Difference Between Naan and Kulcha

Naan and Kulcha are flatbreads that have Indian origin. While Naan is the more celebrated type of bread, Kulcha is typical Punjabi bread that has old Punjabi traditions. Both Naan and Kulcha are considered delicacies and today reserved for occasions such as weddings and ceremonies though one can have them anytime he so wishes in many restaurants around the country. Kulcha is more commonly eaten with a curry called Chhola and together they become an item on the menu card called Chhola Kulcha. Though both are types of breads, there are differences in Naan and Kulcha that will be discussed in this article.

Naan

Naan is Indian flatbread made in oven or earthen ware made of clay using charcoal to provide heat to cook the bread. It is different from another Indian flatbread called roti in the sense that wheat flour with which naan is made is leavened with yeast and sometimes with milk and yogurt to make it soft and also to give it a bounce. It takes time to cook in comparison to roti or chapatti that are unleavened and are thus prepared in minutes. In case of naan, salt and leavening agents are mixed and kneaded to make dough that is set aside to rise for a few hours. Balls of the dough are taken and fed into earthenware made of clay or in an oven. When cooked, butter is spread on naan to make it tastier. Seasoning of nans is done with nigella seeds.

Kulcha

The process of making Kulcha is similar to a naan except that instead of wheat flour, here maida is used to make flat bread. Kulcha was developed in Punjab, especially Amritsar which is why even in western countries; it is common to see restaurants flaunting this flatbread as Amritsari Kulcha. It would be proper to treat Kulcha as a variant of naan. Just like stuffed naan, here mashed potatoes and spices are mixed with the dough that has risen and then balls are made which after flattening are baked in earthen ware made of clay until they are brownish in appearance. Like naan, Kulcha are served along with many vegetables, especially Chhola, and butter is spread over Kulcha to make them tastier.