Name: Authentic Amritsari Chhole-Kulche- Pride of Punjab! recipe by Mallika Chaudhary at BetterButter
Prep time: 180 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 300 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For Amritsari Kulcha-; For the dough-; 2 cups plain flour (maida); 1 Cup Whole-wheat flour; 1 tbsn quick action yeast; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp Baking powder; 2 tbsn yogurt; 1 tsbn Oil; salt as per taste; For the stuffing-; 4-5 large potatoes, boiled and peeled; 1 Onion, chopped; 1 green chilly, chopped; 2 tbsn coriander, chopped; 1 tsp red chilly powder; 1 tsp dry mango powder; 1 tsp cumin powder; 1 tsp Rock Salt; salt as per taste; For the Pindi Chhole-; 3 cups Chickpeas, soaked in water for 7-8 hours; 2 tea-bags; 2 tbsn oil; 1 bay-leaf; 1 large cardamom; 1 small piece of cinnamon; A pinch of asafoetida; 1 large Onion, chopped; 2 large tomatoes, grated

ABOUT Authentic Amritsari Chhole-Kulche- Pride of Punjab! RECIPE

Amritsar is a famous city in the state of Punjab, North-India. It is famous for the dazzling monument Golden temple and is believed to be the holiest city of the Sikhs. Amritsari Chhole-Kulche is a traditional Punjabi dish, well-known now throughout the world. Kulche is a flat-bread made with Plain flour, stuffed with Potatoes or Paneer mix, and cooked to perfection in a Tandoor. Topped with a generous amount of butter, it is served with spicy, tangy chickpea curry called Chhole, and a variety of salads. As we obviously do not have tandoors at home, I have used my tawa/frying pan and open flame to make Amritsari Aloo Kulchas. Rest assured, they do come quite close to the authentic taste!! The butter layering that I have shown in the recipe is a very important part of the process, and in Punjab, this step is never skipped while making kulchas. Also, don't substitute maida fully with whole-wheat flour as that will just result in aloo ka paratha and not kulchas! Give this recipe a go my friends, and enjoy!!

Ingredients Serving: 4

For Amritsari Kulcha-
For the dough-
2 cups plain flour (maida)
1 Cup Whole-wheat flour
1 tbsn quick action yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Baking powder
2 tbsn yogurt
1 tsbn Oil
salt as per taste
For the stuffing-
4-5 large potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 Onion, chopped
1 green chilly, chopped
2 tbsn coriander, chopped
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp dry mango powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Rock Salt
salt as per taste
For the Pindi Chhole-
3 cups Chickpeas, soaked in water for 7-8 hours
2 tea-bags
2 tbsn oil
1 bay-leaf
1 large cardamom
1 small piece of cinnamon
A pinch of asafoetida
1 large Onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, grated
1 tbsn tomato puree
1 tbsn ginger-garlic paste
3-4 green chillies, slit
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder
1/2 tsp Anardaana powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp kitchen king masala/ garam masala
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp Crushed Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp Rock Salt
salt as per taste
Also needed- Extra ghee/butter for layering and chopped coriander for garnishing

Instructions

To make the chhole, drain the soaked chick-peas and wash in clean water. Combine with 2 cups fresh water, salt, turmeric and tea-bags in a pressure cooker.
Cook for 20 mins in steam, or till the chick-peas get completely soft. Discard the tea-bags and set aside.
For tempering, heat the oil in a large pan. Once hot, add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. Fry for a few seconds.
Add the whole spices and saute for around half a minute.
Add the chopped onions, little coriander and mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins, till they turn translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for around a minute.
Add the grated tomatoes and sprinkle some salt on them. It will make the tomatoes cook faster. Cover and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.
Add the tomato puree along with all the dry spices and seasonings. Mix well.
Add the boiled chickpeas along with the water and with a potato masher, mash the chick-peas so that they dissolve well in the gravy. You can increase or decrease the quantity of water as per preference.
Cover and let the chhole simmer for around 20 minutes on low flame, till the gravy gets nicely thick and everything gets well-combined with each other. Switch off the gas.
In a small pan, heat 2 tbsn oil. Once hot, add your slit green chillies and fry for a minute. Add the tempering in the chhole and mix well. Your tasty pindi chhole are ready!
To make your kulchas, combine the yeast and sugar with 1/4th cup of luke-warm water and let it stand for ten minutes.
Once you see a foamy layer on top on the liquid, add the rest of the ingredients stated and make a soft dough. Cover with a cling film and store in a warm place for the dough to rise.
In the meanwhile, prepare your potato stuffing. In a bowl, mash your boiled potatoes. Add all the ingredients listed for the stuffing and mix well. Keep aside.
After 2 hours, take out the risen dough from the warm place.
To make your kulchas- With your fingers, pat the entire dough into a wide circle.
Apply ghee/butter all over the surface.
Fold the top and bottom ends like an envelope.
Again, pat and flatten into a smooth surface.
Repeat brushing the ghee/butter.
Roll in a cylinder and divide into individual dough-balls. This layering with grease makes for crisp kulchas!
Heat the tawa/frying-pan.
Take a dough-ball and flatten it in a tiny circle. Place 1 tbsn potato stuffing in the center and bring all the edges together on top of the stuffing. Seal the stuffed dough-ball well by rolling it in the middle of your palms.
Sprinkle some flour on the dough-ball and with a rolling-pin, roll it in a thick circle.
With a pastry brush, apply some water on top of the circle and sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves on it so that they stick.
Place the flat-bread on top of hot tawa and wait for the surface to bubble. Flip and repeat on the next side.
With tonks, place the flat-bread on direct heat and keep flipping so that one side doesn’t get burnt.
Once cooked-well on both sides, place the kulcha on a plate and apply butter generously on the top side.
Crush the crispy kulcha a bit with your hands and serve hot with tangy Amritsari chhole, sliced onions and lemon wedges. Enjoy!

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