Indian cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Luchi

Bengali white-flour flatbreads, deep-fried pale and soft in ghee, classically served with potato curry.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 350 g wheat flour (all-purpose)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 170 ml lukewarm water
• 800 ml neutral oil (canola or sunflower oil)

Instructions

1. Mix flour, salt and sugar, work in the ghee with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs, and gradually add the lukewarm water.
2. Knead the dough for 8 min. into a firm, smooth ball and let it rest covered for 20 min. so it won't shrink back while rolling.
3. Divide the dough into sixteen equal balls and roll each out on a lightly oiled surface into a circle about 10 cm across and 2 mm thick.
4. Heat the oil in a deep pot to 180 °C (355 °F) – a bit lower than for puri, so the luchi stay white and don't brown.
5. Slip in one luchi at a time, gently submerge it with a slotted spoon for 5 sec. until it puffs up, flip and fry for only 30 sec. total, until it's plump and at most pale cream in color.
6. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately warm with potato curry or chickpeas.