Life Without Alu?: Luchi – Deep Fried Puffed Bread

Photo features: Luchi and Alu Kumror torkari (Deep fried puffed breads with a Potatoes and Pumpkin stir fry).

The thought of gaining a few hundred calories over brunch is not going to stop me from enjoying a crusty hot Luchi.

Luchi or Puri as we call it in Hindi is one of the most loved and eaten breads in almost every Indian home. Kids love its crusty puff and eat it first to enjoy the crunch. Be it a weekend brunch, fasting day or a special meal for the guests Luchi is always there. The Luchi dough is kneaded with oil or ghee and a little salt which creates that nice crust on it and brings a savory taste in it. Luchi can be enjoyed with any stir fry or curry of your choice.

Now although I have eaten Luchi hundreds of times at my parents’ home, I actually took the recipe from my mother in law while writing down another of her special recipes- Alur dom. Debarshi loves Luchi and Alur Dom and I try to prepare this whenever I can. Since Luchi is deep fried, it’s loaded with calories and I will suggest you to limit this for special occasions only like I do. If you love fried bread, then a good alternative to Luchi is Paratha which is prepared by shallow frying the rolled out dough on a skillet. It is easier to prepare and is comparatively a healthier option.

Now let’s talk about the preparation and techniques. Luchi dough will not have any leavening agent in it like baking powder or soda and hence we will be adding a good amount of oil which we call moen in Bengali. This helps to make the Luchis crisp and puff up while frying. I love adding some carom seeds as well. They not only inculcate a complex aroma in the Luchis but also help prevent any stomach disorders. While kneading the Luchi dough pay special attention, if it starts getting sticky then don’t be afraid, continue kneading so that the dough absorbs all the extra water. I always use lukewarm water to knead the dough and once it turns smooth, I leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes. A Luchi will be smaller than your palm almost the size of a small round bread roll. So you will have to roll a few extra Luchis per head because everyone will be eating a few more. I always transfer the hot Luchis in a colander lined with a paper towel so that it can absorb the extra oil and the steam can escape.

Luchi goes great with any Sabji or curry but I just love it with a Bhaja like Begun Bhaja or Bhindi Bhaja (deep fried Eggplant or Okra with turmeric and salt). Luchis are temperamental so even after doing all the steps correctly it’s possible they won't puff up. Don’t worry they will still taste great. However, do check the correct temperature of the oil by doing the test and do read the frying tips.

So this weekend how about some Luchi Torkari? Try it and let me know.

Bon Appetit!

Photo features: Luchi and Alur Dom (Potatoes with gravy)

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour – 2 cups
Whole Wheat Flour – ½ cup
Oil – 6 teaspoons (used while kneading the dough) + 2 cups for frying
Water – about 8 tablespoons (add more if required), lukewarm
Salt – about ½ teaspoon
Carom Seeds – about 1 teaspoon (optional)

Directions for Kneading the Dough:

Wash your hands, you will be using them a lot. If using stand mixer, attach the Bowl and Hook to your Stand Mixer and connect it.
In a large bowl mix the All Purpose Flour, Carom Seeds (if adding) and Salt together. Mix using either your fingers or a whisk or run the mixer on the lowest speed until it's all well mixed.
Now add the Oil. Mix with your fingers until you get a sandy texture or run the mixer again for a minute or two.
Add water, a little at a time, and knead into a dough. You may need a few extra tablespoons of water if the dough feels tough. We need a tight dough so do not add a lot of water otherwise it will become gooey and too soft. Keep kneading it for another minute or two.

For stand mixer -

Start the mixer on lowest speed and slowly add a little water in the flour. I give it time to knead and form the dough. If the sides are sticking with the bowl too much I switch off the mixer and clean the sides using a spatula. I keep it running until the dough begins to come together adding a teaspoon of water at a time. At this stage it will look dry, make sure not to add too much water at this stage. We need a tight dough so do not add too much water. Keep running the mixer.
Now sometimes the dough turns out a bit stickier I usually add a little flour or a tablespoon of oil and keep it kneading until it's smooth and almost non sticky.
When the dough feels smooth, remove the hook and cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.

