LACHHA PARATHA

Preparing Lachha Paratha, a multi layered shallow fried North Indian flat bread, is an epitome of cooking art which tells us how one can make delicious and tempting food from common unassuming ingredients by just organising a new technique in its preparation. This layered paratha is also popular as kerala parotha in Malabar region of Kerala.  This paratha can be made both with wheat flour or all purpose flour or you may take half –half proportion of both the flours. I used all purpose flour here for my recipe. I made this with a small variation as I added ajwain [carom seeds] in the dough. Ajwain helps in digestion making it easy to digest the lachha paratha. Plus it add a unique flavour to this paratha. Also add some oil in the flour while making a dough.This way the dough will become soft and smooth.   

Lachha paratha is one of the most popular parathas in North India, and the reason in evident as soon as you set sight on it! This layered paratha is quite appetising to look at, and even more interesting to bite into, because the layers separated by ghee a crumby, melt-in-mouth texture. Although it might initially seem difficult, it become quite easy once you’ve made one or two of them. So lets start, out with the rolling pins. Try our hand at this mouth- watering layered paratha.

Ingredients:

1 cup (for dough)+ ½ cup (for dusting) Maida (all purpose flour)

Warm water for kneading

1 tablespoon+ for shallow frying Oil or Ghee (clarified butter)

Salt

1 teaspoon Ajwain

Method:

METHOD 1 :

STEP 1 – Take 1 cup maida, 1 tablespoon oil and salt in a large bowl.

Knead smooth dough by mixing all ingredients and adding warm water in small incremental amounts (1 or 2 tablespoon at a time).

Addition of water in small quantities as required will prevent you from adding too much water to bind dough.

The dough should be soft like chapatti dough.

Grease surface of dough with teaspoon oil, cover it with a clean cloth and leave it to set at room temperature for 25 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 equal chunks and give each chunk a shape of ball.[ I had taken the double proportion ]

STEP 2 – Take one dough ball, flatten it like pattie (by pressing between your palms of against rolling board) and coat it with dry wheat flour.

STEP 3 – Roll out dough ball in a circular shape (approx.7-8 inch in diameter) or as thin as possible.

Now spread ½ teaspoon ghee or oil evenly over entire surface using brush or your hand

and sprinkle 1 teaspoon dry wheat flour over it.

STEP 4 – Hold approx. 1/3 inch wide strip with your first two fingers and thumb from the top edge of rolled raw paratha, lift

and fold backwards such that top edge remains on top.

STEP 5 – Now hold two ends of plited strip and repeat lift and fold backwards process until entire rolled paratha is like a stack of folded plits.

STEP 6 – Now hold each ends of long stacked-plited strip with your first two fingers and thumbs. Lift the strip slowly away from rolling board and give a few mild gentle swings. This will stretch the strip a bit.

STEP 7 – Horizontally place elongated strip on rolling board.

STEP 8 – Roll it like a swiss roll. Press and stick outer-end against roll’s immediate surface. Prepare remaining rolls.

STEP 9 – Take one roll and place it horizontally on rolling board. Coat it with dry wheat flour and roll it out gently without applying too much pressure and give it a round shape (approx.5-6 inches diameter).

STEP 10 – Heat tawa or griddle over medium flame. Place raw lachha paratha on a hot tawa.

When you see tiny bubbles rise on the surface, flip it upside down.

STEP 11 – Spread 1 teaspoon oil over each side with spatula and cook until both sides gets evenly spread golden-brown spots.

STEP 12 – Transfer to plate and spread butter or ghee as per your preference. Repeat process for remaining rolls. Soft and crispy parathas are ready. 

METHOD 2:

 STEP 1 – Follow the procedure till step no. 3.

STEP 2 – Using a knife slice the roti from centre till one end as shown here.

STEP 3 – Separate the two cuts and start folding one cut by rolling it slowing across the roti disc.

STEP 4 – Keep rolling until the roti dough takes a shape of cone.The lachha roti cone is ready. We will now fold the cone in such a way that it will form layers called lachha.

STEP 5 – Hold the cone in both hands and start rotating one end like a screw.

STEP 6 – Keep rotating until the roti dough forms nice layers.

STEP 7 – Now press the roti dough against palm and make a flat disc folding all the layers in between.

STEP 8 – Using both hands press the roti dough slightly so that it retains the new shape.

STEP 9 – We have finally rolled the roti dough incorporating all the layers within along with the ghee.  We are now ready to roll the dough into lachha roti.

STEP 10 – On a rolling board, keep the lachha roti ball.

STEP 11 – Sprinkle some wheat flour and press the dough against the rolling board.

STEP 12 – Roll the dough into roti/paratha shape round disk slowly and gently without spoiling the layers.

STEP 13 – The lachha roti is ready roast. We can now roast the roti on stove.

STEP 14 - The lachha roti is ready to roast. We can now roast the lachha roti on a pan without using oil. Heat a flat bottom non-stick pan (tawa) and place the lachha roti once hot. Roast the roti on hot tawa till it gets nice brown color.

STEP 15 – Spread 1 teaspoon oil/ ghee over each side

and cook until both sides gets evenly cooked.

Repeat the same with the rest of the dough. Lachha paratha is ready to serve.

Serve hot lachha parathas with any dal, palak paneer, dum aloo or tawa paneer or any veg /non veg curry.