
Paneer Kulcha
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)Everything else
Method
- Mix 210 g plain flour, 0.3 g salt, 0.3 g granulated sugar and 4 g baking powder in a large bowl.
- 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.
- Cover the dough and leave to rest for 45 minutes.
- 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.
- Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat.
- Divide the dough into 5 equal portions.
- 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.
- Cook the kulcha in the hot pan for 2 minutes.
- Brush the top with melted butter, flip and cook for 2 minutes.
- 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 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.

Granulated sugar

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

Baking powder

Baking sodaUse 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 sodaSame 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 flourReplace 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 oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Greek yoghurt

Hung natural yoghurtUse the same weight and whisk smooth; same thick consistency.
Full-fat natural yoghurtUse 1.25 times the weight and strain through muslin for 30 minutes; looser if not strained.
Hung yogurtUse the same weight; virtually identical.

Whole milk

MilkUse 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 creamUse 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 gheeUse the same weight; nuttier and keeps better. Reduce salt if the butter was salted.
Vegetable oilUse 80% of the weight; no dairy flavour and less richness. Good for frying, less good for finishing.
Melted unsalted butterUse the same weight; adjust salt in the dish if your butter was salted.

Coriander

Coriander leafUse equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.
MintUse 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 tofuUse 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.
HalloumiUse 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 pasteUse equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.
Ground gingerUse 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 chilliUse the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.
Green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.
Fresh green chilliUse 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

Mint leaf

Mint leavesUse the same weight; identical herb, just the plural listing.
Dried mintUse 25% of the fresh weight, about 1 g dried for 4 g fresh; crush between fingers. Flavour is stronger and slightly hay-like.
Coriander leafUse the same weight; it gives a fresh green note but not true mint flavour.

Chaat masala

Tandoori snack spice mixUse the same weight; taste first as it can be smokier and saltier. Add lime or amchoor if the dish needs more tang.
Dried mango powderUse 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 saltUse 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 cuminUse 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 seedsUse equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.
Fennel seedUse 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 chilliGrind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.
Red chilli powderUse 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.
Chilli powderUse one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.
Similar dishes

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.




































