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Lachha paratha
لچھا پراٹھا (lachha paratha): a pleated, coiled wholewheat paratha with dozens of crisp, flaky layers
PakistaniThe word lachha means a coil or a hank of thread, and the best way to understand the bread is to watch a paratha-maker at a Peshawar or Lahore breakfast stall pleat a thin sheet of ghee-smeared dough like a paper fan, wind it into a snail and roll it out again. On the tawa the layers separate into rings of crisp, flaky dough that you can pull apart with your fingers, and a quick scrunch between the palms when it comes off the heat opens them up even more. It is the paratha for Sunday breakfasts with omelette or chana, for Eid lunches with qorma and for weddings beside tandoori dishes. What lets most home cooks down is a stingy hand with the ghee between the pleats, which welds the layers back together. Chef's tip: dust each greased sheet with a little dry flour before pleating; the flour and ghee together keep the layers apart as they cook.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz wholewheat flour (chapati atta)
- 3 /4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ¾ cup waterabout
For layering and cooking
- 6 tbsp gheemelted
- 2 tbsp plain flour (maida)for dusting the layers
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz wholewheat flour (chapati atta) and 3 /4 tsp salt, rub in 1 tbsp ghee and add ¾ cup water gradually, kneading for 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
Step 2: Cover and rest for 15 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough rolls thin.
Step 3: Divide the dough into four balls and roll one into a very thin round about 25 cm across.
Step 4: Brush the round with 2 teaspoons of 2 ⅜ tbsp ghee and sprinkle it lightly with 2 tbsp plain flour (maida).
Step 5: Starting at one edge, pleat the sheet back and forth into a 2 cm wide fan, like folding paper, then stretch the pleated strip gently to lengthen it.
Step 6: Coil the strip into a tight spiral, tuck the end underneath and press it flat; repeat with the other balls and rest the coils for 5 minutes.
Step 7: Roll each coil gently into a 16 cm round, pressing only lightly so the layers are not crushed.
Step 8: Cook on a tawa over a medium heat for about 1 minute until light brown spots appear underneath, then flip.
3 minStep 10: Take the hot paratha off the heat and scrunch it between your palms (or two spatulas) to open the layers, then serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lachha paratha take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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