Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Masala Kulcha
Masala Kulcha ()

Masala Kulcha

Non-vegetarianMakes 10 flatbreads

Masala kulcha is a soft griddled Indian flatbread with coriander and red onion worked into the dough, then finished with melted butter and chaat masala. It tastes buttery and herby, with a tangy spice hit and lightly charred edges.

Chaat masala finish

0.3 gSprinkled over each buttered bread (step 7)
01
Chaat masalaper bread
~0.3 gpinch
spice blend
Keep it ready; dust 0.3 g over each bread.

Everything else

01
Coriander leaves · Dhaniafinely chopped, plus extra to garnish
~100 g1 bunch
herb
02
Red onion · Pyazfinely chopped, plus extra to garnish
150 g1 onion
vegetable
03
Kulcha dough · Kulcha ka aatarecipe quantityMake it: Kulcha Dough →
100 g1 portion
grain
04
Plain flour · Maidafor dusting
to taste
flour
05
Unsalted butter · Safed Makhanmelted
250 g
dairy

Method

  1. Combine 100 g coriander leaves and 150 g red onion; set aside a small spoonful of each for the garnish.
  2. Divide 100 g kulcha dough into 10 equal balls.
  3. Flatten a ball, press a good pinch of the coriander-onion mix into the centre, then fold and knead briefly so the pieces are worked through the dough.
  4. Dust the work surface with plain flour and roll each stuffed ball into a 15 cm (6 in) round.
  5. Heat a tawa or large frying pan until hot and dry. Cook the rounds one at a time for 3–4 minutes on each side, until puffed, lightly browned and charred in spots.
  6. Brush each hot bread generously with 250 g unsalted butter, melted.
  7. Sprinkle 0.3 g chaat masala (the chaat masala finish) over each bread, then add the reserved coriander and red onion.

Don't have something?

Coriander leaves
  • Coriander (cilantro) or basil

    Use the same weight, choosing the coriander element if available. If only basil is available, expect a sweeter, more aniseed flavour.

  • Basil leaves

    Use the same weight. Basil is sweeter and more aromatic in a different way; add near the end so it keeps its perfume.

  • Coriander paste

    Use 1.5 times the weight and reduce other liquid slightly; it is less fresh and more concentrated, so taste before adding more.

Red onion
  • Onion

    Use the same weight; cook a little longer. Milder and less sweet when raw.

  • Shallot

    Use the same weight; sweeter and softer, so reduce cooking time slightly.

  • Spring onion

    Use only the white parts, weight for weight, for raw or quick-cooked dishes; green parts are too grassy for long cooking.

Kulcha dough
  • Naan dough

    Use the same weight; shape and bake or grill the same way for the closest fluffy texture.

  • Chapati dough

    Use the same weight; roll thicker, add a pinch of baking powder and rest 20 minutes for a softer kulcha.

  • Dough

    Use the same weight of any plain leavened bread dough; rest and cook as kulcha, though texture will vary.

Plain flour
  • Whole wheat flour

    Use the same weight, add 10–15% more water and rest the dough for 20 minutes; the result is heavier and nuttier.

  • Rice flour

    Use the same weight for crisp coatings; for doughs use no more than half rice flour with wheat flour, or it will be crumbly.

  • Cornflour

    For thickening use half the weight, mixed with cold water; it is not suitable for bread or chapati dough.

Unsalted butter
  • Ghee

    Use 80% to 85% of the weight. Delivers rich dairy flavour without the milk solids or moisture; watch the heat as it cooks hotter.

  • Butter

    Use equal weight, but reduce the recipe's added salt by approximately 1.5% of the weight of butter used.

Chaat masala
  • Tandoori snack spice mix

    Use the same weight; taste first as it can be smokier and saltier. Add lime or amchoor if the dish needs more tang.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use about half the weight, mixed with black salt and a pinch of ground cumin. It gives tang and saltiness but lacks the minty, asafoetida notes.

  • Black salt

    Use about half the weight and add lime juice to taste. It gives the salty, sulphurous edge but not the full tangy blend.

Similar dishes

Puris
Deep-Fried Bread with Wholemeal Flour
Puris are crisp, puffed, and plainly salty from frying, while this dish is soft, buttery, herby, and tangy from chaat masala.
  • Same: Puris and this dish are both flour-based Indian breads served warm.
  • Different: Puris use wholemeal or chapatti flour, salt, vegetable oil, and water and are deep-fried, while this dish uses kulcha dough and plain flour with coriander, red onion, butter, and chaat masala and is griddled.
Phulkas
Wholemeal Flatbreads
Phulkas taste wheaty and mild with a little ghee richness, while this dish tastes buttery and herby with a tangy spice hit and lightly charred edges.
  • Same: Phulkas and this dish are both soft Indian flatbreads made from dough and cooked on a hot griddle.
  • Different: Phulkas use chapatti flour, ghee, salt and water only, while this dish adds red onion, coriander, plain flour, butter and chaat masala and is finished with butter and spice.
Chapati
Chapati tastes plain and wheaty with a soft, pliable texture, not buttery, herby or tangy-spiced like this dish.
  • Same: Chapati and this dish are both soft Indian flatbreads made from a flour dough and cooked on a hot pan or griddle until lightly charred.
  • Different: Chapati uses wholewheat or plain flour, salt, water and vegetable oil and lacks this dish's coriander leaves, red onion, kulcha dough, unsalted butter and chaat masala, and it is cooked on a dry pan without a butter-and-chaat-masala finish.
Puris (Indian Kitchen)
Puris taste savoury and rich from frying oil, while this dish tastes buttery and herby with a tangy chaat masala hit.
  • Same: Puris and this dish are both small Indian wheat-based breads.
  • Different: Puris use chapatti flour, vegetable oil, salt, and deep-frying, while this dish uses kulcha dough, plain flour, coriander, red onion, butter, and chaat masala and is griddled.