tawa.
- Press the kulcha a bit and flip it over on the flame.
- Keep the flame on high and keep moving the tawa over it to ensure the kulcha gets cooked and golden brown all over.
- Once the top is done, place the tawa back on the stove to let the underside cook out evenly on medium flame.
- Brush the top with butter or ghee before serving it piping hot!!
- Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is ready. Serve it with Dal Makhani.
Notes
Do not use a non-stick tawa for cooking the kulchas as the kulchas will not stick on the tawa when over turned on the flame. I have used an iron tawa. Allow 2 to 3 minutes for the underside of the kulcha to cook as well once the top is cooked. Do not knead a very wet dough. The dough must smooth and soft.
Pin it for later?!
Love,
Shreya 🙂
These look absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked.. pinned it too.. <3
Thanks a bunch sweetie:) Hugs!
Kulchas looks scrumptious..with a dollop of butter I’m drooling..
Thanks Lathiya 🙂 glad you liked them 🙂
I love all food that belong to Punjab, so ful for flavors.. completely non pretentious.
Love the click where butter is melting 😍
Me too, their food is just as happy as the people from Punjab 🙂 Thanks sweetie 🙂 🙂
That indeed is a heavenly combo!! I’m literally drooling at those kulchas, wish I could have some right away 🙂
Thanks sweetie, wish I could send some over 🙂 XOXO
Beautiful and so delicious!
Thanks so much 🙂 I am so happy that you stopped by and liked them.
These amaritsari aloo kulcha are looking so delicious.. very well explained recipe!! We Punjabi take are paratha and kulcha quit seriously 😉
Hahaha! I won’t doubt that at all 🙂 😉 thanks Soniya!
Oh, I am drooling here, kulchas look so tempting, feel like grabbing some:)
Thanks Jagruti, you”re welcome too grab them all! 🙂