LUCHI O CHOLAR DAL

Be at the breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, Luchi / Puffed Bread is an all time favourite at Bengali homes. In fact, luchi or poori is part of our identity for an Indian besides rice. Luchi is considered a main and with it many a veg and non-veg sides do go .... depending on the time you are having it. If it is for the breakfast, we have it with Chola / Chana / Bengal Gram dal, Dum Aloo... if for the lunch... luchi and mangsho [chicken or mutton curry] is what the Bongs crave for. Luchi comes as very handy for us. A sudden guest at home, we always have the options of preparing it and serving it with a dal or potato curry, a home made dessert alongside, makes the platter complete.complete. Luchi / Poori is a saviour in our home. The easiest way to bring smile to my bread loving men is serving them Luchi. It is easier for me to do as it is not a time consuming process like stuffed flat breads. I serve luchi with various kinds of veggies at different times. This time it is served with cholar dal made with a twist. Instead of doing the lentil curry with coconut, I used some tomato sauce in it. Few years back I saw a catering house in Calcutta doing it this way. Given here are the  recipes of both luchi and cholar dal.

INGREDIENTS : [for the luchi / Puffed Bread]

Refined Flour : 200-250 gm
Salt : 2 pinches
Oil : 2tbsp + 100 ml to fry
Water : As Required

INGREDIENTS : [for the Bengal Gram Dal]

Chana Dal [Bengal Gram] : 100gm
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric powder : 1tsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Green Chilli : 2-3 [slitted]
Dry Red Chilli : 2 [halved]

Bayleaf : 1
Tomato Ketchup : 1/2 small tea cup
Oil : 1tbsp

METHOD :

Let us prepare the dough first. Take the refined flour in a bowl. Add the salt and 2tbsp oil to it.

Rub well for 1-2 minutes.

Add the water little by little, and keep rubbing until a smooth dough is formed. This may take 7-8 minutes.

Once done, cover the dough with a moist piece of cloth. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

For the Dal, soak it overnight in enough of water or soak it in hot water for 2 hours.

Pressure cook up to 2 whistles.

Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds, bayleaf and halved dry red chillies.

Add the ginger paste and saute for 1 minute. Add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt. Saute for 1/2 a minute. Add the tomato sauce, mix well.

Pour the dal and fold in well. Pour 1small cup of water and the slitted green chillies. Let boil for few minutes.

Now let us fry the the Luchi.

Remove the wet towel from the dough. Rub again for a minute. Make small balls out of the dough.

With help of the rolling pin and base, roll out small round shaped luchi. Apply little oil while rolling the luchis.

Heat 100 ml oil in the wok. Here is the trick. The oil should not be too hot or towards cold. It should be moderate for getting fluffy luchi.

Fry them one by one. Once one side puffs up, turn over, as it puff, transfer onto a tissue paper to get rid of the excess oil.

Serve hot with the Cholar dal and rosogolla.