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Authors: Neelam Batra
Lucchiyan
Makes 8 to 10 breads
There are 2 types of deep-fried
lucchi
breads. The first type (popular in the northern states of Kashmir and Punjab) are 8- to 9- inches in diameter, paper-thin
poories
made with all-purpose flour. These are almost white and are quite chewy, because the bread is taken out of the oil quickly and not allowed to brown or become crispy in the hot oil. Because of their size and thinness, these breads are usually bought from special eateries. They are not usually made at home.
The second type of
lucchi
breads (a specialty of Bengal), are 4- to 5- inches in diameter and puff up just like
poories
, except they are made with all-purpose flour (instead of whole-wheat) and are usually served at all mealtimes, instead of
chapati
or other flatbreads.
1 cup all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil or melted ghee
About
1
⁄
2
cup water
1.
Place the flour, salt, and oil (or ghee) in the work bowl of a food processor and process about 30 seconds to mix. With the motor running, add the water in a thin stream, and process until it gathers into a ball. Continue to process until the sides of the bowl look clean, 20 to 30 seconds. (Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more flour if the dough sticks to the sides of the work bowl, and some water if the dough seems hard.)
2.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and let rest for at least 1 and up to 4 hours. (This allows the wheat gluten to develop.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.
3.
Shape and fry the poories (as described in
Basic Deep-Fried Puffed Breads
).
Deep-Fried Leavened Flour Breads
Bhaturaae
Makes 14 to 16 breads
A specialty of north India,
bhaturas
are another popular type of
poori
bread. Like the
lucchi
breads, they are made with all-purpose flour (plus some semolina) and are deep-fried. But
bhaturas
are leavened and are therefore much thicker, spongier, and have a little more texture.
1
3
⁄
4
cups all-purpose flour
1
⁄
2
cup fine-grain semolina
1 teaspoon sugar
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3
⁄
4
to 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl or a pie dish for coating and dusting
1.
Place the flour, semolina, sugar, salt, and yeast in a food processor and process until mixed, about 30 seconds.
2.
With the motor running, add yogurt through the feeder tube until the dough gathers into a ball and the sides of the work bowl look clean, 20 to 30 seconds. (If the dough seems too sticky, add some more flour through the feeder tube.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and place in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in volume, at least 4 and up to 8 hours. (This allows the yeast to ferment and multiply, causing the dough to rise.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.
3.
With lightly oiled clean hands, divide the dough equally into 14 to 16 round balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips, and coat well with the dry flour. Then, transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into 6 to 7-inch circle. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.)
4.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until it reaches 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer, or until a piece of dough dropped into the hot oil bubbles and rises to the top immediately. Carefully place the rolled bhatura into the hot oil. Almost instantly it will rise to the top and start to puff up. With the back of a large slotted spatula, quickly press lightly on the puffed top surface and submerge it back into the oil, then release. This will guide the air towards the flatter portions, and cause it to balloon into a complete round, 10 to 15 seconds.
5.
Turn the bhatura over once to cook the other side until golden. Bhaturas should be lightly golden on both sides, not brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain, and serve immediately.
Variation:
Like
paranthas
and
poories
, bhaturas can be stuffed. Refer to
Stuffings for Parantha Breads
for examples.
Oven-Grilled Naan and Other Breads
Naan
breads are the crispy triangular breads so popular in Indian restaurants. Traditionally, they are made with all-purpose flour and are grilled by slapping them against the walls of a super-hot
tandoor
. Once inside the
tandoor
, they absorb some of the intoxicating smoky aroma from the burning coals, cook quickly and simultaneously from the back to the front, and, because they cook so fast, moisture gets locked inside. All this results in extraordinarily moist and flavorful breads that are as good as they sound—crispy on the outside and moist inside, and almost impossible to reproduce without a
tandoor
.
However, making similar breads under the broiler of a conventional oven is the next best thing. For this you can use a baking or broiling tray, or a pizza stone. The stone, of course, is the better alternative, because once heated, it retains its heat and the breads can cook simultaneously from the top and bottom.
Basic Oven-Grilled Leavened Breads
Tandoori Naan
Makes 10 to 12 breads
This basic recipe is made with refined all-purpose flour and is cooked under the broiler. These
naans
have yogurt in the dough, for a vegan alternative, use water in its place.
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1
⁄
4
cup warm water (about 110°F)
1
⁄
2
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour
1
⁄
4
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl or a pie dish, for coating and dusting
1
⁄
4
cup melted butter or ghee, for basting (optional)
1.
For the dough, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside until frothy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the yogurt and oil.
2.
Place the flour and salt in the food processor and process until mixed. With the motor running, pour the yeast mixture into the work bowl in a thin stream and process until the flour gathers into a ball and the sides of the processor are clean. (If the dough seems too sticky, add some more flour through the feeder tube, or add some more yogurt if the dough is dry and hard.) Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap or the lid of the bowl, and place in a warm draft-free spot until it doubles in volume, 3 to 4 hours. (This allows the yeast to ferment and multiply, causing the dough to rise.) If keeping for a longer period, refrigerate the dough.
3.
To roll and grill the naan breads, with clean, lightly oiled hands, divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 balls and cover with foil to prevent drying. Working with each ball of dough separately, place in the bowl with the dry flour, flatten it with your fingertips and coat well with the dry flour. Then transfer to a cutting board or any other clean flat surface and, with a rolling pin, roll into a 7- to 8-inch triangle. (If the dough sticks to the rolling surface, dust with more flour.)
4.
Place on large baking trays or, if you have a separate broiler, place on the broiler trays—3 to 4 per tray. With a basting brush or your fingers, lightly baste the top of each naan with water. (This prevents them from drying out.)
5.
Preheat the oven to broil or preheat the broiler, and place the trays, one at a time, 4 to 5 inches below the heating element and broil until small brown spots appear on the top surface, about 1 minute. With a spatula, carefully, turn each naan over and cook until the other side is golden, about 30 seconds. Transfer the naan breads to a platter, baste lightly with butter, if you wish, and serve hot.
Oven-Grilled Breads with Different Flavors
The basic recipe for all
naan
breads essentially stays the same. Variations come from the addition of herbs, spices, and other aromatics. These can be added to the dough before rolling, or they can be pressed onto the surface of the dough after rolling.
The following recipes are some popular flavors to try with the recipe for
Basic Oven-Grilled Leavened Breads
.
Oven-Grilled Garlic and Turmeric Breads
Lussan Haldi kae Naan
Makes 10 to 12 breads
Instead of basting the dough with the flavoring, simply put the peeled fresh garlic and turmeric into the work bowl in Step 2 and process along with the rest of the dough ingredients. Then baste the rolled-out
naan
with the butter or
ghee
.
Basic Oven-Grilled Leavened Breads
3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon melted butter or ghee
1
⁄
4
teaspoon turmeric
1.
Prepare the bread dough through Step 4 of
Basic Oven-Grilled Leavened Breads
. Then, in a small food processor, process together the garlic, butter (or ghee), and turmeric to make a smooth paste.