4 ms·

He ate seven kulchas? Must have been hungry. Although if I had to eat plain naan without any other side dishes…I might eat 7 too.

ethbr0 4y ago
What's the difference between kulcha and naan? At first glance, it looks like kulcha is heartier and thicker?
- alephnerd 4y ago
  So I can only speak for Amritsari and Dogra/Kaladi Kulche but they are basically lighter than Naan and supposed to be more smokey (because they've been in the tandoor longer), and if it's a Kaladi Kulche, it's topped with Kaladi Paneer. Also, Kulche need to be pan fried. The style of "Naan" I've eaten in the home country (which in hindsight may technically count as Shirmal) is much less smokey and harsh, and much heavier. The naan they serve in most Indian restaurants here in US/Canada is much lighter than home style naans and also not cooked as long in a tandoor - which is unsurprising because their profit margins are massive on Naan and Rice. At least in Pahari regions, Kulche and Tandoori Roti tend to be the staple, not Naan.
  - selimthegrim 4y ago
    Sheermal tends to be wedding fare in my experience
    - alephnerd 4y ago
      Yea. I'm using the term loosely. Like the Naan which I'd have in my dad's village had egg, maida, dahi, and atta and would be put in a tandoor. I thought sheermal is the same except with Saffron and Sugar.
      - ethbr0 4y ago
        Thanks for taking the time to type that out! It's fascinating how many "bread type" things there are in the category, and how regionally specific details of each can be. I'll have to pay more attention and try options next time I'm out.
- q7xvh97o2pDhNrh 4y ago
  Intuitively, I think of "naan" as fluffier; with a more interesting shape (triangle, rather than the usual circle); and usually topped (if not stuffed) with some thoughtful sprinkling of garlic, herbs, etc. In general, though, by the time you collect all the things that could be "kulcha" and all the things that could be "naan," you end up with a Venn diagram that has a pretty healthy overlap. A lot depends on regional variations and individual chefs. In a restaurant situation in modern times, you'd generally expect "naan" to cover the usual breads that people want/expect, given the popularity of the word at this point, whereas "kulcha" is probably reserved for the chef's desire to do something a little more interesting (e.g., an elaborate stuffing) in bread that might also be cooked slightly differently. You can likely bank on the triangle/circle difference, but... you never know. In the context of the myth, it likely underlines the simplicity and home-made nature of the bread, especially because of the note about the water. Kulcha can be made with fewer ingredients, if you imagine the simplest possible "kulcha" compared to the simplest possible "naan." So the vibe I got from the story is, "This saint lives such a simple and enlightened life that he doesn't even bother with the fancy fluffy restaurant breads; a simple home-made kulcha will do just fine." TL;DR: It's complicated, and it's still tough these days to find a half-decent paratha.
  - ethbr0 4y ago
    The question seems partly "What is the difference in recipes?" and partly "How are these words currently used?" In the American eastern seaboard, the closest we probably have is the continuum of cornbreads, where the same word can be drastically different from place to place. But I guess that's to be expected for a dish that started with Native Americans, filtered through English, Irish, Scottish, and African cultures, and then met a wave of more modern ingredients. The core need remains the same, but tastes and ways to get there vary!
    - q7xvh97o2pDhNrh 4y ago
      > The question seems partly "What is the difference in recipes?" and partly "How are these words currently used?" Good insight. Yeah, there are two different dimensions here. > In the American eastern seaboard, the closest we probably have is the continuum of cornbreads, where the same word can be drastically different from place to place. One important similarity all around: I'm usually up for just about any cornbread, naan, or kulcha. ;)
- danans 4y ago
  I researched this recently for a dinner party. Naan is usually whole wheat and leavened with yogurt or yeast. Kulcha is made with refined white flour and if leavened, usually with sodium bicarbonate. However, you can find plenty of recipes that break these categories.
  - ethbr0 4y ago
    It seems like the ultimate decision is whether someone eats it and says "That isn't (naan|kulcha|other)." Which probably depends on how their family made it, as much as any recipe.

