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Serves: 10
(Kulchae)
Category: Oven-Grilled Naan and Other Breads
Makes 10 to 12 breads
Kulchas are baked pure white leavened flour and semolina breads. They are more like flat, round slices of bread; nothing like any other Indian bread. They are generally served with chickpea curries and mango or other pickles and green pureed herb chutneys, in most roadside intersections of northern India.
The kulcha can be eaten as is, or they can be lightly basted with ghee or oil and reheated on a hot tava or griddle. (Heat them until lightly golden on both sides.) I love to make grilled cheese and vegetable sandwiches (think: warm foccacia sandwiches) using kulchas instead of sliced bread, and have, on occasion, used them as pizza crusts.
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water (about 110°F)
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 cup fine-grain semolina
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl or a pie dish, for coating and dusting
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1. For the dough, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water in a small bowl and set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the yogurt.
2. Place the semolina, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor and process until mixed. With the motor running, pour the yeast mixture into the work bowl in a thin stream and process until the flour gathers into a ball and the sides of the processor are clean. (If the dough seems too sticky, add some more flour through the feeder tube, or add some more yogurt if the dough is dry and hard).
3. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and place in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in volume, 3 to 4 hours. (This allows the yeast to ferment and multiply, causing the dough to rise.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.
4. Lightly grease 2 or 3 large baking trays. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, about 10 minutes, then turn it off. Then, with lightly oiled clean hands, divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips, and coat well with the dry flour. Transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into 5- to 6-inch circle and place on the baking trays. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.)
5. With a basting brush or your fingers, lightly baste the top surface of each bread with water. (This prevents them from drying out.) Cover with foil and place the trays in the turned-off oven to rise once more, about 1 hour.
6. Remove the baking trays and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until the kulcha breads are still white, but firm, about 10 minutes. They should not brown. Serve.
VARIATION: Like other Indian breads, kulchas are also made with various stuffings. All the Parantha Stuffings, Category Stuffed Griddle-Fried Flatbreads, can be used.
From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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