Kulcha is a leavened Indian flatbread popular in Amritsar, Punjab! It is made with flour, yogurt, leavening agents and baked in a tandoor (clay oven). Learn how to make this kulcha bread without yeast or the oven.
- Difference between Kulcha and naan
- Can I use whole wheat flour to make this tawa kulcha?
- Storage and reheating instructions
- If you enjoyed this butter and garlic kulcha, you may also enjoy these Indian flatbreads made without yeast
- How to make kulcha bread at home – Step by step instructions
- Kulcha Recipe On Tawa | How To Make Kulcha (No Yeast)
Difference between Kulcha and naan
There isn’t much difference between the two, except for the leavening agents involved in their respective recipes.
Kulchas mostly use baking powder/soda to leaven the bread, although some people use yeast.
Naan mostly uses yeast, though some people skip using yeast and use baking powder or soda instead.
So both are almost the same, except that kulchas are mostly stuffed from a gamut of fillings. Potato kulcha is probably the most popular one, known as aloo kulcha. Then there are other yummy stuffed kulcha variations like onion kulcha, matar kulcha, stuffed paneer kulcha, cheese kulchas to name a few.
You can use minced lamb, mutton for a non-vegetarian version or even chicken keema kulcha or egg kulchas are yummy options.
You can use this same basic kulcha dough recipe to make your favorite type of kulcha.
Choley kulche or chana kulcha, are a perfect accompaniment to each other and are served in various street-side food stalls all over Punjab. I have heard so much about the rustic, hearty & delicious food served in these places, that I definitely hope to visit Amritsar, Punjab someday. Amritsar is also popular for ‘The Golden Temple’.
The food served there has a special touch, especially the halwa. The place has a special vibe known to calm one’s mind and soul. One look at the images of the Temple itself, and you can feel the serenity surrounding it. It’s truly a shame, whilst I live in India for most part of my life, I never made it there due to my busy work schedule! I hope I do get a chance to visit this beautiful city and enjoy the experience it has to offer!
Can I use whole wheat flour to make this tawa kulcha?
For a healthier version, you can make whole wheat kulcha using regular atta flour. I use all-purpose flour because it is not something that I prepare frequently unlike the everyday chapatis. So I indulge in these kulchas whenever I prepare some rich curry such as shahi paneer , butter chicken or chole to name a few.
You can also use 1:1:: maida: whole wheat flour. Most people feel intimidated at the thought of making kulcha at home. I say there is absolutely no need to fret! Making kulchas at home is relatively easy, almost like making a chapati with some leavening agents and yogurt. I have not used any yeast, neither the oven to make these soft, fluffy kulchas. These can easily be done on the stovetop.
You can also make kulcha in the oven (baked kulcha), but I’d recommend using yeast if you plan on using the oven or else kulchas becomes too hard. The yeast keeps the kulchas soft and fluffy for the oven method.
These days, frozen kulcha is readily available in any Indian store. And while they are okay, nothing beats fresh homemade kulchas sans the preservatives. So it is totally worth the time and effort making this flatbread from scratch.
I’ve slightly adapted this kulcha recipe from my mom’s recipe book, it’s the recipe for naan actually, but I prefer to use yeast whenever I make naan. This is the way I prepare kulcha’s, be it plain or stuffed, and they always turn out amazingly delicious!
You can make these instantly, but allowing the dough to leaven and ferment for sometime yields better kulchas. The end result is a slightly crisp exterior yet soft and fluffy on the inside. You can use this same recipe for no-yeast, stovetop naan as well:)
Storage and reheating instructions
As you prepare the kulchas. stack them in a casserole/aluminum foil/clean cotton napkin to keep it soft and warm.
Store leftovers in an airtight plastic bag for 1-2 days. You can also refrigerate it up to 3 to 4 days.
Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or stovetop.
If you enjoyed this butter and garlic kulcha, you may also enjoy these Indian flatbreads made without yeast
- Poori
- Aloo paratha
- Paneer paratha
How to make kulcha bread at home – Step by step instructions
Step 1: Prepare the dough
In a large mixing bowl, sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, add 1/2 teaspoon sugar & 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Add 1/2 cup yogurt & 2 tablespoon oil. Mix well.
Add 1/2 cup warm milk/water and knead until you achieve a soft and elastic dough. If the dough is too sticky, grease your palms with oil and continue kneading. Avoid adding more flour, 1-2 tablespoon extra flour is alright.
Step 2: Proof the dough
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, drizzle some oil over the dough, spread it evenly to avoid it from drying out. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 2-3 hours minimum or about 6-8 hours. I usually let it ferment overnight, which results in a soft and fluffy kulcha.
Step 3: Divide the dough
After the dough has fermented, you will see it has leavened and risen a bit. Knead the dough for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 equal size balls.
Step 4: Roll out the dough
Now dust the working surface with flour, take one ball, dust it in flour.
For butter kulchas: Roll the floured ball to about 4 inches in diameter, add some cilantro & black sesame seeds, roll the ball to about 7-8 inches in diameter, and 1/8 inch thickness. Dust off excess flour.
For garlic kulchas: Add some cilantro, grated garlic & black sesame seeds, roll the ball to about 7-8 inches in diameter, and 1/8 inch thickness. Dust off excess flour.
Step 5: Roast the kulcha on the tawa or a cast-iron skillet
Heat an iron skillet/tawa, place the kulcha, cilantro side up on the greased tawa, cover with a lid and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on medium heat, once brown spots appear at the bottom, and bubbles appear on top, flip and roast the other side for 45 seconds.
You may directly roast the other side over the flame by inverting the skillet upside down until you get charred spots. In that case, make sure you dab some water on the plain side without the cilantro, etc and cook that first, then invert the skillet and cook the other side.
Step 6: Dab some butter or ghee
Brush the flatbread with ghee/butter roast on both sides till fully cooked through, flipping 2-3 times more. Prepare the remaining kulchas in the same manner. Serve with yogurt & pickle or with curry of your choice.
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Kulcha Recipe On Tawa | How To Make Kulcha (No Yeast)
Ingredients1x2x3x
For the kulcha dough
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil/ghee
- 1/2 cup yogurt, room temperature, preferably sour yogurt
- 1/2 cup warm water/milk, or as required for kneading
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Other ingredients
- 1 to 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds or nigella seeds
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced, use as per flavor desired
- ghee/butter for roasting the kulcha, as required
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, add sugar & salt. Mix well. Add yogurt & oil. Mix well with the flour.Add warm milk/water and knead until you achieve a soft and elastic dough. If the dough is too sticky, grease your palms with oil and continue kneading. Avoid adding more flour, 1-2 tbsp extra flour is alright.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, drizzle some oil over the dough, spread it evenly to avoid it from drying out. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 2-3 hours minimum or about 6-8 hours. I usually let it ferment overnight, which results in a soft and fluffy kulcha.
- After the dough has fermented, you will see it has leavened and risen a bit. Knead the dough for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 equal size balls.
- Now dust the working surface with flour, take one ball, dust it in flour.
- For butter kulchas: Roll the floured ball to about 4 inches in diameter, add some cilantro & black sesame seeds, roll the ball to about 7-8 inches in diameter, and 1/8 inch thickness. Dust off excess flour.
- For garlic kulchas: Add some cilantro, grated garlic & black sesame seeds, roll the ball to about 7-8 inches in diameter, and 1/8 inch thickness. Dust off excess flour.
- Heat an iron skillet/tawa, place the kulcha, cilantro side up on the greased tawa, cover with a lid and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on medium heat, once brown spots appear at the bottom, and bubbles appear on top, flip and roast the other side for 45 seconds. (You may directly roast the other side over the flame by inverting the skillet upside down until you get charred spots. In that case, make sure you dab some water on the plain side without the cilantro etc and cook that first, then invert the skillet and cook the other side).
- Brush the flatbread with ghee/butter roast on both sides till fully cooked through, flipping 2-3 times more. Prepare the remaining kulchas in the same manner, stack them in a casserole/aluminum foil/clean cotton napkin to keep them soft & warm. Serve with yogurt & pickle or with curry of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Kulcha Recipe On Tawa | How To Make Kulcha (No Yeast)
Ingredients
For the kulcha dough
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (maida)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons oil/ghee
- 1/2 cup yogurt, room temperature, preferably sour yogurt
- 1/2 cup warm water/milk, or as required for kneading
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Other ingredients
- 1 to 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds or nigella seeds
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced, use as per flavor desired
- ghee/butter for roasting the kulcha, as required
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, add sugar & salt. Mix well. Add yogurt & oil. Mix well with the flour.Add warm milk/water and knead until you achieve a soft and elastic dough. If the dough is too sticky, grease your palms with oil and continue kneading. Avoid adding more flour, 1-2 tbsp extra flour is alright.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, drizzle some oil over the dough, spread it evenly to avoid it from drying out. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 2-3 hours minimum or about 6-8 hours. I usually let it ferment overnight, which results in a soft and fluffy kulcha.
