Welcoming the Goddess
The Hindu calendar follows the lunar phases and so it’s a little different from our well known English calendar from January to December. As the Gregorian and the Hindu calendars do not tally the timing of Durga Puja also shifts yearly from Late September to late October. This time the Puja starts on 24th September; the day being Shasthi, welcoming the goddess to earth.
My grand mother used to tell me different stories of the goddess. One such was the welcoming of the goddess. According to the Hindu mythology, Devi Durga is the daughter of the King of Himalayas. Every year on the Shasthi of the Bengali month of Ashwin, she comes down from Kailash, the abode of her husband, Lord Shiva to earth. She stays here for the next four days and goes back to Kailash. The goddess doesn’t come alone; she comes along with her four children, two daughters and two sons, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Karthik.
The Celebration
While listening to these stories, as a kid I used to become spell bound and dreamt about how the goddess with her four children would come down to earth. Years have passed, and there is nobody to tell me stories nowJ. But the feeling of happiness, the planning to go pandal hopping, meeting friends, and above all buying new clothes and eating out – make this time the best month of the year.
From today the ninth day is Shasthi. Kolkata is getting decked up with the minute decorations of this grand festival. The clay idols of the goddess are almost ready except for the last coat of paint. At Cook Like a Bong we decided on celebrating this festival with an event and publishing our first eBook on Shasthi this year. Also, I’ll be posting about the different recipes that you can try out during the four days of celebration; starting today.
Bongs love for luchi
A breakfast with some luchi, alu dum and sandesh will make the day for any Bong. Bengalis cannot get enough of these fluffy fried phulkas. Luchi, luuchi, lucchi, poori, puri, phulka – whatever one can call them, but to any Bong it’s an essence of pure ecstasy. The taste and smell of luchi enhances if fried in ghee. So, while frying the rolled out luchi, you can add half the volume of ghee with sunflower oil. Will tell you the recipe for this curry in my later post.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour (Maida): 2 cups
Carom seeds (Jowan/Ajwain): 1teaspoon
Sunflower oil (Sada tel): For deep frying
Salt: ½ teaspoon
Water: 1 ½ cup
Preparation:
- Take the flour in a big bowl, carom seeds, salt and 2 tablespoon of oil
- Mix the ingredients well to form a sandy mixture
- Pour in half the water and knead the dough to almost dry
- Then again pour the other half of water and knead well
- If you feel the dough is not sticking to your palm, then its ready
- Keep the dough for about 40mins covered with a wet muslin cloth
- Divide the dough into 20 small balls, dip half the balls in oil for lubrication and roll the balls to 4-5 inch diameter circles
- Heat oil for frying in a deep wok till smoking hot
- Reduce the flame and slide in the rolled out poori
- Press the luchi, while frying with the back of a slotted spatula, this helps in making the luchis fluffy
- Take out of flame and place in a colander to let the luchis drain out the excess oil
- Serve with any thick gravy curry (veg or non-veg)
Hot Tips: Don’t drop the rolled out pooris into the heated oil, oil may splash out. Luchi even tastes good with granulated sugar or payesh, try it. You can use atta instead of maida but that makes the luchi look darker on color. You can even leave out the carom seeds while preparing luchi.
Further Readings: Bong Mom’s Luchi Preparation, Wiki Puri
Let us know your likings and memories of luchis or pooris, and don’t forget to send in your entries to the blog event ending 22nd September.
Hi
I have tried but they turn crispy like papad
please let me know where I went wrong
Hi Moumita,
It is probably because of the way you are kneading the flour. Dont press it too hard. Hope this helps
Hi I tried to make luchi but they all became crispy not soft at all let me know where I went wrong
I tried but I could not make the dough – all my effort went in vain.
Hi Madan,
Its probably because you had poured more water than required. Just add little water to the flour at a time and knead it well. I hope this helps. Wish you luck 🙂
Those look delightful! something for me to try for my kids who love pooris…..this will be different. 🙂
.-= Trupti´s last blog ..Announcing: JFI- PANEER ( November 2009) =-.
Trupti,
I am sure your kids will love the luchis :).
i like to know more about your customs very interesting.we celebrate differently.
Kamala,
We’ll post more on the customs of this autumn festival.Do let us know how you celebrate this autumn time. We would be happy to feature in our eBook.
I must try this, looks so perfect and yumm.
.-= Happy Cook´s last blog ..Spelt Cinamon Raisin Buns =-.
Thanks so much for your compliments. 🙂
hi Sudeshna,
The post spills so much of happiness and excitement of the up coming festival 🙂 wishishing you luck with the book and the event!
Luchis are a royal indulgence 🙂 love it with the yummm side dishes you’ve mentioned n yes it tastes amazing with payesh!
Thanks for the recipe.
Happy hosting and feasting 🙂
Suparna,
Thanks a lot for your wishes, will be happy to get some recipes from you
Wow, phulko Luchi….jibe jal asche dekhe, Sudeshna…I didn’t send my entries yet, but sending u soon..I’ve posted another recipe today for ur event..will try to send if time permits
Will be waiting for your entries, you can send in some archived posts also for the event.
Sudeshna, I’ll try to send something good for the event. Btw .. luchi is not called phulka … a roti is. Phulko luchi dekhte o ar kheteo darun! 🙂
.-= Sharmila´s last blog ..Roti ke Laddoo =-.
Sharmila, even I was aware that phulka means our “hate kaura” ruti, but while searching for some links in google for luchi, I found that phulka was also mentioned in those posts referring to our well known luchis, so just thought of adding it for SEO 🙂
Well, my kids, ( now grown) fail to understand why I can’t get my luchis to fluff up anymore. Disuse I guess. Am I putting too much water or what? My parathas , ruti, and naan are out of the world. Just cannot get the luchis anymore. Its something wrong I do with the dough. Can you help.
Its probably because you are kneading the dough too much. Try adding warm water to knead the dough and little oil to it. I hope this helps. 🙂
Soft and fluffy luchis looks gorgeous!
.-= Priya´s last blog ..White Radish Omelette =-.
Thanks Priya, please do send in your entries for the blog event.