Aloo Kulcha
on Apr 27, 2014, Updated Nov 28, 2020
Crispy Flaky Amritsari Aloo Kulcha is an Indian bread which is everyone’s’ favorite. Make this restaurant-style bread at home using my simple recipe.
Want to try some more Indian Breads, here are some of my absolute favourites – Aloo Paratha, Punjabi Missi Roti, Garlic Naan, Gobi Paratha, and Palak Paneer Paratha.
Table of Contents
About This Recipe
Aloo Kulcha is a variation of the very popular Punjabi bread Kulcha where it is stuffed with a spicy potato filling. This North Indian bread is flaky and crispy and can be easily made at home using basic pantry staples.
Stuffed with spicy and masaledar Aloo Masala, this Aloo Kulcha is the first thing you need to try at a Punjabi restaurant or a roadside dhaba. Every bite of it is just pure magic when you pair it with spicy Punjabi Chole or Dal Makhani.
During my Delhi visit last year, I was surprised to see so many Kulcha variations at these street-side shops. We tried so many from Onion Kulcha to Paneer Kulcha, but my favorite one was this Aloo Kulcha. Spicy and hot Aloo Masala piping out of the Kulcha, even my son loved it.
So when we returned back home and Punjabi Chole was on the menu, my son wanted to have that delicious Aloo Kulcha again. So without any wait, I got the ingredients ready and made this delectable Potato Kulcha at home.
Let me tell you, these Potato Kulchas are also a hit at get-togethers and family dinners. You can always adjust the spices in the Aloo masala, that suits your taste.
Traditionally, they are prepared in a Tandoor or a Clay Oven, but here to make it easy I will tell you how to make it on tawa (griddle) at home. You can make these in an oven too.
This Aloo Kulcha is,
- Vegan (avoid butter)
- Delicious
- Full of Flavour
- A Punjabi favorite
- Perfect for special occasions
- Just like the restaurant one
Ingredients
For the Stuffing – For the Aloo Masala, we will need potatoes, onions, ginger, green chilies, coriander, coriander seeds, black pepper, anardana powder (dry pomegranate seeds), Kasuri methi, black salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder, and salt.
Boil, peel and mash the potatoes to use in the masala.
Kasuri Methi is optional, but it does adds a great flavour so do not miss on it.
I like to add green chilies, as I like the spice in these Aloo Kulchas. You can always adjust the amount of green chilies, or even avoid adding it if you are making it for kids.
Red chili powder, dry mango powder, crushed anardana, crushed black pepper adds a spicy tangy flavor to the masala which makes it even more delicious.
For the Dough – You will need maida (all-purpose flour), baking powder, salt, and sugar. You can replace some of the flour with whole wheat flour to make healthier aloo kulcha.
How to make Aloo Kulcha?
For the Filling:
Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and keep aside.
For the Dough:
Mix all the ingredients except butter to make the dough in a bowl.
Add water and make a soft dough.
Knead it for 4-5 minutes.
Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a large surface. Dust flour and spread it to make a large rectangle and apply a thin layer of 2 teaspoon butter.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over the butter and turn one edge of the dough until it reaches the centre.
Turn the other layer over the previous layer.
Spread it again. Apply 2 teaspoon butter again and sprinkle 1 teaspoon flour.
Make 3-4 layers in the similar way.
Divide it into 6 equal parts and make balls from it. Cover the balls and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
Dust and roll the balls to make a 4 inch circle.
Keep 2 tablespoon of potato filling in the centre of the circle and brings the ends together.
Sprinkle some crushed coriander seeds and red chili powder and keep the ball over it.
Roll the ball to make a 5-6 inch circle. Press your fingers all over the kulcha.
Heat a tava. Apply water on the outer surface of the aloo kulcha and keep it on the hot tava.
Turn the tava around and cook the kulcha over direct flame on low heat until brown spots appear all over.
Turn the tawa back and cook the kulcha for another minute.
Remove the kulcha and apply butter generously on top. Crush the aloo kulcha using your palms. Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Naan and Kulcha are very similar, but they differ in a few ingredients and the style of preparing it.
Kulcha dough is layered and hence it is very flaky and crispy while naan is mostly not layered and hence it is slightly chewy.
To make it with yeast, combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl and give it a mix. Cover and keep it aside for 10 minutes until the bubbles form.
Now use this mixture to knead the dough and avoid adding baking powder to this recipe. Once you knead it well, keep it aside for about 45 minutes in a warm place.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line the kulcha on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned from the. Turn the oven to broil and broil for a minute to brown the top of the kulcha. Apply butter and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
I prefer to serve Aloo Kulcha with some extra butter on top along with Chole Masala and a Raita for my weekend brunch with some thinly sliced onions and lemon wedges.
You can serve it as it is with just Raita and Chutney too, as they are very flavourful on their own.
Storage Suggestions
This bread tastes best when made fresh and served right off the tawa. However, you can make the filling and dough ahead and store it for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
If you still want to make the kulcha ahead of serving time, heat them in an oven or an air fryer so that they become crispy again.
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Aloo Kulcha Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 250 gram Maida (All Purpose Flour)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter (Softened)
For the Filling:
- 2 cups Mashed Potatoes (boiled)
- ½ cup Onion (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoon Green Chilli (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Coriander (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper (crushed)
- 2 teaspoon Anardana (Pomegranate Seeds Powder) (crushed)
- 2 tablespoon Kasuri Methi
- 1 teaspoon Black Salt
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
- 2 teaspoon Dry Mango Powder
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
For the Filling:
- Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl and keep aside.
For the Dough:
- Mix all the ingredients except butter to make the dough in a bowl.
- Add water and make a soft dough.
- Knead it for 4-5 minutes.
- Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large surface.
- Dust flour and spread it to make a large rectangle and apply a thin layer of 2 teaspoon butter over it.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour over the butter and turn one edge of the dough until it reaches the center.
- Turn the other layer over the previous layer.
- Spread the dough again.
- Apply 2 teaspoon butter again and sprinkle 1 teaspoon flour.
- Make 3-4 layers in a similar way.
- Divide it into 6 equal parts and make balls from it.
- Cover the balls and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
- Dust and roll the balls to make a 4 inch circle
- Keep 2 tablespoon of potato filling in the center of the circle and brings the ends together.
- Sprinkle some crushed coriander seeds and red chili powder and keep the dough ball over it.
- Roll the dough ball to make a 5-6 inch circle.
- Press your fingers all over the kulcha.
- Heat a tawa.
- Apply water on the outer surface of the kulcha and keep it on the hot tawa.
- Turn the tawa around and cook the kulcha over direct flame on low heat until brown spots appear all over.
- Turn the tawa back and cook the kulcha for another minute.
- Remove the kulcha and apply butter generously on top. Crush the kulcha using your palms. Serve immediately.
