Luchi

It is maida rather than atta, and the oil is spooned over each one so it fills with air.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee).

Ingredients

400 g maida, or plain white flour
200 ml water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ghee, for the dough
2 tablespoons semolina, optional
ghee or oil for deep frying

Method

IT IS MAIDA RATHER THAN ATTA, AND THE OIL IS SPOONED OVER EACH ONE SO IT FILLS WITH AIR. Its article states both. On the flour it is explicit: luchi is made of maida, and is similar to puri, which is made with atta rather than maida. And on the frying: each luchi is fried INDIVIDUALLY, filling with air as the oil is SPOONED OVER IT, after which it is flipped and cooked until golden. So you are not submerging it and waiting -- you are ladling hot ghee over the top of a bread floating in the pan, which drives the puff from above while the base sets below.
WHITE FLOUR IS WHAT MAKES IT PALE, AND IT IS MEANT TO STAY PALE. A luchi fried to the gold of a puri has gone too far. Its article says golden brown, and the difference between the two breads on the plate is mostly colour: one white and soft, the other tan and crisp.
GHEE GOES INTO THE DOUGH AS WELL AS THE PAN. Its article names maida, water and ghee as the three ingredients. Three tablespoons rubbed into the flour first, which shortens it and keeps it tender.
SEMOLINA IS AN OPTION ITS ARTICLE ALLOWS. Two tablespoons, for a very slightly crisper surface.
THE SIZE IS GIVEN AND IT IS SMALLER THAN A PURI. Its article says 12.5 to 15 centimetres. Rolled thin and even.
IT IS FRIED IN A KARAHI, WHICH ITS ARTICLE NAMES. A deep, round-bottomed pan holds a pool of ghee deep enough to ladle from with a shallow quantity of fat, which is the whole reason for the shape.
ONE AT A TIME, AND THE SPOONING STARTS IMMEDIATELY. As it floats, start spooning hot ghee over the upper surface in a steady stream. It should dome within five seconds. Then flip, ten seconds more, and out.
IT IS EATEN WITH WET DISHES AND ITS ARTICLE NAMES TWO. Potato curry and dal, the first of which is dum aloo. Soft white bread is for mopping, not for scooping.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes