Aloo Methi Kulcha

Aloo Methi Kulcha is a popular winter dish. It is Indian flat bread called "kulcha" stuffed with a filling of potatoes ("aloo") and fenugreek leaves ("methi"). You can keep it simple with just the stuffing or coat it with aromatic whole spices and make it Amritsar style.

What is Kulcha?

Kulcha is a variety of Indian bread. It is typically made with all-purpose flour and leavened with yeast or yogurt with baking powder. You can make the dough with water or milk.

This Indian flatbread, Kulcha can ke kept plain with no stuffing, but most often in restaurants you will find it is stuffed with potatoes or onion or some fresh greens.

My favorite has always been garlic kulcha but during winter months, I love making the combination of potatoes ("aloo") and fresh fenugreek leaves ("methi") stuffed in Kulcha.

Ingredients for Aloo Methi Kulcha

For the Aloo Methi Stuffing

• Potatoes - You need either boiled or steam potatoes. Any variety of potatoes will work for the recipe. Avoid very waxy or gummy textured potatoes. Russet potatoes are definitely the best.
• Fresh Fenugreek Leaves - Winter season is famous for fresh fenugreek leaves. You get the best fresh variety. I get the tender ones and don't even bother to pick the leaves separately as the stems are very tender and cooks quickly.
• Garlic - Freshly grated garlic works amazing with any greens.
• Spices - Cumin powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, chili powder and turmeric powder is used to stir-fry the boiled potatoes with chopped fenugreek leaves.

The stuffing just on its own is amazing with paratha or even as a sandwich with a slice of cheese.

Fenugreek leaves are best during winter months!

Methi malai paneer

sabudana vada with methi

Methi Masoor Dal

For the paratha dough

The dough is similar to my Instant Naan Dough

• All purpose flour - You can make the dough with healthier choice of flour and try gluten-free too, but this stuffed paratha tastes best when you prepare with all-purpose flour ("maida")
• Yogurt and Baking Soda - Some likes to make this paratha using yeast, but I like to use yogurt and making soda. The combination of yogurt with baking soda in the dough makes it soft and fluffy without making it chewy.
• Salt and Sugar - Both salt and sugar is a basic seasoning needed in this dough.
• Ghee and Oil - Ghee is added while making the dough, and oil is added at a later stage of shaping the dough and paratha

I like to knead the dough with water and I always keep the dough a little sticky, more hydrated which can be a little difficult to handle, but it does make the softest paratha.

Dry Spice powder added in the paratha

It is this spice powder that makes this Amritsari Kulcha different from other variety kulcha.

• Dry Pomegranate seeds
• Coriander Seeds
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Sesame seeds
• salt
• sugar

Steps to prepare Aloo Methi Kulcha

Make the dough

1- In a bowl add the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, ghee and yogurt. Give a mix.

2- Add water little by little and start mixing the flour. We are not kneading at this step. Just add enough water and mix to form a rough dough.

3- At this stage, cover the dough with a clear wrap and leave aside for 15 minutes. This will allow the flour to absorb all the water.

4 - Wet your hand and transfer the sticky dough to a counter or a large plate, and at this stage you lift dough and fold it a few times. This will strength the dough. Watch the full video to understand this step better.

Prepare the filling

5- Add a little oil to the dough and leave it covered for a couple of hours.

6- In the meantime, prepare the filling by add oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Add ginger garlic paste and all the spice powder. Stir and cook the spices for a couple of minutes.

7- Add the chopped fenugreek leaves and stir it around to cook the leaves for 2 minutes.

8- Add mashed potatoes and stir it around. Taste for salt and add if needed.

If you like spicy food, add finely chopped chili while making the filling. Keep the filling aside to cool down before you stuff and roll the kulcha.

Filling the dough

9- Divide the dough into equal portions, based on how big or small the kulchas you like. Take one small portion and stretch it out. The dough is very soft and I avoid using a rolling pin.

10- Add the filling and brings the edges together to seal tight, and then roll it gently to form a ball.

