How to Make Lachha Paratha

Indian flatbreads like parathas have been a part of Indian cuisine since at least the 12th century, and this is just the documented part of our culinary history! We have relied on flatbreads like rotis and parathas to be the vessels that carry our gravies, vegetable preparations, and culinary traditions, all in one bite. Today, we shall dive deep into another roti variation- the lachcha paratha.

Lachcha parathas have originated from Punjab. The word ‘lachcha’ actually means ‘ring’ in Punjabi. This moniker is given to this dish because the paratha is made by pleating dough to form ring-like flaky layers. The lachcha paratha is made with whole wheat, and it has a distant but not so different cousin, which is the Malabar parotta, which originated from the Malabar region of Kerala. The only main difference between these two is that Malabar parottas are usually made with refined flour and hence are soft and chewy, while the Punjabi lachcha paratha is flaky and crispy due to the whole-wheat flour base.

Lachcha parathas have been an integral part of Punjabi cuisine for years and can be made on stove-top tawas or even in tandoors! The beauty of this paratwala paratha, which is another regional name for the lachcha, is that it derives its flakiness from many layers that are made crispy by generous applications of ghee or oil. In essence, it is an Indian version of a puff pastry in the sense that the addition of fat and layer formation is the same.

How to Make Lachcha Paratha

Lachcha paratha is made from a dough that is common to most parathas and rotis. It requires 4 ingredients, namely, flour, salt, ghee/oil, and water. You can even add some spices like chaat masala or garam masala, or some herbs like mint or coriander to give the lachcha paratha a fun and delicious zing! The unique factor about lachcha parathas is the process of pleating or folding used to make the signature layers. You make the dough with the listed ingredients, let it rest, and then once portioned, roll out and pleat the rolled-out circles like how you would a paper fan, to give an almost-accordion-like effect. This can then be made in a traditional tandoor or on a tawa at home, and the effect is the same! Lachcha parathas can be served with any Indian gravy, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, various curries, dry vegetable preparations, pickles, curd, or just plain with some white butter.

In this article, we shall be exploring how to make lachcha paratha the traditional way, and a more modern and less labor intensive, Rotimatic version of the same.

Lachcha Paratha Recipe: Traditional Method

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

Rest Time: 20-30 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hr. 10 Minutes

Yield: 8-10 Parathas

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3-4 teaspoons ghee
• Salt, as required
• Water, as required (for kneading)
• Ghee/oil, as required (for applying on the dough and cooking)

Preparation Process:

• Dough Formation

1. In a bowl or vessel, add the whole wheat flour along with salt as per taste.
2. Next, 3-4 teaspoons of ghee or oil to the flour mixture.
3. Now, start mixing the dough and add water as required.
4. Knead the whole wheat flour with water into a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with a lid or damp cloth and set aside to rest for at least 20-30 minutes.
5. After the dough has rested, make medium-sized balls from the dough. Set these aside in a covered container for the next step.

• Making Lachcha Paratha

1. Place one dough ball on a rolling board or chakla or clean work surface. Lightly dust it with some flour on both sides.
2. Roll it out with a rolling pin into an 8-inch diameter disc. Keep sprinkling flour while rolling to prevent the dough from sticking.
3. Apply ghee or oil liberally on one side of the paratha disc, and sprinkle some flour on top.
4. From one edge of the rolled-out disc, start folding and pleating the rolled dough like how you would a paper fan. Keep folding until you reach the other edge.
5. Grab the pleated dough and roll it into a tight circle, so that it resembles many concentric rings. These are the lachchas. Join the two edges.
6. Now, dust some flour on this new layered roundel and start rolling again to a disc of diameter about 7 inches.
7. Set aside this rolled lachcha paratha for the next step.

• Roasting Lachcha Paratha

1. Heat the tawa or frying pan. Keep the flame set to medium-high or high. When the tawa is hot enough, then place the rolled-out paratha on it.
2. Flip the paratha when one side is partially cooked. You will see some air pockets and a few blisters start to appear on one side.
3. Apply ghee or oil on this side. Wait for the second side to cook.
4. Flip the paratha again after the second side is cooked, spread ghee or oil on this side, and cook it for some more time.
5. Remove from heat after both sides have several golden brown spots and flecks on them.
6. Apply a liberal amount of ghee, and crumble with your hands carefully to fully showcase the crispy and flaky layers.
7. Your lachcha parathas are now ready! Serve hot and enjoy!

Lachcha Paratha Recipe: Rotimatic Method

In this section, we shall be exploring a lachcha paratha recipe by Honey Dawra Malhotra, our loyal Rotimatic user! She shared her experience of making lachcha paratha, as an accompaniment to chicken lababdar, on our ‘Rotimatic Owners’ public page on Facebook. We were glad to find that she, along with countless other users, loved the Rotimatic experience! Our fully automated AI-based technology gives you a roti in just 90 seconds, all at the push of a button! Rotimatic is the future for busy individuals who want the warmth of home food after a long day at work, at a fraction of the time and effort. There is no comfort like home, but we say that there is no comfort like knowing your kitchen needs are complete with the Rotimatic!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (optional- you can use just whole wheat flour too)

• 1 tsp baking powder (optional)

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup milk mixed in water

Preparation Process:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients, and add to the flour container.
2. Add the water and milk mixture to the water container, and some oil in its respective container, and set the Rotimatic settings to pizza mode, with the thickness setting at 1, roast setting at 1, and oil setting at 1.
3. Use the discs from the pizza setting, and flatten them out a little.
4. Smear the discs with ghee and then sprinkle wheat flour over it.
5. Create pleats by folding the roti with the help of your fingers, like how you would a folding paper fan.
6. Stretch the pleated dough as much as possible.
7. Roll out the pleated dough like a Swiss roll and secure the ends by pressing gently underneath. Roll out the dough back into a flat roti.
8. Cook and shallow fry it as you would a regular paratha.
9. Crush the paratha in your palm to showcase the layers.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!

So now, as we come to the end of our culinary journey, you can successfully answer the question, ‘What is lachcha paratha?.’ Is lachcha paratha healthy? Well, that depends on the amount of ghee you use! But what it is, at its core, is a tasty, crispy, and flaky reminder of our age-old culinary traditions and how they may have changed over the years. But no matter how many alterations and variations come up, we still go back to our roots when it comes to enjoying a nice warm lachha paratha. Let us reconnect with the flavors of the past with the tastes of the present and try making our new favorite flatbread, the lachcha paratha.

FAQ:

1. What is the difference between a paratha and a lachcha paratha?

When we talk about the difference between a regular paratha and a lachcha paratha, the only difference is the flaky layers and the method of rolling out the dough. On the other hand, the Malabar parotta and lachcha paratha look quite similar, and the main difference between them is the flour. Malabar parathas (or parottas) are made with all-purpose flour, whereas lachcha parathas are made with whole wheat flour. Also, since Malabar parottas are made with all-purpose flour, they are softer and chewier than lachcha parathas, which have a flakier, crispier texture.

2. What do you eat lachcha paratha with?

The best quality of a lachcha paratha is that it will taste great with almost any Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dish. This versatility makes them an ideal accompaniment to meat-based dishes like butter chicken or rogan josh, or vegetarian dishes like paneer lababdar and veg kohlapuri. You can also eat lachcha paratha with lentil preparations like dal tadka, dal makhani, tridaali dal, etc. You can also serve these parathas with plain curd or just pickle or eat them with a scoop of white butter, as a nice snack!