Amritsari Kulcha (अमृतसरी कुलचा) — Tandoor-Baked Stuffed Leavened Bread

• 360 gall-purpose flour
• 40 gfine semolina (sooji) (Adds bite and helps mimic tandoor texture)
• 120 gplain yogurt
• 140 mlwarm water (About 40°C)
• 4 ginstant yeast
• 8 ggranulated sugar
• 8 gfine salt
• 4 gbaking powder (Supports puff and tenderness)
• 20 mlneutral oil
• 10 gghee (For a richer crumb)
• 450 gpotatoes, boiled and peeled (Weight after boiling and peeling)
• 70 gred onion, finely chopped
• 20 gfresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 10 ggreen chili, finely chopped
• 8 gginger, finely grated
• 6 gpomegranate seeds (anardana), lightly crushed (Classic Amritsari tang)
• 4 gcoriander seeds, lightly crushed
• 3 gcumin seeds
• 2 gKashmiri red chili powder
• 2 ggaram masala
• 3 gamchur (dried mango powder)
• 2 gnigella seeds (kalonji)
• 2 gtoasted cumin seeds
• 6 gsesame seeds
• 10 gfresh cilantro, chopped
• 60 mlwater (For wetting the top so seeds adhere)
• 30 gghee, melted (Brush after baking)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough base by mixing the warm water, sugar, and instant yeast in a bowl until fully dissolved. Rest it for 5 minutes; it should look slightly foamy, which confirms the yeast is active.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, semolina, salt, and baking powder until evenly combined. Add the yogurt, oil, ghee, and the yeast mixture, then mix until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour pockets.

3. 3

   Knead the dough for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding up to 10 ml additional water only if it feels dry. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but not wet, which helps it stick and blister like tandoor bread.

4. 4

   Lightly oil the bowl, place the dough inside, and cover it. Let it rise for 60 minutes at warm room temperature until roughly doubled, because proper fermentation is what gives kulcha its distinctive chew and aroma.

5. 5

   Prepare the stuffing while the dough rises by mashing the boiled potatoes until mostly smooth with a few small chunks. Mix in onion, cilantro, green chili, ginger, crushed anardana, crushed coriander, cumin seeds, chili powder, garam masala, amchur, and salt until evenly distributed.

6. 6

   Divide the stuffing into 6 equal portions, about 90 g each, and roll them into tight balls to make stuffing easier. Cover the portions so they do not dry out, since dry stuffing can tear the dough during rolling.

7. 7

   Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces, about 95 g each, then shape each into a smooth ball. Cover the dough balls and rest for 10 minutes to relax gluten, which prevents spring-back when you roll.

8. 8

   Preheat the oven to 275°C for at least 20 minutes with a heavy cast-iron skillet or pizza steel on the top rack, placing it 10–12 cm from the broiler element. This setup imitates a tandoor wall and intense top heat, which is essential for blistering and fast baking.

9. 9

   Stuff one kulcha by dusting a dough ball with 3 g flour and rolling it into a 10 cm disc. Place one stuffing ball in the center, pleat the edges up to seal tightly, then gently flatten the sealed ball with your palm.

10. 10

    Roll the stuffed dough into an oval about 18 cm long and 6–7 mm thick, dusting with minimal flour to avoid dryness. If the dough resists, rest it 2 minutes and continue, because forcing it can cause leaks.

11. 11

    Wet the top surface with about 10 ml water, then press on a mix of nigella, toasted cumin, sesame, and chopped cilantro so it adheres. Flip the kulcha and lightly wet the plain side with another 5 ml water, which helps it cling to the hot surface like a tandoor bake.

12. 12

    Carefully place the kulcha, plain wet side down, onto the preheated skillet/steel and immediately switch to broil on high. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until deep brown blisters appear, then bake 1 minute more to set the center, watching closely to prevent burning.

13. 13

    Remove the kulcha and brush with 5 g melted ghee while hot so it absorbs and shines. Repeat shaping and baking for the remaining kulchas, keeping finished breads wrapped in a clean towel to stay soft.