My Notes on Phulko Luchi

• Traditionally, luchi is made with all-purpose flour only. It’s called Maida’r Luchi in Bengali.
• However, in many homes these days the use of maida has been toned down. 
• What I do is, mix 1 cup wheat atta with 2 cups of maida and knead the dough with about two tablespoons canola/vegetable oil.
• The dough for luchi has to be hard and not soft like the kind we knead for chapatis.
• I knead my dough and keep it covered for about an hour and then knead it again to tighten it up and smoothen out any air bubbles.
• Poke a finger to your dough, if you see a dimple form, you know your Luchi’r dough is perfect. 
• In other words, your dough should be like a baby's bottom!
• Divide the dough into slightly smaller-than-a-lime-size balls.
• Round each ball by rolling it between the palms of your hands.
• Roll out each luchi by slightly contacting the ball of dough with the warm oil from the karhai/wok. Luchi should be evenly rolled out and thin.
• Luchi should be made in a round karhai. Usually it was a cast iron wok, large enough to fit a couple of luchis at one time. Modern day kitchens have replaced the traditional kodai/karhai with non-stick woks which work fine as well.
• Heat vegetable/canola oil until almost smoking, and slide in the luchi. One at a time. 
• With a jhanjhra/slotted spoon, press lightly to fluff up the luchi. 
• Turn the luchi before it gets brown. Many families also add a pinch of sugar to their dough to get extra caramelization on their luchi, as sugar burns up quickly. You can do away with it.
• It takes just a few seconds to deep fry a luchi.
• Keep each puffed up luchi on paper towels for the excess oil to drain off.
• Serve as you make them or immediately. 
• Luchi is best eaten with chholaar dal, mota-mota alu bhaja, begun bhaja, shada alur chorchori, kosha mangsho, ghugni, payesh, or kheer.
• Jam, chini, jhola gur, bonde, doi, jilipi come a close second! ;-)