Pudina Kulcha/Minty Flatbread

Kulchas are flat bread usually baked in Tandoor which is a clay oven. Stuffed with filling or plain, Kulchas have always been my favorite!

Just tried making whole wheat flour kulcha flavored with garlic and mint. Believe me it was amazing. Luckily I took pictures at every stage of making them, so now I can share this with you.

These Kulchas do not need any accompaniment. They taste delicious as is or with yogurt and pickle :)

Mix 1 tbsp yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/2 cup warm water. Sugar will not make your kulcha/flat bread sweet, but it is required for yeast to feed on and release CO2 gas and rise.

Cover and set it aside for 5-7 minutes and you will notice CO2 bubbles or froth :)

3 cups wheat flour and salt to taste.

1/2 cup mint leaves, green chillies and 3-4 cloves garlic. Grind with 1/4 cup water.

Mix mint paste, 1 Tbsp. coarsely ground coriander seeds, yeast mixture, 2 tsp oil and around 3/4 cup warm water to make a soft dough.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Cover and keep it aside in a warm place.

I just left it covered for 45 minutes before making Kulchas. The dough rose and developed air pockets, You could leave it covered for longer time too.

Divide the dough into equal parts. I almost took a tennis ball size dough.

Make a smooth ball and place over flour dusted rolling board. 

Flatten the dough with your fingers. I did not use rolling pin.

Just use your finger tips pressing from inside of the circle to the edge, making in evenly pressed and round in shape. 

Roughly grind some coriander seeds. Here is my little spice mortar and pestle.

Spread some water over Kulcha. Sprinkle some crushed coriander seeds and press them in the dough.

Preheat your over to highest bake temperature. I preheated the oven to 500F temperature. You would want to cook this on high temperature quickly just like Tandoor, a clay oven. The temperature in the Tandoor is so high, that flat bread cooks in 3-4 minutes.

Place Kulchas on a baking stone in an oven.

In 3-5 minutes as you start seeing the kulcha rise. Turn your oven to broil setting to make it golden brown in color.

Keeping it in the oven for a longer time will make your kulcha crisp. 

Spread some butter or ghee (clarified butter) and serve fresh.

Use a clay griddle or a non stick griddle. 

Heat the griddle well and place the kulcha on the griddle. Cover it to develop hot air around the kulcha to rise.

Flip and cook on both side.

Serve with veggies or lentils!

Happy Cooking!!