LUCHI r MANGSHO :

Luchi r Mangsho: Many a conversations can start when this duo is simply mentioned.And when this becomes a meal, any Bong soul will be on food heaven. Iconic would be a better term when describing this culinary combo. Luchi are small fried Indian bread, which swell up, once they hit the oil. Its a common saying that the culinary worth of the chef is often judged, as to how many of the luchis made by them are soft and fluffy. In that category, I guess, I would be scoring a mediocre score,as not all my luchis swell up the way I want them to. I get a 50 percent success rate,when it comes to Luchis fluffing up in the oil, and I am never too happy about it. When many of my blogger friends assured me, that they have all been there, and some still have a similar success rate, I felt courageous, and decided on Luchi being a part of all the feasting we were doing for the Labor Day Weekend. Hubby decided to take care of the combo: He whipped up a Kosha Mangsho, loaded with flavors.

I am considered as a Luchi snob by all those who know me. And I am proud of it. I want my Luchi to be white, soft and fluffy. Sorry MIL, your Ata luchis do not work for me.If you use Ata, to make Luchi, then that is not Luchi, that becomes the Non-Bengali Puri.When I have Luchi or I make some, its always Maida which works for me. I will eat less, but when I eat, I will give calorie count a miss. I can surely work out a bit more the next few days, to shed all that Maida flab, but I cannot compromise with my Luchi.  I am in Luchi heaven when Mom or my childhood governess Koiya, (She is now a part of the family and spends her days at my parent's house: I love her to bits) makes them. One can never compare the Luchis they make, to anyone making them anywhere. Every Luchi seems like a work of art, now that I think about it. Its simply perfect. Whether paired with some sugar, or a runny potato curry with nigella seeds or even curried goat meat, Luchi from Mom or Koiya's kitchen is simply like first love. A taste which you can never forget and which you can never replicate or replace. Nostalgia !

Coming back to the latest Luchi episode. Labor Day weekend was supposed to be a potluck dinner, but then it turned out to be a dinner, where everyone decided to help in the prep work somehow, rather than making separate dishes themselves. A potluck with a difference. As long as the menu was not changed, it did not matter to me. Last minute phone calls to Ma and Koiya in Kolkata, and loads of help from my blogger friends, and Luchi was done. Deb had cooked the most decadent Kosha Mangsho(Goat Meat Curry). We could not wait to dig in. The Long weekend ended on the tastiest possible note. All our Bong souls were smiling the most beaming smiles.

LUCHI r MANGSHO: 

MANGSHO: Debashish re-created his Golbarir Mangsho to be paired with the Luchi. It was lip smacking !

LUCHI: 
Recipe courtesy: BongMom
serves 4 

Ingredients: 
Maida/All purpose flour: 2cups
Canola Oil(for shortening): 1 1/2 tbsp
Luke warm water
Salt
Canola Oil: for frying the Luchi

Procedure: 

In a large mixing bowl, add in the flour, the salt, and the canola oil(shortening) and mix well, till the oil is well incorporated.

Add in the water and make a dough. Knead the dough for some time, till its smooth to the touch.

Make some balls of the dough, slightly smaller than a ping pong ball, and keep them aside. Smaller Luchis are always tastier.

Oil the rolling pin and the rolling board and roll out the luchis from the small dough balls and kee them on a few plates. Make sure that you do not keep the rolled out luchis one on top of another or else they will stick to each other.

Heat the Canola Oil in a deep pan. If the oil is not hot, then then Luchi will not fluff up. Add in the Luchis one at a time, and fry them. Turn them once, but don't let them get brown in the Oil. Remove from Oil, to a plate lined with paper towels.

Serve hot with Kosha Mangsho(or anything that you love to pair your luchi with.)

Bon appetit !!