Amritsari Kulcha ( Naan)- a hearty stuffed flat bread

Amritsar , a prominent city in Punjab, popular for The Golden Temple , is equally popular for its special Amritsari Naan ( a flat bread stuffed with potatoes or cottage cheese roasted in clay oven and served hot topped with butter). All food curators work on this delicacy in their own way to create their own version. Popularly eaten as a breakfast meal as Punjab is known for its big appetite for food, I would like to serve it as Sunday Brunch special, or dinners usually served with pickled onions, raita ( herbed curd), mint chutney and punjabi  masala chana curry ( chickpeas).

Originally the bread is cooked in clay oven, my version is simple and roasted on naked flame stuck on a hot tawa ( iron girdle). Being stuffed it can be served as part of the bread basket opted for a get together or formal dinner, or in routine course meal with any curry of choice. Chanaa Masala being the most preferred accompaniment.

Amritsari Naan

Preparation Time 40 minutes

Cooking Time  15 minutes

Serves a family of 4

Equipments   Hot girdle, rolling pin

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour         400 gms

Semolina             100 gms

Salt                        1 Tsp

Baking Soda      1/2 Tsp

 Baking Powder  1 Tsp

To Knead

Sugar   1 Tbsp

Curd     2 Tbsp

Milk     1 cup

Stuffing

Mashed boiled potatoes  2-3

or

Mashed paneer( cottage cheese) 250 gms

Carom  seeds 1tsp

Chili powder  1tsp

Dry mango powder    1/4 tsp

Garam Masala powder  1/4 tsp

Green chilli  1-2 finely chopped

Green coriander  2 Tbsp

Salt to taste

Black sesame seeds and chopped coriander for garnishing

Method

  1. Mix the sugar to the curd and allow to dissolve.
  2. Add salt baking soda, baking powder to the mix of flour and semolina, and knead it with curd and milk in a soft dough.
  3. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside for 15-20 minutes ( this can be made ahead of time in cooler weather , and in warm weather dough can be made 1-2 hrs before hand)
  4. Mash the potatoes or paneer and mix in all the spices.
  5. Divide the dough into Peach size balls, roll out a small circle and place ths tuffing in generous portion, roll it out round.
  6. With wet hands, stick black sesame seeds and coriander on the top of the naan, and lift it with another wet palm and wet the undersurface of the naan. This dorsal ( under surface) will go on the hot girdle .
  7. Allow it to cook it for a minute and topple the girdle over naked flame, to cook the top of the naan.
  8. when u see specks forming all over it , take it off.
  9. serve it topped with a generous dollop of butter.