Bheega Kulcha: Straight From Amritsar To Your Plate

Situated in Punjab, the city of Amritsar is renowned for a variety of things, besides the Golden Temple. The city is a hub for many big and small merchants, as well as eateries, some of which even go back 100 years. It is surely a haven for foodies with many unique delicacies, such as the Amritsari Macchi and Aam Papad Chaat, delighting street food lovers at every nook and corner. But what really brings the city together is the people’s love for kulchas.

Amritsar-born comedian Kapil Sharma also once joked about how Amritsaris hound kulcha shops every hour of the day, as if all of them have just one fear, ‘what if the kulchas run out?’. And what blasphemy would that be, don’t you think?  

For the uninitiated, Amritsari Kulcha is a leavened, flatbread that looks a lot like a tandoori roti, and is even roasted inside the clay oven, but the technique differs. Kulchas are often stuffed with a variety of mixtures, the most popular being the spicy-potato mixture. Kulcha is often paired with a chickpea curry, pickle, and onions. Apart from this, there are many variants of this kulcha and many other ways in which it is prepared and served.  

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One beloved kulcha preparation of Amritsar is Bheega Kulcha. The word ‘bheega’ refers to soaked or drenched. Here, it is not the typical Amritsari, but regular maida, yeast and curd-based kulcha that is first dunked in the chickpea gravy for two-three minutes, until it soaks up the gravy completely. 

The moistened kulcha is then served on a plate, with more chickpea gravy, a dash of green chutney, chopped onions, and chaat masala. The street food is so popular in Amritsar, that you can find it just about everywhere in the city. And let’s admit it, after knowing what it is, you are tempted to try it even at home, aren't you? Here is the kulcha recipe. Try it at home and let us know how you liked it. Just make sure you do not soak the kulcha in the curry for more than five minutes, else it may begin to break. For it to soften and still hold shape, you need to be very mindful of the timing.