- After the dough has fermented, you will see it has leavened and risen a bit. Knead the dough for another 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6 equal size balls.
- Now dust the working surface with flour, take one ball, dust it in flour.
- For butter kulchas: Roll the floured ball to about 4 inches in diameter, add some cilantro & black sesame seeds, roll the ball to about 7-8 inches in diameter, and 1/8 inch thickness. Dust off excess flour.
- For garlic kulchas: Add some cilantro, grated garlic & black sesame seeds, roll the ball to about 7-8 inches in diameter, and 1/8 inch thickness. Dust off excess flour.
- Heat an iron skillet/tawa, place the kulcha, cilantro side up on the greased tawa, cover with a lid and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on medium heat, once brown spots appear at the bottom, and bubbles appear on top, flip and roast the other side for 45 seconds. (You may directly roast the other side over the flame by inverting the skillet upside down until you get charred spots. In that case, make sure you dab some water on the plain side without the cilantro etc and cook that first, then invert the skillet and cook the other side).
- Brush the flatbread with ghee/butter roast on both sides till fully cooked through, flipping 2-3 times more. Prepare the remaining kulchas in the same manner, stack them in a casserole/aluminum foil/clean cotton napkin to keep them soft & warm. Serve with yogurt & pickle or with curry of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Ragda Patties | Ragda Pattice is delicious and mouth-watering Indian street food that consists of potato patties served with a spicy white peas curry, topped with chopped onions, sev, and spicy, sweet, and tangy chutneys.
If you love chaat food like me, then I’m sure you will love today’s post, Ragda Patties, which is popular street food in the Maharashtra and Gujarat. This would be Western India’s version of the popular North Indian street food, chole tikki. If you haven’t had a chance to eat this, then I’m sure you have questions, so let me walk you through some basics about this yummy street food.
- WHAT IS RAGDA & WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PATTICE?
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE RAGDA PATTIES | RAGDA PATTICE | RAGDA PETIS
- HOW TO MAKE RAGDA PATTIES | RAGDA PATTICE | RAGDA CHAAT?
- Ragda Patties | Ragda Pattice Recipe | Ragda Chaat
WHAT IS RAGDA & WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PATTICE?
Ragda is spicy, dried peas curry & pattice is nothing but shallow fried potato patties, which is just pronounced as ‘pattice’ or even ‘petis’ by local people. These potato patties are dunked in the ragda gravy and topped with chaat chutneys, finely chopped onions, tomatoes, crispy sev, and cilantro or coriander leaves
Ragda patties is such a filling dish, I literally make a meal out of it and lunch or dinner is sorted. There are quite a number of elements in this dish. But if you have the chaat chutneys prepared already then your job is reduced by half. That’s the reason I love having these 3 essential chaat chutney’s to whip up some yummy chaat whenever I fancy!
The ragda recipe is pretty straightforward. This is the way my Mum makes it. You have to prepare a basic onion-tomato masala, to which the boiled peas are added. Addition of red chilli powder, tamarind, and jaggery gives this ragda a spicy, sweet, and tangy flavor. It tastes so good even on its own! Mum usually, make a paste of some of the boiled peas separately to thicken the ragda.
The patties are simply made by mashing boiled potatoes, adding seasonings, forming a patty and shallow frying them. Once all these 3 things i.e. Ragda, patties, and chutneys are ready, then lay out everything in containers, and let folks assemble the ragda patties as per their taste buds!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE RAGDA PATTIES | RAGDA PATTICE | RAGDA PETIS
HOW TO MAKE RAGDA?
1.Wash the dried peas well, soak in sufficient water overnight. Next morning, drain the peas, wash again 2-3 times. Transfer the peas to a pressure cooker, add 2 cups water, salt to taste, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Pressure cook on medium to high heat for about 6 whistles. Once the pressure settles down, open the lid and check if the peas are done, they should be soft and mushy. If not, add some more water and pressure cook for a few more whistles. If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook it in a regular pot with water until soft.
