Paneer Stuffed Kulcha

Today's stuffed bread in a restaurant style "Paneer stuffed Kulcha". Kulchas are leavened with baking powder and baking soda. All purpose flour or maida is usually used to make these flatbreads, but I had half a bag of spelt flour in the fridge that is begging to be used, so I used a combination of spelt flour and all-purpose flour to make my kulchas.

Kulchas can be made either on the stove top or in the oven. Today I made them under the broiler. One thing I learnt when using the oven is that you cannot take your eye off of the oven even for a single minute. Kulchas go from perfect to burnt in matter of seconds.

 

I made onion stuffed kulcha for one of the previous BMs, so I wanted to try something different this time. When I saw the paneer stuffed kulchas on Valli's site, I thought this is the right time to make them.

Ingredients:

Spelt flour - 2 cups

All purpose flour - 2 cups (Or use 4 cups of all purpose flour)

Baking powder - 1tsp

Baking Soda - ¼tsp
Salt - 1tsp
Yogurt - ½cup
Flaxseed meal - 1tbsp mixed in 3tbsp water (or use 1 egg or equivalent egg replacer)
Oil/Ghee/Butter - 2tbsp
Milk or warm water - as needed to mix the dough

Filling/ Stuffing:
Paneer - 1cup, grated
Cilantro - 3tbsp, finely chopped
Chaat Masala - 1tsp
Red chili powder - 1tsp (or more to taste)
Salt - as per taste

 

Method:

• Prepare the dough: Sift the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Combine yogurt, flax seed meal mixture and oil. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine. Use milk or water to form a dough, knead for 5-6 minutes until smooth and pliable. I used my stand mixer and it worked perfectly. Cover and rest for 2-4 hours.
• Prepare the filling/ stuffing: Combine all the ingredients under filling/ stuffing. Divide the mixture into 8-10 equal parts and from balls out of it.
• Make the Kulchas: Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet and preheat the broiler to HI. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal parts. Place the paneer filling in the center, cover the filling with the dough and roll into 6" round circle. Don't roll the kulchas too thin.
• Place 1 or 2 kulchas on the pizza stone and broil for 1-2 minutes or until brown spots form on the top, flip and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the oven, brush with butter (if desired). Keep covered and serve hot with your favorite curry.
• Kulchas can be made on the stove top too similar to regular roti or paratha.

I served our kulchas with Rajma Masala (Red kidney curry).

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked up for BM# 24.