Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Paneer Kulcha
Paneer Kulcha (Flatbread Stuffed with Grated Paneer, Green Chilli, Ginger & Mint)

Paneer Kulcha

Flatbread Stuffed with Grated Paneer, Green Chilli, Ginger & Mint
VegetarianMakes 5

Paneer kulcha is a soft flatbread filled with grated paneer, green chilli, ginger, mint and spices, then cooked on a dry pan with butter. It is savoury, tangy and lightly hot, with a soft bread and a rich, crumbly paneer centre.

Stuffing spices

9 gStirred into the paneer stuffing (step 4)
01
6 g2 teaspoons
spice blend
02
Cumin seed · Jeeracoarsely crushed
2.1 g1 teaspoon
spice
Mix them together before adding to the stuffing.

Everything else

02
~0.3 g1 pinch
salt
03
~0.3 g1 pinch
sweetener
04
4 g1 teaspoon
other
05
14 g1 tablespoon
oil/fat
06
30 g2 tablespoons
dairy
07
93–103 g90–100 ml
dairy
08
to taste
dairy
09
Coriander · Dhaniafinely chopped
~30 g1 handful
herb
10
Paneerfinely grated (shredded)
200 g
dairy
11
Fresh ginger · Adrakfinely chopped
20 g5 cm
aromatic
12
3 g2 chillies
vegetable
13
Mint leaf · Pudinafinely chopped
10 g
herb

Method

  1. Mix 210 g plain flour, 0.3 g salt, 0.3 g granulated sugar and 4 g baking powder in a large bowl.
  2. Add 13.5 g vegetable oil, 30 g greek yoghurt, 30 g coriander and 93.1-103 g whole milk; knead to a soft dough.
  3. Cover the dough and leave to rest for 45 minutes.
  4. Mix 200 g grated paneer, 10 g ginger, 4 g green bird's-eye chilli, 10 g mint and the stuffing spices (6 g chaat masala, 2.1 g cumin seed, 1.3 g kashmiri chilli powder) in a bowl; knead lightly and divide into 5 balls.
  5. Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat.
  6. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions.
  7. Roll one portion to a 10 cm round, place one stuffing ball in the centre, gather and pinch the edges to seal, dip in flour and roll to an 18 cm round.
  8. Cook the kulcha in the hot pan for 2 minutes.
  9. Brush the top with melted butter, flip and cook for 2 minutes.
  10. Brush with melted butter again, flip and cook for 2 minutes until light brown. Wrap in foil to keep warm, then repeat with the remaining dough and stuffing.

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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.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

    Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Baking powder
  • Baking soda

    Use 25% of the baking powder's weight (e.g. 1 g for 4 g) and add 2 g cream of tartar or 1 tsp lime juice per 100 g flour. Mix quickly and bake at once.

  • Bicarbonate of soda

    Same as baking soda: use 25% of the weight with an acid such as cream of tartar, lemon juice or yogurt. Expect a slightly soapy taste if overused.

  • Self-raising flour

    Replace the plain flour plus baking powder with the same weight of self-raising flour; omit added baking powder and reduce salt slightly.

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.

Greek yoghurt
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.

Melted butter
  • Melted ghee

    Use the same weight; nuttier and keeps better. Reduce salt if the butter was salted.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 80% of the weight; no dairy flavour and less richness. Good for frying, less good for finishing.

  • Melted unsalted butter

    Use the same weight; adjust salt in the dish if your butter was salted.

Coriander
  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

  • Mint

    Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Paneer
  • Extra-firm tofu

    Use equal weight, pressed well to remove excess moisture and cut into cubes. Pan-fry lightly before adding; absorbs sauces similarly, though it lacks dairy sweetness.

  • Halloumi

    Use equal weight, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes to leach out excess salt. Holds shape during frying, but has a denser, saltier chew.

Fresh ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Green bird's eye chilli
  • Bird's eye green chilli

    Use the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.

  • Green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.

  • Fresh green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Mint leaf
  • Mint leaves

    Use the same weight; identical herb, just the plural listing.

  • Dried mint

    Use 25% of the fresh weight, about 1 g dried for 4 g fresh; crush between fingers. Flavour is stronger and slightly hay-like.

  • Coriander leaf

    Use the same weight; it gives a fresh green note but not true mint flavour.

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.

Cumin seed
  • Ground cumin

    Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Kashmiri chilli powder
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Grind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.

  • Chilli powder

    Use one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.

Similar dishes

Punjabi Matar Paneer Paratha
Layered Flatbreads Stuffed with Spicy Paneer, Peas, Ginger and Chaat Masala
It tastes more tangy from dried mango powder and chaat masala and has sweet pea and onion notes with a crisp, ghee-rich finish, while this dish is softer and richer from paneer, yoghurt and milk with a minty, lightly hot filling.
  • Same: It shares paneer, ginger, green bird’s-eye chilli, cumin seed, Kashmiri chilli powder and chaat masala with this dish, and both are stuffed flatbreads cooked with butter or ghee.
  • Different: It uses atta and water with no baking powder, yoghurt or milk, adds onion, frozen peas, dried mango powder and coriander leaf, omits mint, and is layered and cooked crisp in butter or ghee, while this dish uses plain flour, baking powder, yoghurt and milk and is soft-cooked on a dry pan with butter.
Garlic & Ghee Naan
Garlic & Ghee Naan tastes savoury and rich from ghee and garlic with a light yoghurt tang, while this dish tastes tangy and lightly hot from mint, chaat masala and green chilli with a rich crumbly paneer centre.
  • Same: Garlic & Ghee Naan shares plain flour, baking powder, whole milk, Greek yoghurt and fresh coriander with this dish, and both are pan-cooked flatbreads.
  • Different: Garlic & Ghee Naan adds active dried yeast, caster sugar, water and garlic and uses ghee instead of vegetable oil and melted butter, and it lacks this dish's paneer filling, green chilli, ginger, mint, chaat masala, cumin seed and Kashmiri chilli powder.
Bharwa Pudina Paneer Tikka
Paneer Skewers Stuffed with Mint & Coriander Chutney
Bharwa Pudina Paneer Tikka tastes tangy and herby from mint, coriander and lime, with a light smoky grill note, while this dish is buttery and soft-bread-centred with a crumbly paneer filling.
  • Same: Bharwa Pudina Paneer Tikka shares paneer, mint, coriander, green chilli, ginger, chaat masala, yoghurt and butter with this dish.
  • Different: Bharwa Pudina Paneer Tikka lacks this dish's flour-milk dough, baking powder, sugar, cumin seed and Kashmiri chilli powder. It uses lime juice, garlic and chickpea flour in a yoghurt marinade and is grilled as paneer skewers, not dry-pan cooked as a stuffed flatbread.
Punjabi Matar Paneer
Spiced Paneer with Tomato & Green Peas
It tastes rich, mildly spicy and slightly sweet from tomato, onion and sugar, while this dish is savoury, tangy and lightly hot from mint, chaat masala and green chilli.
  • Same: Punjabi Matar Paneer shares paneer, ginger, coriander, cumin seed and Kashmiri chilli powder with this dish.
  • Different: It is a tomato-onion gravy with paneer cubes and green peas, while this dish is a stuffed flatbread with grated paneer cooked on a dry pan with butter and lacks tomato, onion, peas, garlic, turmeric, garam masala and water.