2.Add chopped onions, saute until they turn translucent.
3.Add ginger garlic paste, saute until aromatic.
4.Add in the chopped tomatoes, sauté until mushy.
5.Add in chilli powder and salt to taste (add less as we have already added whilst boiling the peas), saute for another minute.
6.Add the cooked ragda, sugar/jaggery and mix well. Add about 1/2 -1 cup water. Bring to a boil.
7.Add tamarind pulp, mix well, let this simmer for another 10 minutes, mash some peas with the back of the ladle for a thicker gravy. (If you are adding lemon juice, add towards the end). Once it’s done, sprinkle chopped cilantro. Mix well and set aside.
TO PREPARE THE POTATO PATTIES
1.In a mixing bowl, grate the boiled potatoes, and add all the other ingredients listed under For the patties.
2.Make a smooth dough, take small portions of the dough, form them into patties. I got about 7 medium sized patties.
3.Heat about 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet, shallow fry these patties until golden brown on both sides.
ASSEMBLING THE FINAL DISH
1.Place 2 patties on the serving plate. Pour about 2 ladlefuls of ragda over it
2.Drizzle the tamarind-date , mint coriander chutney & red chilli garlic chutney .
3.Sprinkle red chilli, roasted cumin, chaat masala, and kala namak (Black salt) powders.
4.Next, sprinkle finely chopped onion and tomatoes
5.Finally finish it off with some nylon sev, and more of the chutneys if desired. Enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE RAGDA PATTIES | RAGDA PATTICE | RAGDA CHAAT?
Ragda Patties | Ragda Pattice Recipe | Ragda Chaat
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
For the ragda
- 1/2 cup dried peas (safed vatana)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp grated jaggery/sugar, as per desired taste
- 1 tsp tamarind pulp/lemon juice
- 2-3 tbsp of chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
For the patties
- 3 boiled potatoes, about 2 & 1/4 cups of shredded boiled potatoes
- 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
- pinch of asafoetida
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2-3 tbsp cornflour, more if required for binding
- salt, to taste
Other ingredients
- Date Tamarind chutney, as required
- Mint coriander chutney as required,
- Red chilli garlic chutney as required
- Red chilli, roasted cumin, chaat masala, and kala namak (Black salt) powders, as required
- 1/4 cup chopped onion, or as required
- 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes, or as required
- 1/4 cup Nylon sev, or as required
- a handful of chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
Instructions
To prepare the ragda
- Wash the dried peas well, soak in sufficient water overnight. Next morning, drain the peas, wash again 2-3 times. Transfer the peas to a pressure cooker, add 2 cups water, salt to taste, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Pressure cook on medium to high heat for about 6 whistles. Once the pressure settles down, open the lid and check if the peas are done, they should be soft and mushy. If not, add some more water and pressure cook for a few more whistles. If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook it in a regular pot with water until soft.
- Add chopped onions, saute until they turn translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste, saute until aromatic.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes, sauté until mushy.
- Add in chilli powder and salt to taste ( add less as we have already added whilst boiling the peas), saute for another minute.
- Add the cooked ragda, sugar/jaggery and mix well. Add about 1/2 -1 cup water. Bring to a boil.
- Add tamarind pulp, mix well, let this simmer for another 10 minutes, mash some peas with the back of the ladle for a thicker gravy. (If you are adding lemon juice, add towards the end). Once it’s done, sprinkle chopped cilantro. Mix well and set aside.
To prepare the potato patties
- In a mixing bowl, grate the boiled potatoes, and add all the other ingredients listed under For the patties.
- Make a smooth dough, take small portions of the dough, form them into patties. I got about 7 medium sized patties.
- Heat about 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet, shallow fry these patties until golden brown on both sides.
Assembling the final dish:
- Place 2 patties on the serving plate. Pour about 2 ladlefuls of ragda over it
- Drizzle the tamarind-date, mint coriander chutney & red chilli garlic chutney.
- Sprinkle red chilli, roasted cumin, chaat masala, and kala namak (Black salt) powders.
- Next, sprinkle finely chopped onion and tomatoes. Finally finish it off with some nylon sev, and more of the chutneys if desired. Enjoy!
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
Have a lovely week ahead 🙂
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Regards,
Freda
