Tava Aloo Kulcha Recipe / Stuffed Leavened Indian Flatbread Cooked On A Griddle Recipe ~ Just Recipes

I am truly ecstatic to be back to what I love doing. Blogging is a different high altogether. Not that in my long absentia here have I stopped my kitchen adventure for a single day, but certain personal work took precedence and I just simply couldn't mange to squeeze in the time, to capture the steps pictorially while cooking nor could I collect and pen my thoughts here. But that's history now and hopefully(keeps fingers and toes crossed) I hope to regularly (at least twice a week) share my kitchen and food adventures here with you. Thank you my dear readers, for taking out the time, visiting my blog and checking out my posts during this interval. It is your love and enthusiasm for food and your continued encouragement of my work, which makes me and this Blog going. 

I am thrilled today to bring to you another edition of Blog Hop by the Culinary Hoppers entitled "Indian Breads." I though this topic is very interesting as there are so many varieties of Indian bread that stems up from the kitchens in different nooks and corners of India. While doing research on the breads, I realised that the variety of Indian Breads was limitless and it will take me a long long time to try every single one of them out in my kitchen. Another thing I realised that I was not able to get the perfect taste and texture, softness and layers without trying to make each one of them a few times over in my kitchen. But once you get the quantities, time etc. right and know the tricks you will end up with very satisfying results and needless to say have a bunch of happy diners every time you serve these breads.

Today I am sharing with you a very popular bread from the Indian Subcontinent Kulcha. Most of you would have already tasted this particular Indian bread as not only in India but in most Indian restaurants, across the globe serving North Indian food, Kulcha is a must in the section of breads, in the menu. Kulcha is a flat bread where a rising agent is used in the dough. The dough is made from maida or refined flour.Traditionally Kulchas are baked in an earthen clay oven known as the Tandoor. These days many bake Kulchas in the electrical oven to get similar effect of the Tandoor. I did manage to get the similar effect of the tandoor on the tava (griddle) by following this fantastic recipe whose link is given below this post. Kulchas can be plain or stuffed. I chose to make a stuffed Kulcha with a spicy potato filling. I served it with Pindi Choley ( garbanzo beans cooked in a dark coloured spicy gravy) and yogurt. I have tried to make this bread a few times and the recipe that I am sharing with you should help you make perfect, soft Kulchas with the right taste & texture. Let's take a look at the ingredients then.

TAVA ALOO KULCHA RECIPE ~

AUTHOR ~ PIYALI MUTHA
YIELDS ~ 6 KULCHAS APPROXIMATELY
CUISINE ~ INDIAN
TYPE ~ FLAT BREADS
TIME ~ 20 MINUTES PREPARATION + 1 HOUR RESTING
TIME + 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME

INGREDIENTS ~

FOR THE KULCHA DOUGH ~

(1Cup = 250 Gm and 255 Ml approximately)

1) 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour / Atta

2) 1 Cup Refined Flour / Maida

3) 1 Tbsp Clarified Butter / Ghee or any mild neutral oil

4) 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

5) 1/2 Tsp Salt

6) 1 Tsp Sugar

7) 1/4 Cup Yogurt / Curd / Dahi

8) 1/3 Cup Water (To knead the dough. Use more if required.)

9) 2 Tbsp Fresh Dill Leaves (finely chopped)

10) 1 Tbsp White Sesame Seeds

11) Oil / Clarified Butter / Butter to apply on top (optional)

FOR THE STUFFING ~

1) 3 Medium Sized Potatoes Boiled and Peeled

2) 1 Tsp Chaat Masala

3) 1 Tsp Bhaja Moshla (You may use garam masala instead)

4) 1/4 Tsp Salt

5) 1 Tsp Finely Chopped Green Chillies

6) 1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves

7) 2 Tbsp Oats

LET'S MAKE TAVA ALOO KULCHA IN EASY STEPS ~

1) In a large mixing bowl take refined flour and whole wheat flour.

• To this add yogurt, salt, sugar, clarified butter and baking soda. Mix the ingredients well by using your hand so that it resembles a crumble when you are finished.
• Next pour water a little at a time and knead the dough into a smooth and soft dough.
• Cover the dough with a clean wet cotton kitchen napkin and leave it rest for at least 1 hour.

2) While the dough is resting, let's prepare the potato stuffing. There is no basic guideline to the ingredients that you need to mix with the potatoes for the stuffing. You can include herbs, aromatics and spices according to choice. I chose a very simple mix of herbs and spices to add to the boiled, skinned potatoes. Take a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes along with salt, chaat masala, Bhaja Moshla, chopped green chillies and coriander, oats.

• Smash the potatoes using your hand and knead in the spice and herbs into it. Break down any lump. The Potato filling is ready.

3) At the end of an hour place the Tava / Griddle on the burner on high. Mean while keep your dough, stuffing, chopped dill leaves, sesame seeds, water, oil or refined flour(for using while rolling the dough into kulchas) ready and at close quarter. You can now start working on making your Stuffed Aloo Kulchas. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll around a piece of the dough between your palms to give it a round shape. Place the round shaped dough on the working platform.

