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! 

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

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?

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

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.

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

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 :

  1. Add maida (APF) in a large bowl, followed by salt to taste, baking powder, baking soda, curd, oil and sugar.
  2. Next, use sufficient amount of lukewarm water to make soft and smooth dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.

               Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

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.

               Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

For the stuffing:

  1. Mash the potatoes, add the other ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
  2. Set it aside for a few minutes for the flavors to incorporate well.

For the assembling:

  1. Pinch a orange sized ball of the dough.
  2. Roll in in some loose flour and flatten it out a bit.
  3. Place the stuffing on the flattened dough. Pinch the dough together and ensure that the stuffing remains within the dough.
    Amritsari Aloo Kulcha        Amritsari Aloo Kulcha
  4. Sprinkle some flour over it and roll the stuffed kulcha using a rolling pin. Flatten it out and give it a slightly enlongated shape.
  5. Sprinkle some nigella seeds and chopped coriander over the flattened kulcha.
  6. Turn it over and apply some water on the plain side.
    Amritsari Aloo Kulcha
  7. Alongside, heat a iron tawa on medium flame.
  8. Place the kulcha, wet side down on the tawa. Press the kulcha a bit and flip it over on the flame.
    Amritsari Aloo Kulcha Amritsari Aloo Kulcha
  9. Keep the flame on high and keep moving the tawa over it to ensure the kulcha gets cooked and golden brown all over.
  10. Once the top is done, place the tawa back on the stove to let the underside cook out evenly.
    Amritsari Aloo Kulcha
  11. Brush with butter or ghee before serving it piping hot!!
  12. Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is ready. Serve it with Dal Makhani. 

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

Amritsari Aloo Kulcha (no yeast, stove top method)

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: 5-6 kulchas

Easy to make Aloo Kulchas (Potato Stuffed Indian Flatbread) with some rustic Dhaba Style Dal Makhani.

Ingredients

    For the dough:
  • 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
  • For the stuffing:
  • 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

    Dough
  1. Add maida (APF) in a large bowl, followed by salt to taste, baking powder, baking soda, cured, oil and sugar.
  2. 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.
  4. Stuffing
  5. Mash the potatoes, add the other ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix well.
  6. Set it aside for a few minutes for the flavors to incorporate well.
  7. Assembling
  8. Pinch a orange sized ball of the dough.
  9. Roll in in some loose flour and flatten it out a bit.
  10. Place the stuffing on the flattened dough. Pinch the dough together and ensure that the stuffing remains within the dough.
  11. Sprinkle some flour over it and roll the stuffed kulcha using a rolling pin. Flatten it out and give it a slightly elongated shape.
  12. Sprinkle some nigella seeds and chopped coriander over the flattened kulcha.
  13. Cooking
  14. Turn it over and apply some water on the plain side.
  15. Alongside, heat a iron tawa on medium flame.
  16. Place the kulcha, wet side down on the tawa.
  17. Press the kulcha a bit and flip it over on the flame.
  18. Keep the flame on high and keep moving the tawa over it to ensure the kulcha gets cooked and golden brown all over.
  19. Once the top is done, place the tawa back on the stove to let the underside cook out evenly on medium flame.
  20. Brush the top with butter or ghee before serving it piping hot!! 
  21. 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.

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Amritsari Aloo Kulcha

Love,

Shreya 🙂

16 comments on “Amritsari Aloo Kulcha (no yeast, stove top method)”

  1. I love all food that belong to Punjab, so ful for flavors.. completely non pretentious.
    Love the click where butter is melting 😍

  2. These amaritsari aloo kulcha are looking so delicious.. very well explained recipe!! We Punjabi take are paratha and kulcha quit seriously 😉

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