CRISP CUP-SHAPED LUCHI

(TULIP SHELL)

Luchis are a fried Bengali flatbread that inevitably make a bit of a mess when eaten with any type of curry. More a wrist-and-elbow type of food than finger food. Here, we tame the dripping luchi and transform it into a dainty, sophisticated, hors de oeuvre.

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Serves: 8 pieces

100 gm flour

Salt to taste

Refined oil to fry

1.	Sieve flour in a bowl. Make a ‘well’ in the centre, and add 10 ml oil and salt. Mix well.
2.	Add 30 ml water and knead the dough to a medium consistency enough to be able to roll out the dough.
3.	Cover the dough with a damp cloth for 1 hour.
4.	Knead the dough again and divide into 8 equal portions.
5.	Shape into roundels and lightly brush oil on each of them.
6.	Place them on a tray and cover with a damp cloth for 10 minutes.
7.	Take each roundel and press into a circular shape of roughly an 3-inch diameter.
8.	Heat oil in a pan.
9.	Take a wooden stick, of roughly 1-inch diameter and 1 feet in length. Place each circular shape prepared on the upper portion of the wooden stick and turn it down from all sides so that a cup-like shape is formed.
10.	Immerse the stick in the pan. The shell will begin to make a cup-like shape. Fry to a crispy texture and light brown colour.
11.	Repeat the process for the rest of the pieces.
12.	Serve hot.

Luchi with Aloor Dum (p 105) and Motorshuti Aloo Phulkopir Dalna (p 41)

Aloo Posto on Bread (p 43) and Smoked Hilsa on Brown Bread (p 49)