Name: Luchi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 20
Cuisine: Indian

Yields

Cooking Time

1 hour

Ingredients

200 g maida (all-purpose flour)
4 g salt
10 g sugar
15 g vegetable oil/ghee
100–110 g hot water
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Luchis are made from finely milled flour (maida), unlike puris, which are usually made from whole-wheat flour (atta) in several parts of the sub-continent. What makes a good luchi is its flaky interior and crispy exterior. Rolling perfectly round luchis is a skill and it is absolutely alright if you don't get it right the first time. Like every skill, this too develops with time and effort. Yet, what remains unchanged is the versatility of this dish—you can pair it with meat, dal, or even with a simple potato curry. In fact, there are many Bengali households where luchi is eaten just with sugar.

Recipe Notes

Letting the dough rest at each stage (after kneading, after shaping/before rolling) is very important. It helps relax the dough so that when you roll out the luchis, they don't spring back.
Take your time with the shaping, especially if you are new to making luchis or have trouble rolling out a round shape. If you start out with a piece of dough that is as round as possible, chances of you ending up with round luchi are much higher!

Method

Take maida in a mixing bowl, with salt, sugar, and oil/ghee. Distribute the oil evenly so that a fistful of flour when pressed together retains its shape.
Add water and knead the flour for 10 minutes. The dough may seem a little tacky at first, but it will come together in the end. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 20 equal portions (of about 16 g each). Take the small portion and tuck it in from all sides, shaping it into a round shape. Rest these again for 10 minutes to relax the dough.
When you are ready to roll the luchis out, heat vegetable oil in a kadai for deep-frying.
Oil your rolling surface and rolling pin, and roll the luchis into flat discs of about 10 cm diameter.
Carefully lower the luchi (one at a time if you are a beginner) into hot oil (oil temp: ~220°C). Press down gently and rotate to help it puff. Flip, and fry the other side.
Drain from the oil and serve hot with begun bhaja, mutton kosha, or anything you like.