Top ideas for side dishes with Luchis for perfect Bengali food combinations. Bengali Luchis are traditional Indian unleavened flatbreads, which are rolled and deep-fried in ghee or clarified butter. A quintessential part of the Bengali ranna recipe repertoire, it is often paired with Niramish Aloo Dum, or if someone is feeling indulgent, then Kosha Mangsho or Bengali Mutton Pot Roast.
In this article, I have shared some of the popular side dishes for luchis. You will get several easy Bengali food combinations and meal ideas for lunch or dinner, along with their recipes.
The star of million celebratory festive menus, the perfect couple to ‘Kosha Mangsho’, the makeshift after-meal dessert with Sugar, the next morning’s breakfast with a cup of cha! Oh! How could I forget the post-biyebari must of Luchi & Rosogolla’r Ros (syrup)? I know some of this might sound silly, but trust me when I say that Bengalis would have this with probably anything!!
How’s Luchi different than Pooris?
So, there’s always this question about how’s luchi different than pooris. Bengali luchis are made out of All-Purpose Flour or Maida. The dough will be needed with a generous amount of ghee or oil, some salt, and water. They are usually lightly fried so that they retain the white color, without getting the brown spots.
Since there’s a considerable amount of fat in the dough, they are usually crisper than pooris and they have a melt-in-the-mouth kind of texture.
How’s Luchi different than a Bhatura?
Bhaturas are most often made with All Purpose Flour or Maida, with an occasional addition of Semolina or Sooji. They are kneaded with sour curd or yogurt, which allows them to ferment. Bengali luchis are kneaded with plain water. Another difference is that Bhatura is usually bigger in size as compared to the luchis.
What to pair with Bengali Luchis? Popular side dish with Luchi
‘Luchi Tarkari’ is a very popular term in Bengali cuisine. Here, the tarkari stands for the side dishes often served with luchi. Colloquially it would mean a vegetarian side dish and is often served for breakfasts. On special occasions like Durga Puja, Poila Boishakh, or Jamai Sashthi, this humble luchi would be gloriously served with Kosha Mangsho or Bengali Mutton Curry.
This luchi is also served as ‘bhog-prasad’ to the deity during the puja ceremony. Here, it would be paired with vegetarian side dishes like Aloo Phoolkopir Dalna ( Bengali Aloo Gobhi or Potato-Cauliflower Curry) or Bandhakopir Dalna (Pattagobhi Sabji or Cabbage Stir-fry).
Here are some of the popular Bengali food combinations with Luchi for you to try:
Luchi & Kosha Mangsho or Bengali Mutton Curry
If you wish to please a Bengali bhojon-rosik bhodrolok or bhodromohila (loosely translated into food-loving guy or girl), then make some Luchi & Kosha Mangsho for lunch or dinner.
Luchi & Niramish Cholar Dal or Bengali Chana Dal
This cholar dal recipe is the ‘queen’ of Bengali vegetarian recipes, which can be found to be part of every menu. This is best served with luchis or Bengali pooris. Cooking with a pressure cooker makes life much simpler. All you need to do is cook it till it whistles a few times and then temper it with a handful of spices to sort your dinner in the quickest way.
Luchi & Aloo Chorchori for breakfast
We Bengalis hold our luchi aloo tarkari combination very close to our hearts. No celebration is complete without a sacrilegious meal of deep-fried luchi or Bengali pooris and a simple stew of potatoes.
Did you know that every family has a different Bengali aloo chorchori recipe in their kitty? Yes, adding multitude to the Bengali cuisine, you would often find that cooking in Bengali families differs from each other in terms of the same recipes. This is how I make Aloo Chorchori in my kitchen.
Luchi & Aloo Dum or Bengali Dum Aloo
In Bengali day-to-day cooking, there are some recipe combinations that are almost sacrilegious to mess around with. This Luchi Alur Torkari is something similar to that. It’s almost like if you think of luchi, either alur toraki or alur dom comes into your mind. This is a no-onion, no-garlic Bengali dum aloo recipe, which is also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
Kumro Chechki or Pumpkin Stir-fry
The Internet is abuzz with a million niramish ranna dishes from Bengali cuisine. But very few are traditionally authentic. This was one of the major reasons why I got into recipe blogging in the first place. A chechki is a special type of stir-fry where veggies would be cut longitudinally and cooked in mustard oil and a choice of spices, without adding any water. This goes without saying that kumror chechki can be best experienced with luchis or Bengali pooris.
Aloor Jhal | Bengali Potato Curry
This Aloor Jhal recipe is just perfect for those days when you are running low in terms of both time and energy. What if I tell you that there is no frying, no sautéing, baking, or grinding involved in this recipe? Yes, and that’s absolutely true. It is absolutely a one-pot recipe that is done in flat 10 mins.
Traditionally, this meal combination is for breakfasts but this one is equally well suited for lunches or dinners.
These are some of the traditionally popular side dishes paired with Bengali luchis. Apart from these, there are a number of Chicken recipes that can be paired as well.
There are some popular niramish ranna side dishes that can be paired with Bengali luchis for the perfect festive Bengali food combination
Luchi can also be served with Bengali sweet dishes such as
Have you tried this recipe? I would love to hear about it.
Tag me on Instagram @priyankabhattacharya.sa or Facebook @hashdiaries and I will share it further.
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