• Using your hands flatten out the dough in the shape of a disc keeping its centre thick and edges thin. Take a small portion of the potato stuffing and give it a round shape and place it right in the centre of your flattened disc shaped dough.
• Bring all the edges of the dough towards the centre and pinch them together to seal the dough with the potato stuffing inside. Now gently roll back the stuffed dough into a round shape using your palms.
• Place the dough on the working surface and gently spread it out into a small disc. by doing this you are distributing the stuffing evenly around the disc.
• Apply evenly a few drops of water on the disc.
• Sprinkle the chopped dill leaves on it and gently press them using your fingers. The water applied in the previous step helps the dill leaves to stick easily to the dough.
• Next sprinkle white sesame seeds and spread them out by pressing them lightly on your disc shaped dough.
• Pick up the dough and either sprinkle flour or drizzle a little oil on the work surface to help you to easily roll the disc into a medium sized Kulcha. Roll the dough into a medium sized disc.

4) The Tava must be hot by now. Brush the plain side of your Kulcha with water. This helps the Kulcha get the beautiful brown specks which is typical of breads baked in a tandoor.

Place the Kulcha with the side containing dill leaves and sesame seeds facing upwards. Cover the Kulcha with a lid and cook for 30 seconds.

• Turn the Kulcha over and you can see that the brown specks on the plain side of your Kulcha.
• Again after 30 seconds turn the Kulcha back. You can now simmer the flame and cook the Kulcha flipping from side to side till done.

Your gorgeous looking Kulchas are ready to serve. Serve them just like that or smear them with clarified butter or butter and serve them piping hot. Tava Kulchas taste delicious with spicy Indian Curries.

STEPWISE WITH PICTURES TAVA ALOO KULCHA RECIPE ~

1) In a large mixing bowl take refined flour and whole wheat flour.

To this add yogurt, salt, sugar, clarified butter and baking soda. Mix the ingredients well by using your hand so that it resembles a crumble when you are finished.

Next pour water a little at a time and knead the dough into a smooth and soft dough.

Cover the dough with a clean wet cotton kitchen napkin and leave it rest for at least 1 hour.

2) While the dough is resting, let's prepare the potato stuffing. There is no basic guideline to the ingredients that you need to mix with the potatoes for the stuffing. You can include herbs, aromatics and spices according to choice. I chose a very simple mix of herbs and spices to add to the boiled, skinned potatoes. Take a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes along with salt, chaat masala, Bhaja Moshla, chopped green chillies and coriander, oats.

Smash the potatoes using your hand and knead in the spice and herbs into it. Break down any lump. The Potato filling is ready.

3) At the end of an hour place the Tava / Griddle on the burner on high. Mean while keep your dough, stuffing, chopped dill leaves, sesame seeds, water, oil or refined flour(for using while rolling the dough into kulchas) ready and at close quarter. You can now start working on making your Stuffed Aloo Kulchas. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts. Roll around a piece of the dough between your palms to give it a round shape.Place the round shaped dough on the working platform.

Using your hands flatten out the dough in the shape of a disc keeping its centre thick and edges thin. Take a small portion of the potato stuffing and give it a round shape and place it right in the centre of your flattened disc shaped dough.

Bring all the edges of the dough towards the centre and pinch them together to seal the dough with the potato stuffing inside. Now gently roll back the stuffed dough into a round shape using your palms.

Place the dough on the working surface and gently spread it out into a small disc. By doing this you are distributing the stuffing evenly around the disc.

Apply evenly a few drops of water on the disc.

Sprinkle the chopped dill leaves on it and gently press them using your fingers. The water applied in the previous step helps the dill leaves to stick easily to the dough.

Next sprinkle white sesame seeds and spread them out by pressing them lightly on your disc shaped dough.

Pick up the dough and either sprinkle flour or drizzle a little oil on the work surface to help you to easily roll the disc into a medium sized Kulcha. Roll the dough into a medium sized disc.

4) The Tava must be hot by now. Brush the plain side of your Kulcha with water. This helps the Kulcha get the beautiful brown specks which is typical of breads baked in a tandoor.

Place the Kulcha with the side containing dill leaves and sesame seeds facing upwards. Cover the Kulcha with a lid and cook for 30 seconds.

    

Turn the Kulcha over and you can see that the brown specks on the plain side of your Kulcha.

Again after 30 seconds turn the Kulcha back. You can now simmer the flame and cook the Kulcha flipping from side to side till done.

Your gorgeous looking Kulchas are ready to serve. Serve them just like that or smear them with clarified butter or butter and serve them piping hot. Tava Kulchas taste delicious with spicy Indian Curries.

Reference ~

Mrs. Vahchef

Do Check Out The Other Indian Bread Recipes By The Culinary Hoppers ~

1) +jayashree trao ~ Restaurant Style Roti ( http://evergreendishes.com )
2) +Shubha A ~Schezwan Paratha ( www.shubhaskitchen.com )
3) +Poornima hegde ~ Baqerkhani ( http://poorniseasycookbook.blogspot.ae/ )
4) +Padma Veeranki / Masalakorb ~ Zucchini Paratha ( http://www.masalakorb.com/ )