Here is a query from a reader, to which I have no reply. Can anyone else help Nazia?

Mamta

.......................................

Hi

I am always browsing you web site and you have some wonderful recipes but I

just cant find a recipe for Katalama, you have them at restaurants.

Do you have a reciepe for this please?

Manys thanks

Naz

Hi Nazia

1. Please always give an appropriate subject to you mails. I only opened this one because it had a gov.uk address! All mails without a subject are normally deleted, because we get a huge amount of SPAM.

2. What exactly is katalama? Is it a nan like bread?

If you describe it, someone else might be able to help you. I will post your query on my 'Forum'. Take a look in a few days, just in case someone does reply.

Best wishes for a happy Eid Al-Fitr.

Mamta

I've just done a quick search on the world wide web and it appears they are a small cake/bun usually served at breakfast. They are also known as 'Telavoer'and 'Kuclcha'. They are made from dough and appear to be thin layers with ghee rubbed in (possibly similar to the way filo pastry is made) then baked in the oven.

does this sound along the correct lines ?

Steve

Thanks steven. I wonder if they are same as North Indian Kulcha, an oven baked pizza base like bread!

Mamta

Hi,

I was looking through some of the old post's and i came across this.

I used to eat Katalama's quite often.

They are large thin cirles made from what i think is a kind of samosa pastry filled with a spiced mince beef filling, quite spicy and fragrant.

If anyone ever does come across a recipe i would love to make some.

I just found this site but what i think is the recipe is in another language but you can see the picture, i also noticed that the correct spelling is Katlama.

http://www.cookingmela.com/katlama/

From your picture link, it looks a bit like Bhatura, the fried bread from Punjab. But since it is in Urdu, I can't read the recipe.

With a search for "katlama" it appears to say they are more or less naan breads stuffed with meat (keema) and deep fried.

keema katlama on angelfire.com/country

Steve

I have found this information on them:

http://www.pakfactor.com/katlama-the-delicious-festive-food-of-lahore.html

It seems they can be made with or without meat which i didn't know.

I have found a couple of recipes on the web so i will try some soon and let you know how they turn out.

Looks very interesting Mark, I had never heard of it. I wonder if they sprinkle besan on top of a rolled out poori and then press it in or roll out a besan layer and press that on top, as a separate layer! The besan (gram flour) version is worth a try, if one could find a good recipe. I am sure besan gives it a slightly ?nutty? flavour. All the recipes I saw on the web seem to be word for word copies of one recipe, from Fauzia?s Pakistani Recipes web site I think.

It looks like a stuffed 'poori', made of white flour, instead of the usual chapatti flour. I bet the shop/restaurant version has a lot of fat in the dough, to make it crisp and tasty. If I was making it, I might think of trying it with some chopped vegetables, herbs etc. I am thinking if it is worth a try or is it simply a ?stuffed poori?, what we call a ?kachauri? in India.