A new eatery in Canberra is putting the spotlight on kulcha, a flaky Indian bread that rivals the popularity of naan. The restaurant, named Kulcha Eatery, offers a variety of Indian flatbreads, including roti, paratha, and kulcha, all made without a tandoor oven.
According to restaurateur Sarah Todd, who has opened two Indian restaurants, homemade roti and paratha are easy to make at home. “You don't need a tandoor or a big flat pan. You just use a regular pan,” she says. Todd often makes roti for weekend breakfasts with her son, Phoenix, who loves it.
Parathas, a popular breakfast in northern India, are known for their layered texture achieved by folding dough with ghee. Cookbook author Anjum Anand recommends slashing the surface of the paratha while cooking to help it crisp up. She notes that parathas can be made with vegetable oil, butter, or ghee, with the latter offering more flavor.
For those craving naan without a tandoor, blogger Sasha Gill suggests a two-step process: baking in the oven and charring over an open flame. Her vegan naan recipe appears in her new cookbook, Jackfruit & Blue Ginger. “When nostalgia hits me, I always cook Indian food,” says Gill, who is of Indian and Eurasian heritage.
Indian flatbreads are versatile and can be used for meals beyond curry, such as wrapping scrambled eggs or making a Thai banana roti dessert. Leftover roti can even be cut into strips for a Sri Lankan stir fry.