11- Now press the ball on a rolling board and press it gently to flatten it. Again, I avoid using a rolling it as the dough is very soft.

12- Sprinkle the spice powder on top and press it gently again.

Make the kulcha

13-Heat a cast iron skillet and layer the flattened dough, spice side up.

14- Cover and let it cook for a few minutes. You will notice that the dough is puffing on the side and sometimes even in the center.

15- Remove the lid, and add ghee. Then flip the kulcha and cook for a few more minutes.

Kulcha tastes best when enjoyed warm right away. Pair with yogurt or chutney or our favorite chili achar or garlic achar

You can skip the stuffing, make it plain but with the dry spices sprinkled on top and serve with Amritsari Chole Masala

FAQs

Aloo Methi Kulcha

Kankana Saxena

Aloo Methi Kulcha is a popular winter dish. It is Indian flat bread called "kulcha" stuffed with a filling of potatoes ("aloo") and fenugreek leaves ("methi"). You can keep it simple with just the stuffing or coat it with aromatic whole spices and make it Amritsar style.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

dough resting time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Bread

Cuisine Indian

Servings 6 Kulcha

Calories 233 kcal

Ingredients

 

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For the dough

• 3-½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ tsp Baking powder
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbs Ghee/melted butter/oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-½ teaspoon sugar
• Water as per needed

For the stuffing

• 2 Big size russet potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed )
• 3 cups Chopped fresh fenugreek leaves
• 1 tablespoon Grated ginger and garlic
• ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Chilly powder
• ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ tsp Fennel powder
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1 tablespoon oil

Spice powder to sprinkle on top

• 3 Tbsp Dry pomegranate seeds
• 4 tablespoon Coriander1 seeds
• 2 tablespoon Chili powder
• ½ cup cilantro (very finely chopped)
• 4 tablespoon Sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

For the stuffing

• In a heavy bottom hot pan, heat 2 tbs oil and add the grated garlic ginger. Stir for a few seconds.
• Then, add the spice powder and stir it around to cook for the spices for a couple of minutes. Keep the heat low, so the spice doesn't get burnt.
• Add the roughly chopped fenugreek leaves, season with some salt and cook for about 3 minutes in medium heat.
• Add the mashed potatoes and mix it round. Taste for salt and add more if needed. The filling can be made in advanced and stored for few days in the refrigerator.

For the kulcha dough

• In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt and sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ghee and yogurt.
• Mix it together and then add warm water little by little to mix everything. You don't have to knead, you just want to mix everything, so there is no dry flour. The dough will feel sticky, and that's fine. Cover and leave aside for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, wet your hand and transfer the sticky dough to a table or kitchen counter and fold the dough a few times as shown in the video. This technique makes the dough stronger. If the dough feels very sticky, add more flour.
• Drizzle a little oil and then shape the dough into a ball. Cover the dough and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours.
• In the meantime, prepare the dry spice powder by pounding the coriander seeds in a mortar pestle. To that add finely chopped cilantro leaves and rest of the ingredients. Mix and keep aside.
• After 2 hrs, divide the dough into 7 portions. You can make small size kulcha too.

Filling and cooking the kulcha

• Take one portion and stretch it out. Add some of the filling and seal tight the edges by forming a round shape filled dough. As you fill each portion, keep the rest covered to avoid it from getting dried.
• Evenly flatten the shaped dough with your hand by pressing on a board. Since the dough is very hydrated, I avoid using the rolling pin and flatten it with hand.
• Sprinkle some of the dry spice powder and press it on one side.
• In a hot cast iron skillet, place the flattened dough, keeping the spice side up. Cover the pan and let it puff for 1 minute.
• Then add a little ghee and flip the kulcha. Cook for 30 seconds.
• Enjoy warm soft kulcha with pickle, or yogurt or curry of your choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingsCalories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 8gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 961mgPotassium: 218mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 940IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 3mg

Keyword amritsari kulcha, Indian bread, kulcha, Stuffed Indian bread