Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Rogani Kulcha
Rogani Kulcha (Rich Kulcha)

Rogani Kulcha

Rich Kulcha
Non-vegetarianOrigin AwadhPrep 40 minutes, plus standing timeCook 25 minutesMakes 8

These enriched, leavened flatbreads are soft and tender, finished with a vibrant, egg-and-chilli glaze brushed over the top straight from the heat.

Rogan spice

8 gInfused into hot oil for the glaze (step 4)
01
Chilli powder · Lal Mirch Powder
8 g1 tablespoon
spice
Keep as a powder ready to bloom in the hot oil.

Everything else

01
Egg · Anda
50 g1 egg
egg
02
Baking powder
2 g½ teaspoon
other
03
Granulated sugar · Cheeni
4.2 g1 teaspoon
sweetener
04
Milk · Doodh
76 g5 tablespoons
dairy
05
Plain flour · Maidaplus extra for dusting
500 g
flour
06
Salt · Namak
~0.3 gpinch
salt
07
Vegetable oil · Tel
18 g4 teaspoons
oil/fat
08
Vegetable oil · Tel
27 g2 tablespoons
oil/fat
09
Egg · Anda
50 g1 egg
egg

Method

  1. Whisk 1 egg with 0.5 teaspoon baking powder, 4.2 g granulated sugar and 76.5 g milk in a bowl. Sift 500 g flour and 0.3 g salt into a wide mixing bowl, hollow out a well in the middle, and pour in the whisked liquid. Mix gradually, splashing in just enough water to bring everything together into a soft dough.
  2. Turn out onto a lightly dusted worktop and knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then work in 18 g vegetable oil, kneading and punching it down thoroughly. Drape a damp cloth over the bowl and leave in a warm spot for 2 hours to rise.
  3. Divide the rested dough into 8 equal portions and shape each piece into a neat ball.
  4. Prepare the rogan glaze: warm 27 g vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Stir in the rogan spice and fry for 30 seconds. Strain the infused oil into a bowl, leave it to cool, then whisk in 1 egg.
  5. If baking in an oven, preheat it to 200°C (400°F). Flatten each dough ball between your palms to produce an even, flat disc.
  6. To cook in a tandoor, fix the dough rounds to a cushion pad, slap onto the inside wall of a moderately hot tandoor, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes before lifting out with tongs. For an oven, place onto a greased baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Brush the prepared rogan over the hot kulchas just before serving.

Don't have something?

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.

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.

Granulated sugar
  • Jaggery

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

Milk
  • Whole milk

    Use equal weight; provides the standard rich dairy fat and body expected in creamy Indian bases.

  • Single cream

    Dilute 3 parts cream with 1 part water to match the weight; yields a richer, glossier gravy that resists curdling.

  • Plain yogurt

    Whisk thoroughly and use equal weight; adds extra body and a mild pleasant acidity, best added off the heat.

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.

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.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Similar dishes

Malabari Paratha
Paratha from Malabar
Malabari Paratha tastes rich and buttery without the spicy kick of this dish's chilli glaze.
  • Same: Both are enriched flatbreads made with milk, sugar, and salt.
  • Different: Malabari Paratha is laminated with a heavy amount of butter instead of vegetable oil and lacks this dish's egg-and-chilli powder glaze.
Ulte Tawe ka Paratha
Paratha Cooked on the Griddle
Ulte Tawe ka Paratha tastes much sweeter and nutty with a floral aroma, lacking the spicy chilli heat of this dish.
  • Same: Both are rich Indian flatbreads made with dough enriched by milk, sugar, and salt.
  • Different: Ulte Tawe ka Paratha adds cashew paste, uses ghee instead of vegetable oil, is cooked on an inverted griddle, and leaves out this dish's egg-and-chilli glaze.
Kerala Paratha
Kerala Paratha tastes richly buttery and mildly sweet without the sharp heat of this dish's chilli glaze.
  • Same: Kerala Paratha shares with this dish an enriched dough mixed with milk, sugar, salt, and oil.
  • Different: Kerala Paratha is laminated into flaky layers using ghee, butter, and peanut oil instead of being leavened and brushed with a chilli powder glaze.
Taftan
Flaky Bread
Taftan has a mild sweetness with yogurt tang, ghee richness, and onion-like nigella flavor, while this dish is soft and tender with a vibrant egg-and-chilli heat on top.
  • Same: Taftan and this dish are both enriched, leavened flatbreads made with plain flour, egg, sugar, salt, vegetable oil, and milk.
  • Different: Taftan is leavened with yeast and includes yogurt, ghee, and nigella seeds, while this dish uses baking powder and adds chilli powder plus an egg-and-chilli glaze.