Directions to roll the Luchis:

Once the dough has rested, re-knead the dough for a few seconds. Then divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a log like a thick breadstick. Divide both the logs into 14 equal pieces.
Now these 14 pieces will make 14 Luchis. Take a piece of dough between your palms and roll it into a ball. Press the ball between your palms lightly to flatten it a little like a disc. Put all the other balls of dough back in the bowl and cover it. This will prevent the dough from drying out.
Now let’s roll the Luchi, if we have added the correct amount of oil (moen) while kneading the dough, then the dough will roll smoothly and you will not need any flour for dusting. This will also bring a smoother texture and make the Luchis flaky. However, if you find it difficult to roll, you can always use a little All Purpose Flour.
Place the disc on the rolling board and start rolling it. It should be small and round and not too thick. A little unevenness in shape is ok.
Now we are ready to start frying the Luchis. You may want to roll a few extra Luchis before starting the first batch. Make sure you are not putting the rolled out Luchis on top of each other. Keep them on a cookie sheet or a big platter on a single layer and cover them with a kitchen towel.

Directions for frying the Luchi:

Heat oil in a deep frying pan or wok over medium- medium high heat.
Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small ball of dough into the oil. If there isn’t any bubbling, then the oil isn’t ready. If it’s furiously bubbling and there is smoke, that’s too hot. If the temperature is perfect the dough ball will take a dip and immediately float to the surface of the oil and start changing color.
At this perfect temperature, add one Luchi at a time and do this very carefully. Fry the Luchi by gently pressing it down with the frying spoon at different places.
Turn over when puffed up (or after a couple of seconds) and fry the Luchi till golden brown.
Transfer the fried Luchi on a paper towel or napkin to absorb the excess oil.
Serve the Luchi hot with Alur Dom or any other Torkari or curry.

Tips:

Switch on the exhaust fan.
I find it ok to multi task for this recipe but if at any point you find it overwhelming you may want to do one step at a time. If you do want to multitask, here is an easy tip: roll out a few Luchis then fry them one by one on medium high heat. This will help you to pay proper attention while frying the Luchis. Then lower the temperature and start rolling out the next batch. When you have rolled out 4-5 Luchis, increase the temperature again and repeat.
The perfect frying temperature is very important for making puffy Luchis. So, keep checking the temperature.
If you are not able to fry a perfect puffy Luchi, it maybe due to the oil temperature, so, try to maintain an even temperature. Remember, preparing deep fried bread is a difficult task which needs patience and experience.
Even if your Luchis do not puff up, they will still taste great so do not throw them out.
Make sure not to use a lot of flour while rolling the Luchis, this will leave a lot of burnt flour in the oil and you will not be able to re use this oil for the next batches.
I usually line a Colander with two paper towels and keep the fried Luchis in it. The holes of the Colander allow the steam of the hot Luchis to pass through thus maintaining the crispiness.
Finally, as I said earlier do not pile the rolled out Luchis on top of each other as the uncooked flour will stick together. Keep them on a single layer.
While the dough is resting, use that time to prepare the torkari or set the table.

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2 comments:

Debjani Moitra5 July 2019 at 15:09
#lifewithoutalu #foodloverravi #luchi #potatocurry #purisabji #vegfood #indianbreakfast #f52grams #foodpicsforfoodies #homemademeals
#deepfried #crispy #fry #friedfood #delicious #recipes #amazingfood #foodporn #crunchy #amazingfood
#puffedbread #eatingforinsta #foodgram #foodblogging #bbcgoodfood #vegetarian #indianfood #desifood #instafoodies #foodpornography
Debjani Moitra26 February 2021 at 19:23
#lifewithoutalu #luchi #puri #northindianfood #northindianbread #indianbread #bengali #bengalifood #bread #deepfried #crisp #crispy #breadofinstagram #homemade #curry #gravy #stirfry

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