Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Kulcha Dough
Kulcha Dough ()

Kulcha Dough

Non-vegetarianMakes 10 flatbreads

Kulcha dough is a soft, enriched flatbread dough made with milk, egg, sugar and oil. It bakes into tender, slightly sweet flatbreads with a pliable crumb.

Ingredients

01
Whole milk · Doodh
134 g130 ml
dairy
02
Egg · Andalarge free-range
200 g4 eggs
egg
03
Caster sugar · Boora
25 g2 tablespoons
sweetener
04
Salt · Namak
12 g2 teaspoons
salt
05
Water · Paanicold, plus extra if needed
99 g100 ml
liquid
06
Vegetable oil · Telplus extra for oiling
91 g100 ml
oil/fat
07
Self-raising flourplus extra for dusting
500 g
flour

Method

  1. Whisk 134 g whole milk, 200 g egg, 25.2 g caster sugar, 11 g sea salt, about two-thirds of the 99.4 g cold water and 91.3 g vegetable oil in a jug until the sugar and salt dissolve; keep the remaining cold water for adjusting the dough.
  2. Sift 500 g self-raising flour into a large bowl.
  3. Pour the wet mixture into the flour and mix to a rough dough.
  4. Knead the dough, adding the reserved cold water a little at a time if needed, until smooth and pliable.
  5. Transfer the dough to a surface lightly dusted with extra self-raising flour, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
  6. Divide the rested dough into 10 portions of about 80 g each and roll each into a round ball.
  7. Place the balls on a baking sheet lightly oiled with extra vegetable oil, cover with a damp cloth and set aside until ready to use.

Don't have something?

Whole milk
  • Milk

    Use 100% of the weight. If using semi-skimmed milk, stir in 10 g butter per 200 g milk to match the richness of whole milk.

  • Single cream

    Use 60% cream diluted with 40% water by weight to match the fat content of whole milk. Gravies will taste richer and reduce faster.

Egg
  • Chickpea flour

    For binding, use about 10 g chickpea flour mixed with 20 ml water per egg and rest for 10 minutes. Denser and nuttier; not suitable for baking or coating in the same way.

  • Full-fat natural yoghurt

    Use about 30 g per egg for moisture and binding in koftas or fillings. Adds tang and softness; will not set or glaze like egg.

  • Tofu

    Use the same weight, mashed, for egg-like bulk in curries. Soft and bland; add extra spices and do not expect it to bind.

Caster sugar
  • Granulated sugar

    Use the same weight. It is slightly coarser, so stir a little longer to dissolve; in baking, grind briefly if a fine texture matters.

  • Demerara sugar

    Use the same weight, but dissolve it earlier as it is coarser. It adds a light caramel note and a little colour.

  • Ground jaggery or soft brown sugar

    Use the same weight; crush or grate jaggery first. It darkens the dish and adds molasses flavour, so reduce other liquid slightly.

Water
  • Stock

    Use the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.

  • Milk

    Use the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.

  • Coconut water

    Use the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Self-raising flour
  • Plain flour

    Use 96 g plain flour with 4 g baking powder for every 100 g self-raising flour. Sift together twice before using.

  • Wholemeal flour

    Use 96 g wholemeal flour with 4 g baking powder per 100 g. Add 1 tbsp extra liquid; the result is denser.

  • Baking powder

    Use with plain flour as above; do not use baking powder alone. Mix well so it is evenly distributed.

Similar dishes

Baida Paratha
Shallow-fried Bread with Egg
Baida Paratha is savoury and spicy from green chilli and onion with a crisp fried exterior, while this dish is mild and slightly sweet with a soft baked texture.
  • Same: Baida Paratha and this dish both use egg, flour, salt, and vegetable oil to make a flatbread-style preparation.
  • Different: Baida Paratha uses wholemeal flour, ghee, onion, green chilli, and coriander and is shallow-fried with a stuffed egg filling, while this dish uses self-raising flour, milk, sugar, and water and is baked as a plain dough.
Malpoa
Syrup-soaked Pancakes
Malpoa tastes crisp-edged, syrupy and aniseed-perfumed, sweeter and richer than this dish's mild, tender flatbread.
  • Same: Malpoa shares flour and sugar with this dish.
  • Different: Malpoa uses yogurt, aniseed and ghee and is fried then soaked in sugar syrup, while this dish uses milk, egg, self-raising flour and vegetable oil and is baked as flatbread.
Sheermal
Mildly Sweet Milk Bread
Sheermal tastes subtly sweet and fragrant from cardamom and kewra, while this dish tastes mildly sweet and tender with egg and oil but no spice aroma.
  • Same: Sheermal shares with this dish a milk-and-sugar-enriched flatbread dough with flour, salt, and fat, and neither lists a souring agent.
  • Different: Sheermal uses whole wheat flour, yeast, ground green cardamom, kewra water, and ghee or butter, while this dish uses self-raising flour, egg, vegetable oil, and no yeast or spices.
Cheat’s Ras Malai
Milk Dumplings in Sweet Saffron and Cream Syrup
Cheat’s Ras Malai tastes creamy, sweet and saffron-cardamom aromatic with nuts, while this dish tastes mildly sweet and tender from its enriched baked dough.
  • Same: Cheat’s Ras Malai shares milk and egg with this dish, and both have a dairy-rich base.
  • Different: Cheat’s Ras Malai is a chilled dessert, not a baked flatbread, and it uses milk powder, baking powder, butter, condensed milk, saffron, cardamom and nuts instead of self-raising flour, water and vegetable oil.