Matar Kulcha - Delhi Street Food

Matar Kulcha I read is one among the most popular street food items in Delhi. I tried Dassana’s recipe from her popular site and it turned out real nice. I loved the toppings that go over the matar – chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger juliennes, coriander leaves and lemon juice. The toppings list is as long as the ingredient list but I think the toppings are what rock the show here. The toppings are definitely not optional.

Delhi is the only city up north that I’ve travelled to in my entire lifetime and that more than a couple of times and I am still terrified of the place. It’s huge, fast and aggressive. I was totally out of place. I often gloat to my husband that I can speak Hindi but I can only count till 10 and beyond that I know only in 10’s (vaguely that too). I can’t even catch an auto if I wanted to. But I’ve read about the Delhi street food scene and the shopping possibilities and I really am tempted to visit Delhi. I might when I can afford a Hindi translator, like those politicians have beside them.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Serves: 4

Kulcha – Ingredients

Maida/All purpose flour – 2-1/2 cups
Yogurt – 4 tbsp
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Sugar – 2 tsp
Salt to taste (Use black salt if you have, I didn’t so I used regular salt)
Nigella seeds – 1/4 tsp
Water – as required to make a dough
Oil – for frying the kulchas

Matar gravy – Ingredients

Dried white peas – 1-1/2 cups soaked overnight
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry mango powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp

Jaljeera chutney – Ingredients

Mint leaves – ½ cup
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds/Saunf – 1 tsp
Black cardamom – 1 (only the seed, discard the outer cover)
Whole dry red chilli – 1
Whole Black peppercorns – ¼ tsp
Amchur powder – ¼ tsp
Tamarind – small marble sized

Toppings

Onion – 1 large chopped fine
Tomato – 1 large chopped fine
Green chilli – 1 slit or chopped fine
Ginger – ½ inch cut into juliennes
Lemon – 1 cut into wedges
Coriander leaves – a handful chopped

Method

1.      To make the kulchas, combine all ingredients except water and oil under “Kulcha” in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add water little at a time to make a soft dough. Knead for 5-10 minutes. Cover and set aside for an hour or 2.

2.      Once rested, pinch lemon sized balls of the dough. Roll out into round discs. Heat a tawa and cook the kulchas one at a time flipping over once the underside is cooked and there are little brown spots on both sides of the kulcha. Remove from tawa. Serve right away or store in a hot pack.

3.      To make the matar gravy, rinse the soaked peas in 2-3 changes of water. Then pressure cook the peas for 30 mins or until soft. Set aside.

4.      To prepare the jal jeera chutney, grind together all ingredients under “Jal Jeera” to a fine paste.

5.      To a pan add oil and heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry for a minute. Then add all the spice powders in quick succession. Remove the pan from the fire if you might scorch the powders. Add them all in and then place on fire. Immediately pour in the boiled peas along with any liquid and cook for 3-4 minutes.

6.      Add the jal jeera chutney, stir well and add salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes or till the flavours blend and it is your desired consistency. Switch off.

7.      Serve hot topped with chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger juliennes, coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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