ethbr0 4y ago

What's the difference between kulcha and naan? At first glance, it looks like kulcha is heartier and thicker?

alephnerd 4y ago
So I can only speak for Amritsari and Dogra/Kaladi Kulche but they are basically lighter than Naan and supposed to be more smokey (because they've been in the tandoor longer), and if it's a Kaladi Kulche, it's topped with Kaladi Paneer. Also, Kulche need to be pan fried. The style of "Naan" I've eaten in the home country (which in hindsight may technically count as Shirmal) is much less smokey and harsh, and much heavier. The naan they serve in most Indian restaurants here in US/Canada is much lighter than home style naans and also not cooked as long in a tandoor - which is unsurprising because their profit margins are massive on Naan and Rice. At least in Pahari regions, Kulche and Tandoori Roti tend to be the staple, not Naan.
- selimthegrim 4y ago
  Sheermal tends to be wedding fare in my experience
  - alephnerd 4y ago
    Yea. I'm using the term loosely. Like the Naan which I'd have in my dad's village had egg, maida, dahi, and atta and would be put in a tandoor. I thought sheermal is the same except with Saffron and Sugar.
    - ethbr0 4y ago
      Thanks for taking the time to type that out! It's fascinating how many "bread type" things there are in the category, and how regionally specific details of each can be. I'll have to pay more attention and try options next time I'm out.
q7xvh97o2pDhNrh 4y ago
Intuitively, I think of "naan" as fluffier; with a more interesting shape (triangle, rather than the usual circle); and usually topped (if not stuffed) with some thoughtful sprinkling of garlic, herbs, etc. In general, though, by the time you collect all the things that could be "kulcha" and all the things that could be "naan," you end up with a Venn diagram that has a pretty healthy overlap. A lot depends on regional variations and individual chefs. In a restaurant situation in modern times, you'd generally expect "naan" to cover the usual breads that people want/expect, given the popularity of the word at this point, whereas "kulcha" is probably reserved for the chef's desire to do something a little more interesting (e.g., an elaborate stuffing) in bread that might also be cooked slightly differently. You can likely bank on the triangle/circle difference, but... you never know. In the context of the myth, it likely underlines the simplicity and home-made nature of the bread, especially because of the note about the water. Kulcha can be made with fewer ingredients, if you imagine the simplest possible "kulcha" compared to the simplest possible "naan." So the vibe I got from the story is, "This saint lives such a simple and enlightened life that he doesn't even bother with the fancy fluffy restaurant breads; a simple home-made kulcha will do just fine." TL;DR: It's complicated, and it's still tough these days to find a half-decent paratha.
- ethbr0 4y ago
  The question seems partly "What is the difference in recipes?" and partly "How are these words currently used?" In the American eastern seaboard, the closest we probably have is the continuum of cornbreads, where the same word can be drastically different from place to place. But I guess that's to be expected for a dish that started with Native Americans, filtered through English, Irish, Scottish, and African cultures, and then met a wave of more modern ingredients. The core need remains the same, but tastes and ways to get there vary!
  - q7xvh97o2pDhNrh 4y ago
    > The question seems partly "What is the difference in recipes?" and partly "How are these words currently used?" Good insight. Yeah, there are two different dimensions here. > In the American eastern seaboard, the closest we probably have is the continuum of cornbreads, where the same word can be drastically different from place to place. One important similarity all around: I'm usually up for just about any cornbread, naan, or kulcha. ;)
danans 4y ago
I researched this recently for a dinner party. Naan is usually whole wheat and leavened with yogurt or yeast. Kulcha is made with refined white flour and if leavened, usually with sodium bicarbonate. However, you can find plenty of recipes that break these categories.
- ethbr0 4y ago
  It seems like the ultimate decision is whether someone eats it and says "That isn't (naan|kulcha|other)." Which probably depends on how their family made it, as much as any recipe.