Make Lachha Paratha
If you'd like to serve a delicious and beautiful flatbread, make lachha paratha. This Northern Indian flatbread is made with whole wheat flour, salt, and ghee. Since it doesn't contain any leaveners, you'll need to roll the basic dough into circles. Fold each circle into long pleats and then roll the pleats into a bun. The rolled pleats will create a detailed swirl that separates into layers. Roll each bun out to a circle and fry them on a hot griddle or skillet until they brown. Serve the parathas with your favorite curry or biryani.
Contents
Ingredients
- 2 cups (259 g) whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta), plus more for rolling
- 6 1/2 (91 g) tablespoons ghee, divided
- Water
- Salt to taste
Makes 7 parathas
Steps
Making the Dough
- Combine the wheat flour, ghee, and salt. Measure 2 cups (259 g) of whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta) into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons (28 g) of the ghee and salt according to your taste. Stir the mixture until it's well combined.
- Knead in the water. Fill a small jug with water and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the water to the dough mixture. Use a wooden spoon or firm spatula to stir the dough. Continue stirring in a few tablespoons of water at a time until the dough comes together and becomes soft.
- Avoid adding too much water or the dough will become sticky and difficult to work with.
- The amount of water you'll need depends on your flour and the humidity in your kitchen.
- Rest the dough for 20 to 25 minutes. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it over the bowl with the paratha dough. The greased side should be facing down towards the dough. Set the dough aside for 20 to 25 minutes to rest.
Rolling the Lachha Parathas
- Divide the dough into 7 pieces. Remove the plastic wrap from the bowl and scoop the dough onto your work surface. Divide the dough into 7 even pieces. You can use a knife or bench scraper to cut the dough into equal-sized pieces or use a digital scale to portion out the pieces.
- Roll the dough pieces into circles. Sprinkle your work surface with extra whole wheat flour and set one of the dough pieces on it. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an 8-inch (20 cm) circle. Roll out each piece of dough into a circle.
- You may need to add extra flour to your work surface if the dough begins to stick.
- Brush the circles with ghee and sprinkle them with flour. Melt 7 teaspoons (33 g) of the ghee. Dip a pastry brush in the ghee and spread about 1 teaspoon (4 g) across each circle of dough. Sprinkle some extra whole wheat flour over each of the coated circles.
- Fold the circle of dough like a fan. Start at one end of the circle and fold the dough over about 1/2-inch (12 mm). Hold the folded part of the dough and fold it underneath the circle about 1/2-inch (12 mm). Keep doing this across the circle so you end up with pleated dough as though you were folding a fan.
- Try to press the folds together gently so they don't come unfolded.
- Swing the pleated dough. Pick up both ends of the pleated dough with both of your hands so the dough hangs between them. Gently twists your wrists while you hold the dough. This should make the paratha dough swing a little which will make it stretch.
- Stretching the dough a little will make more rings in your paratha.
- Roll the pleated dough into a circle and seal it. Place the pleated paratha circles back on your work surface. Hold one end of the paratha dough in place and take the long strip of pleated dough in the other hand. Twist the long end around the end that you're holding in place. This should make a circle (as though you're rolling a Swiss roll). Press the end of the dough to the circle to form a seal. Repeat this for each circle of paratha dough you folded.
- You can seal the end to the side of the dough or tuck it underneath near the center of the dough.
- Roll the paratha dough into circles. Sprinkle your work surface with more whole wheat flour. Set the folded circles of paratha dough on the work space. Use a rolling pin to roll each one out to a 6-inch (15 cm) circle.
- You may need to sprinkle more whole wheat flour to the surface or your rolling pin if the dough sticks.
Cooking the Lachha Parathas
- Heat a skillet. Set a nonstick skillet or tava on your stove. Turn the heat on to medium. Allow the skillet to fully heat before you add your paratha.
- Brush the parathas with more ghee. Melt another 7 teaspoons (33 g) of ghee. Dip the pastry brush in the ghee and brush some over each paratha circle. Turn the parathas over and brush the other side with ghee.
- Cook the paratha until they're slightly brown. Place one paratha in the heated skillet or tava. Cook the paratha for about 5 to 10 seconds. Use tongs to carefully flip it over and cook it for 10 to 15 seconds on the other side. Keep turning and cooking the paratha until both sides are lightly golden brown. This should take less than a full minute for each paratha. Serve the lachha parathas while they're warm.
- Store leftover parathas at room temperature for up to one day. You could also store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Digital scale
- Mixing bowls
- Nonstick skillet or tava
- Rolling pin
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Cooking spray
- Knife or bench scraper
