The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life From the Heart of my Home: Pumpkin Methi Luchi

These are delicious, flaky, fry bread made with pumpkin and dried Methi leaves. This vegan fry bread is delicious to serve for holidays.

Luchis are flaky and tasty fry breads made with all purpose flour and not whole wheat flour. They are also traditional in Indian cuisine. That makes them different from the traditional poori.

Luchis are amazing and it takes in any flavor added to it. So, it is possible to flavor them in innumerable ways. Any puréed fresh produce will impart its typical flavor and color to the luchis. The dough absorbs the color and flavor. This provides wide flavor combinations too. Luchis can be transformed to single flavored luchis like this one, or with multiple flavors. This tri color Luchi is colored and flavored with spinach, carrots and tomatoes, and the plain one. It is fun to create flavored Luchi, and serve them too!

This is the season of pumpkins. They add beautiful color and flavor to any food to which it is added to. These luchis get the color and flavor of pumpkin, making it a perfect one to enjoy during this season.

Methi leaves aka called fenugreek leaves are used in this recipe. Methi leaves have a bitter taste and have medicinal properties. Methi acts as a body coolant and also lowers blood glucose level. This herb is a great choice for diabetic friendly recipes. I have used dried Methi leaves. Just like in this Bajra Methi Poori. The dried and fresh ones are available in Indian groceries. Frozen ones are also available and I buy the frozen Methi leaves often to make Aloo Methi or Methi Butternut Squash Pulao, paneer curry, or sambhar. Dried Methi leaves are added to many of our curries too adding a final touch to the flavors. Pumpkin and Methi are a wonderful combo. The flavors pair well and this Luchi is a confirmation of the same.

This recipe uses pumpkin purée. Canned pumpkin purée is great to use as it saves time too. If you have time, steam or roast pumpkin, purée, and use them. When buying make sure to get the one labeled as pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Both are not the same, they are different. The pie filling will have added flavors in it to make a pie. It won’t be neutral. The unflavored, and pure pumpkin purée only works in this recipe. The pumpkin purée can also be used to make this delicious paratha, rolls, or quick breads. Make sure to try these recipes too.

Luchis and poori are comfort food. They can be served with comforting Veggie Dal, Aloo Masala, Lumina Pumpkin Olan, Green Sagu, and check here for more curries. This Luchi can be served as Main with these curries.

When making these Luchi, keep in mind that it requires a resting time of about 30 minutes to an hour. The dough will not require uch water for kneading. The pumpkin puree has the wetness and sprinkle water as needed to make the dough. This will help in low resistance when you roll them. Also, the luchis can be made a couple of hours ahead, but not too long. The flakiness will be lost. Two to four hours ahead would be perfect.

This Pumpkin Luchi is a great side to serve for festive feasts during the holidays. This Luchi makes every occasion special. Since it is made with pumpkin, it is more apt to serve for Thanksgiving too. Welcome to Holiday Side Dish Week 2022 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks. This year we have over 45 side dishes to help you plan your holiday meals. Thanks, Heather!

Ingredients

Makes 25-26

Prep time: 10 min

Resting time:30-60 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

All-purpose flour - 2 cups

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Water - 3 to 4 tsp

Pumpkin puree - 1/2 cup plus1 tbsp

Dried methi (fenugreek) leaves - 3 tsp, crushed

Oil - 3 to 4 cups for frying

Method

Add the all-purpose flour, salt, dried methi leaves, 1 tablespoon oil, and pumpkin puree and mix thorougly. Sprinkle three to four teaspoons of water as needed and knead to a smooth and soft dough. Cover and rest for an hour.

Divide the dough into 26 portions. Roll into 6-7in. diameter discs, dusting with flour as necessary during this process.

Heat the oil over medium heat. When it is hot enough, carefully slide a rolled disc, gently push with a slotted spoon, swirl around and let it puff. Flip and cook for 40-60 seconds. Remove from the oil, drain the excess oil in a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining discs.