Vegetable Kulcha

We were first treated to parathas by our erstwhile cook many years ago. It was a novelty in our traditional Brahmin household, which subsisted on idli, dosa and uppuma for breakfast. Chapatti and poori were special items and we were not aware of the existence of parathas or for that matter of kulchas. We used to refer to all these preparations as ‘stuffed chapattis’. Years later, during a brief stay in Madya Pradesh, I realized that all the stuffed chapattis we ate in fact had different names! Nonetheless, I kept making these ‘stuffed chapattis’. Today I wish to share my vegetable kulcha recipe, which has undergone some variation over the years, yet works just great for me. Here we go.

Ingredients:

Ghee – for making kulchas

Fig 1: Grated vegetables

For the stuffing:

Aloo/ potato – Medium sized, 2 no

Large onion – 1 no

Carrot – medium sized, 1 no

Radish – medium sized, 1 no

Salt – to taste

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Kashmiri chilli powder – ¾-1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)

Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves – finely chopped, 1 tablespoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

For the dough:

Maida/ all purpose flour – 2 tumblers or 400ml measure

Curds – ½ teacups or 100ml measure

Baking soda/powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – to taste

Cooking oil – 2 teaspoons

Method: Wash and peel the potatoes. Wash and scrape the carrot and radish. Peel the onion. Grate the vegetables using a fine vegetable grater (Fig.1). Keep aside.

Mix all purpose flour very well with baking powder. You may sieve them together once or twice. Add salt and curds. Knead well by adding required water into firm dough. Add cooking oil, knead well once again and cover with a damp cloth for at least 30 minutes (Fig.2). Later divide the dough into 12 equal parts and roll them into balls. Keep aside.

Fig.2: Kulcha Dough

Heat oil in a kadai, add grated onion and sauté till they become transparent. Now add grated vegetables, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander leaves and salt. Mix well, cover and cook on low flame for 1-2 minutes. Add garam masala. Mix well and switch off the fire. Allow it to cool (Fig.3). Once cooled to room temperature divide the vegetable masala into 12 equal sized balls.

Fig 3: Vegetable stuffing

Now roll a dough ball into a chapatti (approximately 6” in diameter) on a board using a rolling pin, dusting with flour as required (Fig.4).

Fig 4: Roll the dough ball into a chapatti

Now place a vegetable masala ball in the center of the chapatti (Fig.5).

Fig 5: Place a vegetable ball in the center

Bring the edges of the chapatti over the stuffing and press together gently (Fig.6).

Fig 6: Bring the edges of the chapatti over the vegetable ball

Place kulcha with the folded side facing up on the rolling board, and roll into a circle (approximately 8”in diameter) using a rolling pin, dusting with flour as required (Fig.7). Don’t apply too much pressure while rolling, lest the stuffing may come out.

Fig.7: Rolled out kulcha

Heat the tava on medium heat. Once hot, place the rolled out kulcha on the tava. Use ghee to cook kulcha. Turn it and cook on both sides till brown spots appear on the surface (Fig.8).

Fig 8: Cook the rolled out kulch on a tava

You may serve vegetable kulcha with curds/ raitha and pickle or with any gravy preparation.

Vegetable Kulcha

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