Bengali Luchi is a traditional Bengali-style deep-fried puffed bread made using all-purpose flour. Here is how to make it (vegan).
Bengali cuisine is rich in some of the most amazing vegetarian dishes that are easy and has subtle flavors, Bengali Aloo Posto, Cholar Dal, Begun Bhaja, Aloo Dum, Mishti Pulao, Basanti Pulao are to name a few.
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About Luchi
Bengali Luchi is a deep-fried puffed white bread made of all-purpose flour popular in Bengali, Assamese, Maithili, and Oriya cuisine. It has a flaky interior and crunchy exterior.
Luchi Aloo Dum or Luchi Kosha Mangsho are some of the classic combinations. They are made for festivals like Durga Puja and special occasions like Bengali weddings, birthdays, etc., in every Bengali household.
Traditionally, the luchis were fried in ghee, giving them a peculiar taste. I sometimes fry them in ghee, but vegetable oil also works fine.
Be it a festive time or you want to prepare something special for the weekend, this puffed or phulko Loochi Puri recipe is worth a try! You can even make it for your get-togethers and house parties!
The calories in this bread are quite high compared to its size. Per serving of this bread is approximately 400 Kcal. It is hence advised to eat this only on special occasions because once in a while, treating yourself is good.
My Bengali luchi recipe serves 4, but you can easily double or triple it if making it for a crowd. The recipe is vegan too.
Ingredients
You will need 5 simple ingredients to make this bread – All Purpose Flour (Maida), Vegetable Oil, Salt, and Warm Water.
Luchi is prepared with only all-purpose flour. Do not replace it with whole wheat flour (atta).
You can deep fry them in ghee instead of vegetable oil.
Use only warm water to get the consistency and texture of the dough right.
How To Make Luchi
Make The Dough
Add 2 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour (maida), 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, and ½ teaspoon salt to a large mixing bowl (or parat).
Mix all the ingredients using your fingertips until they are combined and a crumbly mixture is made.
Add warm water little by little and knead to make a slightly soft dough (firmer than the roti dough but softer than the poori dough).
Note – The consistency of the dough is critical to get the perfect luchi so keep that in mind. Do not add water all at once; otherwise, the dough can become sticky.
Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and sit it on the counter for 20 minutes.
Note – This resting time is very important as it helps relax the gluten and prevents the luchi from springing back when you roll them.
Roll The Luchi
Knead the dough again for 3-4 minutes until it is very smooth.
Divide the dough into small lime-size (1-inch) balls and press the balls between your palms slightly.
Tip – Try to make the dough ball as round as possible. This will help you make round luchies.
Apply little oil and roll the dough ball using a rolling pin into a 4-inch circle.
Make 3-4 loochi in the same manner.
Keep the rest of the dough balls covered with the moist cloth otherwise, the surface of the dough will dry out.
Fry The Loochi
Heat 4-5 cups of vegetable oil for frying in a medium-sized deep karahi (deep pot) over high heat.
When the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium.
Note – The oil temperature is very important for the luchi to puff up. It should be very hot.
Slip loochi in the hot oil and gently press it using a perforated or slotted spoon until it fluffs up.
Do not over-fry. The color of the luchi is supposed to be white. If you fry it more, it will become brown.
Flip gently and fry on the other side as well.
Remove it to a plate lined with paper tissues.
Fry the remaining rolled loochi and then simmer the heat to low.
Now roll another batch of 4-5. Once rolled, increase the heat again and heat the oil nicely. Reduce the heat to medium and then fry the next batch.
Keep rolling and frying the loochi in the same manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Luchi is a Bengali puffed deep-fried bread made using maida (all-purpose flour), while Puri is North Indian puffed bread made using whole wheat flour (atta).
Luchi is lightly fried and almost without brown spots, while normal poori is fried until slightly browned.
Phulko luchi is much softer than poori since it is made using maida, and some oil is added to the dough.
Both these bread are made using all-purpose flour, but the difference is that luchi is unleavened bread while the dough for bhatura is fermented slightly using yogurt or yeast.
Serving Suggestions
These maida pooris go very well with vegetable sabji or aloo dum and are a popular breakfast in Bengal and Bangladesh.
Luchi with kosha mangsho (Bengali mutton curry) or cholar dal is essential for all festivals.
This versatile puffed and fried bread tastes great with almost all Bengali or Indian curries (veg and non-veg) and dal, just like our classic puri.
In some Bengali households, puffed luchi is served with sugar; you can also have this combo.
Storage Suggestions
I will not suggest you store prepared luchi, as it tastes good only when hot and puffed. You can instead store the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days.
Whenever you want to prepare luchi, take out the dough a few minutes before, prepare, and fry it in hot oil.
If you still have leftover fried luchi, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Reheat in a microwave, air fryer, or stovetop until hot before serving.
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Recipe Card
Bengali Luchi Recipe (Deep Fried Puffed Bread)
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (maida)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- warm water for kneading the dough (as required)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Add all-purpose flour, vegetable oil, and salt to a large mixing bowl (or parat).
- Mix all the ingredients using your fingertips until they are combined and a crumbly mixture is made.
- Add warm water little by little and knead to make a slightly soft dough (firmer than the roti dough but softer than the poori dough).
- Note – The consistency of the dough is very important to get the perfect luchi so keep that in mind. Do not add water all at once otherwise, the dough can become sticky.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep it aside on the counter for 20 minutes.
- Note – This resting time is very important as it helps relax the gluten and prevents the luchi from springing back when you roll them.
Roll The Luchi
- Knead the dough again for 3-4 minutes until it is very smooth.
- Divide the dough into small lime-size (1-inch) balls and press the balls between your palms slightly.
- Tip – Try to make the dough ball as round as possible. This will help you make round luchies.
- Apply little oil and roll the dough ball using a rolling pin into a 4-inch circle.
- Make 3-4 loochi in the same manner.
- Keep the rest of the dough balls covered with the moist cloth otherwise the surface of the dough will dry out.
Fry The Loochi
- Heat 4-5 cups of vegetable oil for frying in a medium-size deep karahi (deep pot) over high heat.
- When the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium.
- Note – The temperature of the oil is very important for the luchi to puff up. It should be very hot.
- Slip loochi in the hot oil and gently press it using a perforated spoon or a slotted spoon until it fluffs up.
- Do not over-fry. The color of the luchi is supposed to be white. If you fry it more, it will become brown in color.
- Flip gently and fry on the other side as well.
- Remove it to a plate lined with paper tissues.
- Fry the remaining rolled loochi and then simmer the heat to low.
- Now roll another batch of 4-5. Once they are rolled, increase the heat again and heat the oil nicely. Reduce the heat to medium and then fry the next batch.
- Keep rolling and frying the loochi in the same manner.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!