Chilli, Garlic & Cheese Kulcha
A soft griddled kulcha flatbread brushed with butter and topped with chopped green chilli, garlic and grated cheese. It is crisp at the edges and rich, with a sharp chilli-garlic bite.
Ingredients
Method
- Dust a work surface with plain flour.
- Roll the 100 g kulcha dough out on the floured surface into 15 cm (6 in) rounds.
- Cook the rounds one at a time in a dry tawa or large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes per side, until puffed, patchily browned and charred in spots.
- Brush each hot flatbread with 100 g melted butter.
- Scatter 24 g finely chopped green chilli, 12 g finely chopped garlic and 200 g grated Berkswell cheese over the buttered flatbreads.
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Naan doughUse the same weight; shape and bake or grill the same way for the closest fluffy texture.
Chapati doughUse the same weight; roll thicker, add a pinch of baking powder and rest 20 minutes for a softer kulcha.
DoughUse the same weight of any plain leavened bread dough; rest and cook as kulcha, though texture will vary.
Whole wheat flourUse the same weight, add 10–15% more water and rest the dough for 20 minutes; the result is heavier and nuttier.
Rice flourUse the same weight for crisp coatings; for doughs use no more than half rice flour with wheat flour, or it will be crumbly.
CornflourFor thickening use half the weight, mixed with cold water; it is not suitable for bread or chapati dough.
Chilli powderUse 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.
Dried red chilliUse 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.
Garlic pasteUse equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.
Garlic powderUse 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.
ShallotUse 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.
Cheddar cheeseUse the same weight, grated. Sharper and melts more readily; good in cooked dishes but less nutty.
CheeseUse the same weight, grated. Generic hard cheese; melt gently and adjust salt, as it may be saltier.
Processed cheeseUse the same weight, grated. Melts very smoothly but softer and milder; reduce other salt.
Similar dishes
- Same: Masala Kulcha shares a griddled kulcha dough base and a butter finish with this dish.
- Different: It works coriander and red onion into the dough and finishes with chaat masala and 250 g butter, while this dish lacks those and instead tops with green chilli, garlic and Berkswell cheese.
- Same: Garlic & Ghee Naan and this dish are both soft flatbreads cooked on a griddle or pan and finished with garlic and a rich fat. Both use plain flour and are brushed with fat before serving.
- Different: Garlic & Ghee Naan uses yeast, sugar, water, milk, Greek yoghurt, baking powder, ghee and coriander, while this dish uses kulcha dough, unsalted butter, green chilli, garlic and Berkswell cheese. Garlic & Ghee Naan gets tang from yoghurt and has no cheese or green chilli topping.
- Same: Lardo Kulcha shares with this dish a soft griddled kulcha base made from kulcha dough and plain flour, crisp at the edges or base.
- Different: Lardo Kulcha uses 200 g lardo and lacks this dish’s 100 g unsalted butter, 24 g green chilli, 12 g garlic and 200 g Berkswell cheese, with thin cured pork fat slices melted on the hot bread instead of a buttered chilli-garlic-cheese topping.
- Same: Puris and this dish are both Indian breads made from a flour-based dough and served warm.
- Different: Puris use wholemeal or chapatti flour, salt, vegetable oil and water and are deep-fried, while this dish uses kulcha dough with butter, green chilli, garlic and Berkswell cheese and is griddled and topped.