Luchi is a traditional Bengali style deep-fried puffed bread made using all-purpose flour. Here is how to make it.
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 This Recipe
Each cuisine in Indian has something delicious to offer and the same goes with the Bengali cuisine. A cuisine that is high on flavors and taste, I love making it at home. And my favorite of all is Luchi and Aloo Dum.
Luchi is a deep-fried puffed and beautiful white bread made of all-purpose flour that is popular in Bengali, Assamese, Maithili, and Oriya cuisine.
Traditionally, these were fried in ghee and that gave it a very peculiar taste. I sometimes fry them in ghee too but vegetable oil works fine as well.
Be it a festive time or just that 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 as 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, isn’t it?
This Bengali Luchi Bread is,
- Deep Fried
- Delicious
- Flaky yet Soft
- Vegan
- A Bengali favourite
Ingredients
You will need just 5 ingredients, that I am sure will be available in your pantry – All Purpose Flour, Vegetable Oil, Salt, and Warm Water.
Traditionally they are prepared with just all-purpose flour, but if you want to give it a healthy twist, you can add in a little whole wheat flour too.
You can deep fry them in ghee too instead of vegetable oil. Use only warm water to get the consistency and texture of the dough right.
How to make Luchi?
Start by making 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.
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 firm dough. The consistency of the dough is important to get the perfect luchi. Make it tight as you would make for poori. Do not add water all at once otherwise, the dough can become sticky. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside on the counter for 20 minutes.
Knead the dough again for 3-4 minutes until it is very smooth.
Heat 4-5 cups of vegetable oil for frying in a medium-size deep karahi (deep pot) over high heat. Divide the dough into small lime size (1 inch) balls and press the balls between your palms slightly to make a circle.
Apply little oil and roll the dough ball 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.
When the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium. 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 strainer ladle 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 on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. 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 luchi in the same manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Luchi is a Bengali puffed deep fried bread made using maida or all-purpose flour while Puri is North Indian style puffed bread made using whole wheat flour.
Luchi is very lightly fried and is almost without any brown spots while puri is fried until slightly browned. It is much softer than poori since it is made using maida and some ghee is added to the dough as well.
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
It goes very well with vegetable sabji or aloo dum and is a popular breakfast in Bengal and Bangladesh. Luchi with kosha mangsho (Bengali mutton curry) or cholar dal is a must for all festivals.
This is a versatile puffed and fried bread, that tastes great with almost all the Bengali or Indian curries (veg and non-veg) and dal, just like our classic puri.
Storing 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.
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Recipe Card
Luchi Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- warm water for kneading the dough (as required)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Start by making 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.
- 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 firm dough. The consistency of the dough is important to get the perfect luchi. Make it tight as you would make for poori. Do not add water all at once otherwise, the dough can become sticky. Cover it with a damp cloth and keep it aside on the counter for 20 minutes.
- Knead the dough again for 3-4 minutes until it is very smooth.
- Heat 4-5 cups of vegetable oil for frying in a medium-size deep karahi (deep pot) over high heat. Divide the dough into small lime size (1 inch) balls and press the balls between your palms slightly to make a circle.
- Apply little oil and roll the dough ball 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.
- When the oil is very hot, reduce the heat to medium. 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 strainer ladle 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 on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. 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 luchi in the same manner.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!