Kulcha recipe With step by step photos and video – Kulcha is a popular Indian flat bread from north India, especially Punjab. They are very famous in amritsar and Delhi. But the best kulchas are made in amritsar. A vegan dish.
These soft textured kulcha Are easy to prepare and taste yum. they can be made in the tandoor as well as on a tava or griddle. I have also shared Paneer kulcha and Aloo kulcha.
Yeast is not used in the leavening of this bread unlike naan. Here curd and baking soda and baking powder are used to leaven the bread. I don’t like the soapy smell of baking soda in breads hence have used less amount of it and thus added baking powder too.
Kulcha Is often served with Punjabi chole or with amritsari chole. It can also be had warm with some tea or coffee. I made the kulcha to go with Matar kulcha – the famous Delhi street food made with dry white peas.
How to make kulcha
Kneading dough
1. Mix the maida or all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Make a well in the center.
2. Add the curd, oil and water.
3. begin to mix the flour with the liquids first and then start to knead.
4. make a smooth and soft dough.
5. in the same bowl or pan, cover the dough with a wet kitchen napkin. You can also lightly brush some water on the dough and cover the pan with a lid.
6. Let the dough leaven for 2 hours.
7. Lightly knead the leavened dough again.
Making kulcha
8. Make small balls of the dough. Sprinkle some nigella seeds on the ball. With the rolling pin flatten the dough and roll each into a small-sized kulcha on a lightly dusted rolling board.
9. heat a griddle or a tava. The tava has to be very hot. Place the kulcha on the tava.
10. Cook one side partly till it is ¼ cooked.
11. Flip and cook the other side till it is ½ cooked. Apply ghee or oil on both sides of kulcha whilst cooking.
12. Cook them till it gets golden spots and is evenly cooked. Make all kulchas this way.
Serve the kulcha hot or warm with chickpea curry or chole masala. They can also be stacked in a roti basket and then served warm.
Kulcha Can be made plain or stuffed. you can also stuff them with potato filling. You can make different variations of kulcha like onion, paneer or pudina (mint) kulcha. In amritsar (Punjab) you will get the best kulcha served in India.
If you like matar kulcha then you must try Chole bhature and Bengali luchi with Bengali dum aloo.
More tasty recipes
Kulcha Recipe
RECIPE VIDEO
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour (maida)
- 4 tablespoon yogurt (dahi or curd). or 3 tablespoon yogurt + 1 tablespoon milk. i used cashew curd
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- approx ¾ cup water for kneading - add more if required
- 2 to 2.5 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt or as required
- 2.5 tablespoon oil or ghee
- some oil or ghee or butter for frying
- extra flour for dusting
- a few nigella seeds (kalonji)
Instructions
making dough
- Mix the maida or all purpose flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
- Make a well in the center. Add the curd, oil and water.
- Begin to mix the flour with the liquids first and then start to knead. Make a smooth and soft dough.
- In the same bowl or pan, cover the dough with a wet kitchen napkin and let the dough ferment for 2 hours.
rolling and making kulcha
- Make small balls of the dough. Sprinkle some nigella seeds on the ball.
- With the rolling pin flatten the dough and roll each into a small-sized kulcha.
- Heat a griddle or a tava. Place the kulcha on the tawa.
- Cook one side partly till its 1/4 cooked. Flip and cook the other side till its 1/2 cooked.
- Apply ghee or oil on both sides of kulcha whilst cooking.
- Cook them till it gets golden spots and is evenly cooked. Make all kulchas this way.
- Serve them hot or warm with chana masala.
- They can also be stacked in a roti basket and then served warm.
I love all your recipes. I appreciate the spiritual aspect to your cooking and learning from you has been a very fulfilling experience. Thank you for sharing
Thanks a lot and good to know. Most welcome.
Can I make kulchas in an oven?
yes you can.
The kulcha turned out well and all at home enjoyed the taste with channa, thanks for sharing ????
Easy to cook
can we make kulcha with atta and maida in 50-50 ratio?
yes you can do this way.
Is kulcha rolled thin like roti?
Shubhra, No. Its slightly thicker more like aloo paratha.
tasty kulcha yummy. thanks for this recipe
welcome sonu
Thaks for this yummy…., recipe….
Welcome Bina
HI Dassana
I am about to make these kulchas today but i tried matar kulcha from a street vendor that looked different ..could you please tell how to make those one ?
samrinder, those kulchas are baked kulchas and so they will be different. they will have a bread like texture. i have had these kulchas before. i do not have any recipe ready, but i will try to add these kulchas.
