Paneer Kulcha Recipe-Cottage Cheese Stuffed Leavened Flatbread
A popular North Indian bread stuffed with flavourful spicy paneer filling. It makes a delicious accompaniment with any gravy. Serve for weekend dinner with chole and salad.
Paneer Kulcha Recipe is a popular variety of leavened flat bread stuffed with cottage cheese and seasoned with spices. Popular in North India, especially during winters, it is usually made in a earthen oven or tandoor, over hot coals.
But here's an easy recipe to teach you how to make it in your own kitchen over a stove top. The spicy paneer filling adds a perfect zing to these soft, fluffy kulchas which can be enjoyed for a weeknight dinner as well as a special Sunday lunch,
Serve Paneer Kulcha with Tandoori Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry or Dhabewali Dal and Carrot Cucumber Tomato Salad with Lemon and Coriander for lunch or dinner.
Try your hand at making some other varieties of Kulcha like
140 M
30 M
170 M
4-5 Servings
Ingredients
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For the kulcha
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida)
- 1 tablespoon Sooji (Semolina/ Rava)
- 1/2 cup Curd (Dahi / Yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Kalonji (Onion Nigella Seeds) , for sprinkling
- Butter (Salted) , melted, to brush For the stuffing
- 1/2 teaspoon Oil
- 1 Green Chilli , chopped
- 1/4 cup Onions , chopped
- 1 cup Paneer (Homemade Cottage Cheese)
- 1/4 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
- Salt , to taste
How to make Paneer Kulcha Recipe-Cottage Cheese Stuffed Leavened Flatbread
To begin making the Paneer Kulcha recipe, first mix together the sooji and yogurt in a large mixing bowl and set aside for ten minutes.
Once the sooji has soaked in the yogurt, add maida, oil, baking soda, sugar and salt to it and knead together into a smooth dough. The dough should be firm and hold together, but supple and soft to touch.
Cover the dough with a lid and let it refrigerate for two hours to leaven.
Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Place a pan on the heat and warm some oil in it. Add the chopped onions to it and saute along with the green chilies until the onions are softened and translucent.
Next, add the paneer, turmeric powder and salt to the softened onions and cook for two minutes more. Turn the heat off and set the filling aside to cool.
Once the dough has been in the refrigerator for two hours, take it out to start making the kulchas.
Portion out the dough into golf ball sized pieces.
Working with one portion at a time, roll out the dough into small circle about 2.5-3 inches in diameter. Take the rolled circle in your palm, place a spoonful of the paneer filling in the center, while cupping it in your palm.
Bring all the edges of the circle together to seal the filling inside, like a tight pouch. Make sure there are no air pockets within.
Gently press the stuffed ball out without adding too much flour, roll the kulcha out to a thick disc.
Next, sprinkle water on the kulcha, sprinkle kalonji and press down so they stick.
Do not apply too much pressure at one place else the kulcha will tear and stuffing will come out. Kulchas are usually thicker than parathas.
Place the kulcha on the pan and cook until bubbles begin to appear on the surface. Apply a little oil on the top and flip the kulcha over to brown on the other side.
Repeat, applying ghee, butter or oil and cooking the kulcha until it attains a nice even brown hue with some brown spots.
Serve Paneer Kulcha with Tandoori Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry or Dhabewali Dal and Carrot Cucumber Tomato Salad with Lemon and Coriander for lunch or dinner.
