Delhi based ‘Koolchas’ is a delicious new brand in the market with 25 different varieties of Koolchas along with more than 20 dishes. Launched by Gaurav Bahl and Sunila Bahl, the brand aims to serve fresh and tasteful dishes with Kulche, which are laden with the goodness of homemade spices and fresh vegetables. With an impeccable assurance of hygienic food, the dishes at Koolchas start at INR 49 and have already been dominating the Quick Meal scene with their 2 outlets 24×7 with Co-Working in Gurugram, at Flavor Town, Bestech Chambers, Sushant Lok-1
and Sector 14, Huda Market, Gurugram. In a chat with Chef Bharath, Gaurav share their views on how they bring a difference in traditional food.
What are the ways, a Kulcha is different from other rotis and how is the reception in India?
A Kulcha is a type of mildly leavened flatbread that originated in the Indian subcontinent, in the region of Punjab. The main ingredient is maida flour. Once baked, it is applied with butter and is paired well with Chickpea (Chole) curry and many curry-based dishes. A Roti is partly cooked on a tava(flat skillet) and partly on an open flame leading the phulka to balloon up in a circular shape. It too is a flatbread, made with pure wheat flour. Stoneground Wheat is used to making the dough, kneaded into round shapes and baked on tava. Once ready, ghee is sprinkled on it and it can be accompanied by dishes such as Paneer masala, Dry Gobi and more.
Tandoori Kulcha would taste best when served fresh and hot, else, if consumed later, it becomes too chewy. A Roti, however, can be left for a day or two and eaten even when cold. Better to savor food when it is served hot. A Roti has no variation, while a Kulcha can be prepared in various ways such as Stuffed Aloo or Paneer Kulcha, Tandoor Kulcha and more. Both these varieties of bread go well with the Indian palate, each having its own unique characteristics.
What are the reasons you had selected Kulchas while there are a variety of food products?
Once, I had stepped out to relish this North Indian street food delicacy Kulche Chole, I pondered over how this simple dish could have been served in more varieties with sides and dips and of course in a much more hygienic way as well. The moment this idea had struck, I started the R&D with my mother and spent more than 2 years in understanding the market, the target audience, creating a business model, finalizing on the team, location and more. After all the research and considerations, we launched the first QSR outlet with the brand name ‘Koolchas’ in July 2018. Our mission is to offer people a more hygienic, transparent route of savoring this hot selling north Indian delicacy. Those who have sworn their love for Kulche Chole and like to savor it at a street-side stall or even at a fancy restaurant, they will find Koolchas to be a completely hygienic and a welcoming alternative, with many more variants to choose from and at pocket-friendly rates. Besides, as Indians, we have been so welcoming to pizzas, why not incorporate the same into Kulcha and term it as ‘Kooleeza.’ With one such dish and many more, we are adding in a dash for each audience to taste to our menu. Let Koolcha, be for one and all.
What variety are you bringing in the Kulchas you make?
We are trying to cater to the demands of all the age groups by offering diversified variations in infused Koolchas like Kooleeza (pizza Koolcha), Koolcha Sandwich, Vada Koolcha, Seekh Koolcha, and other delicacies. The newly launched Chocolate Koolcha is very popular among
the kids and as much the adults are loving it. We are still curating our menu and will be coming up with the new add-ons soon this year.
What efforts do you take to offer a healthy eating experience for your guests?
The hunger for street food is often challenged by factors like hygiene, dust particles in the air and food quality issues. We are overcoming this hindrance by keeping everything transparent and clean by completely going preservative-free and using homemade spices. We are very particular
about the food quality and customer’s hygiene so we are practicing the process of the live kitchen, where even vegetables are chopped in front of the customer. We grind and blend our own masalas to ensure a healthy meal to the customer.
What plans do you have to take this further?
Our plan is to grow the Koolchas QSR model. At present, Koolchas is already breaking grounds with these two outlets at Gurugram-Sector 14 and Sushant Lok. We are planning to expand our brand in Central Delhi and are expecting a growth of 500 percent this year. We are aiming to
open 10-12 outlets in Delhi NCR in the next fiscal. Also, we are coming up with some unique delicacies and will be improvising the menu further. We are hoping that Koolchas will be a brand to reckon with in the next 5 years.