Can we prepare them a day earlier?
Amita, you can prepare the dough one day before. since these kulchas are made on tawa they are best served hot.
Hi dear, can i make the dough at night and can make kulcha at morning?
of course you can prepare the dough in the night.
I make this kulcha. It were nyce crispy too….thank you monalisa for this yummy,spcl,£asy recipe of kulchass…loved it……thnks once agn!
thanks babita for positive views, glad you liked the kulcha.
Thnks for recipe! “”It was too good”!
welcome babita and thanks for positive feedback.
Vry vry..-yummies kulcha$ awsm!♥it
thanks bhumi 🙂
Kulcha was really tasty thank you
M so glad that I can made such wonderful kulcha at home
welcome monalisa and thankyou for trying the kulchas at home 🙂
Really love the yummy recipes. Have tried many . Thank you for these.
thankyou vijaya 🙂
Love ur recepies … have tried them too … great job… keep going n give lots of fresh recepies which is healthy n attract the kids lunch box too …. ☺
thanks sharmila and will add such recipes.
ITS SO HELPFULL DEAR.
thankyou nalini 🙂
Just wanted to ask if there’s any substitute for nigella seeds as am running short of them in my store right now
no subtitute, but you can use black or white sesame seeds or skip the nigella seeds altogether.
Hi Dassana,
I love vegetarian recipes and watevr I look on google for vegetarian food I get your website suggestion as first in the list, love your recipes.its my first comment but good things should be always acknowledged, keeo up the good work.
thankyou anees for your kind and positive words 🙂
Hi Dassana,
Pls share the recipe of paneer kulcha
aashi, i will try to add it soon.
I made the kulcha last night together with your recipe of diwani handi.It was a hit.After having one bite I imagined myself eating at a wedding.This is my first comment but whatever of your other recipes I made were finger licking good.Thanks a ton for sharing such delicious recipes.
welcome nusrat. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
Thanks for the recipe…it really came out well.
Can I knead the dough for kulcha at night??
Thank you
welcome ankita. yes you can knead in the night and keep in the fridge.
For how long I can I store these kulchas?
mansi, just one day in the refrigerator. since curd is added and they are not baked but made on tawa.
So nice and soooo easy…cheapest tooo.
Thanks Thanks dasanna I like your all recipes ive saved and written also.
welcome saba.
Hi. I am definitely going to try out the kulcha recipe. But I wonder if you can perhaps help me since I am having difficulty with making roti with atta flour. My dough cimes out very soft and sticky
just add some more flour and knead. the dough is sticky due to a lot of water. keeping on adding atta and kneading till you get a dough which is not sticky. adding a bit of oil or ghee also helps.
Hey.. Do u know how to make veggie and cheese quessidillas… I had it at chilis.. I loved it n want to learn how to make it..
Description for this dish at the restaurant was as follows:
Four tortillas filled with spinach and mushroom creamy sauce and fajita onions..
i do know the method of tortillas and even spinach mushroom creamy sauce. but not yet tried. i will try to make and if possible post the recipe also.
Is there any dish that you do not have a recipe on the blog Dasana – Your blog with the recipe shows up for any dish that I Google. Commendable!
oh yes, there are many recipes that i still have to post on the blog 🙂 google is being generous with the recipes i have posted. thats why they come up in google search. not all my recipes come though on the google search.
super kulchas I simply loved then nice pics interesting good for parties you can use jeera
Hey thnks for d recipe can u plz tell me what temp should be used in d oven
you can use a high temperature of 220 to 250 degrees celsius.
hey dassana..lovely kulchas..i loved the simplicity of ur videos..u should do a post on how cleanliness matters in the kitchen..the positive energy u throw in ur food and pics is literally visible..amazing hard work..good luck..
thanks suhani. i will consider writing a post on your suggestion.
Lovely kulchas! And as usual, amazing pics!
thanks charul
Love your video and kulcha is my favorite too….will try out your version….the nigella seeds makes it more yum….the pictures are awesome as usual….very earthy and homely.
Hi.Lovely post.I think it is time you come out with you very own cookery book.Good luck.
thanks shubha for your best wishes. idea of a cook book is cool but needs lot of focused time which i don’t have right now. may be one day with god grace it might materialize.
Can I half the recipe and then make.??
yes you can easily half the recipe.