The History Of Amritsari Kulcha, The Crispy Dish That's Punjab's Best Gift To The Food Lovers

Kulchas are synonymous with Amritsar, because the moment we ask for kulchas, we automatically attach Amritsar to the word. And, just like that our search for the perfect Amritsari kulcha finds us, you guessed it, in Amritsar.

Kubbra Sait takes in the market scene in Amritsar

One of the oldest addresses in the city when it comes to Amritsari kulche is Bhai Kulwant Singh Kulchian Wale. When here, make sure you try their famous aloo kulcha.
The delicious aloo kulcha is the result of lots of patience, seven layers of flour and a generous stuffing of just about anything: from potatoes to panner to cauliflower. Once this is done, the dough is flattened out and then cooked inside a hot tandoor.

Screen grab

The famous kulcha is probably one of the few dishes in the world that even has its own sound, the crispy crunch. And speaking of crispy, the story of how the kulcha came to be packs its own crunch.

The origin of tandoors and tandoori cooking can be traced back to the time of the Indus Valley civilisation. But it is naan that is credited with the birth of the stuffed kulcha. Naan, meanwhile, came to India from Persia. One can only guess that this birth took place in a nameless kitchen one fine day when a cook decided that the naan was just plain boring, and decided to stuff the naan with some interesting ingredients.

Kulchas being cooked in the tandoor

That said, there is proof that the connection between Amritsar and kulcha is at least 200 years old. It is said that the French cooks of English officers introduced the seven-layered pastry technique.

Such is the charm of kulchas that today they're popular across the country. Even Shah Jahan used to love his naans and kulchas. And the Nawab of Hyderabad made his Coat of Arms with seven kulchas.

Wait there's more. Watch the video below, and join Kubbra Sait and Indiatimes as we discover India's flavourful history with #IndiaOnAPlate: