INGREDIENTS
FOR THE KULCHA
2 cups plain maida (refined flour), ¼ tsp soda bicarbonate, ½ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp oil or ghee, ¼ cup curd , ½ cup warm milk, Salt to taste, Oil/ghee/butter, for frying
FOR THE STUFFING
1 cup grated paneer, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 3 green chillies, chopped, 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped, ½ tsp chaat masala, 1 tsp cumin powder, Salt to taste
METHOD
• Sieve the maida, soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add sugar, oil or ghee, curd and milk to it and mix well.
• Knead and make a smooth dough. Apply a little oil over the dough, cover with a damp clean cloth and allow it to ferment for 4-6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Then knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes; divide it into equal portions and make smooth balls.
• Let the balls sit for 10 minutes, covered with damp cloth.
• Meanwhile, to make the stuffing, take the grated paneer in a bowl. Add onions, green chillies and coriander leaves and mix together. Then add the chaat masala, cumin seeds powder and salt.
• Dust one piece of the dough with flour, flatten it with hand or roll it into a medium-sized roti. Place 2-3 tbsp of the paneer mixture on it and seal all the sides together and flatten it gently. Then dust with flour and roll it into a medium-sized kulcha, cover it again with a damp cloth until you roll the remaining kulchas. Repeat the same for the remaining balls.
• Heat a tawa or griddle, brush the rolled kulcha on one side with water and place this side on the tawa. Keep the tawa on medium to high heat.
• Let it cook for a minute or until bubbles start to appear and the kulcha starts to puff up. Flip the kulcha and cook the other side, too.
• Using a tong, roast the kulcha directly on heat (keep it medium to low) for 10 seconds on each side. Roast slightly on the edges too, to make sure they don’t remain raw.
• Apply ghee or butter on the kulcha. Repeat the same for the remaining kulchas.
• Serve them hot, warm or even at room temperature. (Kulcha stays soft even after six hours.)
