I had quite a few requests to post my recipe of Luchi – the fried Indian flatbread.
At the outset, let me tell you that it’s not healthy. It’s deep fried. It’s sinful. It’s amazing. It’s awesome. It’s addictive. It’s famous.
This little flatbread is a culinary trademark of traditional North Indian cooking. You possibly will never find an Indian house that has not cooked some form of this bread. In Northern India, they mostly use wheat flour, but in Eastern part of India, All-Purpose flour is the one that is used to make the dough.
Making of Luchi almost always signifies a special occasion. It does make a regular appearance in many households as Sunday breakfast, though the number has dwindled over the years as health consciousness increased. My immensely picky 9 year old can eat multiples without batting an eyelid and still ask for more, and hope he can have the left-overs too the next day.
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp olive oil/ melted ghee
- Enough warm water to make a soft spongy dough
- 1 tbsp oil extra
- ½ tsp salt
- A long handled slotted spoon
- Oil to deep fry
- Rolling pin
- Sift flour and salt together in a kneading bowl
- Make a 'well' in the middle.
- Fill it with oil/melted ghee.
- Using your fingers, mix it well.
- Add water, and knead till well.
- Roll it and knead till it forms a soft but firm ball of dough.
- Beat on it with your knuckles, till it's flattened, nice and springy to touch.
- Slather the extra tbsp of oil all over the dough.
- Cover it with a towel and keep aside of 15 minutes.
- Heat oil till it's almost smoking, but should not smoke.
- At this point, drop a tiny ball of dough into the oil. If it sinks, the oil is not hot enough. If it starts crackling and rises to the surface, it's ready.
- Take a small ball of dough, about 1-1/2 inch thick, dip it in a little oil, and roll it gently into a thin flat disc. It should not be more than 4 inches in diameter.
- Drop the rolled out dough in the oil.
- Using the long handled slotted spoon, gently start pressing it as it starts frying.
- It will start puffing.
- Turn it over, and then press down with the spoon for 5-10 seconds.
- Drain and transfer it to the bread basket.
- Repeat till all Luchis are done.
- Serve with side of Aloo Dum (recipe coming soon).
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