Amritsari Mixed Veg Stuffed Kulcha with Chole and Imli Pyaz Chutney

Directions

• Imli Pyaz Chutney
• Add coriander, mint leaves, ginger, green chillies, lime juice, and ¼ cup of water to a mixer grinder jar. Grind to make a smooth paste.
• Take a medium-size mixing bowl and add tamarind puree, cumin powder, black salt, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, crushed anardana, jaggery, mint-coriander paste, and remaining water. Mix everything well and then add the chopped onions. Stir and refrigerate until it’s ready to serve.
• Chole
• Wash the chickpeas and soak them in water for 6 hours or overnight.
• Drain the excess water and add the soaked chickpeas, 4 cups of water, and black tea leaves tightly wrapped in a muslin cloth (form a potli) in the pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles on medium heat.
• Once the chickpeas are cooked, turn off the heat, and let the pressure cooker decompress. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large deep frying pan and add cinnamon stick, bay leaves, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and carom seeds. Saute for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Add garlic cloves, onions, tomatoes, green chilli, and ginger. Cook for at least 5 minutes over medium heat or until the tomatoes are soft and garlic and onions are slightly brown.
• Turn off the flame, remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and black cardamoms and let the onion-tomato and spices mixture cool down. Then grind them in a mixer grinder with a splash of water to form a smooth paste.
• Heat ghee in the same frying pan, and add the onion-tomato and spices paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add red chilli powder, amchur, garam masala, and salt. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the spices are cooked properly. Then add the boiled chickpeas along with the water and mix everything well. Bring it to a boil and cover with a lid and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the gravy has a thick consistency. Add kasuri methi and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Turn off the flame and set the chole aside.
• Mixed Vegetable Stuffing
• Take a large mixing bowl and mash the potatoes and peas using a masher or fork. Then add the rest of the ingredients for stuffing and combine everything well and set aside.
• Kulchas
• Mix all the ingredients for kulchas except the butter in a large mixing bowl and knead for at least 10 minutes to form a soft dough. The dough will be sticky initially but it will smoothen out once you knead for a few minutes. Once the dough is kneaded well, apply some ghee on the top, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for one hour.
• Once the dough is rested, make equal size balls (can make total 8 kulchas). Take a dough ball, coat with flour, and flatten it. Add a large spoonful of vegetable stuffing, gently press and fold in to seal it properly. Dust some flour on the wooden board, and use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough to form a semi-thick kulcha (similar to paratha). Apply water all over one side of the kulcha and place it (the water dabbed side should stick on tawa) on a hot iron tawa (use cast iron tawa, not non-stick as the kulcha won’t stick on the non-stick pan). Use your fingertips to apply pressure on the kulcha to stick it properly on the tawa. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat and then flip the tawa to cook the kulcha over direct flame. Slowly move the tawa over the flame to evenly cook the kulcha. Cook until the kulcha turns golden brown. Use a roti-turner to remove it from the tawa and transfer it to a plate. Immediately apply butter all over the kulcha.
• Finally, serve the hot kulcha with chole and imli pyaz chutney. Enjoy!