Lachha Paratha are crispy flaky layered whole wheat flatbreads made with a simple unleavened dough consisting of whole wheat flour, salt and ghee or oil. They are a popular variant of paratha from the North Indian cuisine.
In a bowl or vessel take 2 cups whole wheat flour along with salt as per taste.
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ghee or oil. Next add water as required in parts.
Knead the whole wheat flour with water to a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with a lid and keep aside to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
Later make medium sized balls from the dough. Cover the bowl or the pan with a napkin or lid.
Rolling lachha paratha
Take a dough ball. Roll it into 8 to 8.5 inches diameter thin disc on a dusted rolling board.
Apply ghee or oil liberally on the paratha disc. Sprinkle some flour on the top.
From the edges start to fold and pleat the paratha till the end.
Roll the pleated edges tightly. Join the edges.
Lightly dust with flour and now roll into round parathas of about 7 inches in diameter.
Roasting lachha paratha on griddle
Heat the tava or griddle or frying pan. The tava should be hot. Place the paratha on the tava. Keep the flame to medium-high or high.
Turn the paratha when one side is partly cooked. Apply ghee on this side. Cook for a minute.
Now turn again and apply ghee on the other side.
Flip again for a couple of times, till the parathas are browned evenly and well cooked. Press the sides with the spatula while frying the parathas. As sometimes the edges are not cooked well. So I always press the edges of paratha with a spatula.
Alternatively, you could also add some ghee on the tava and then pan fry the paratha.
Serve the lachha paratha hot with any Indian dal or a vegetable curry of your choice.
Some recipes that will taste very good with these parathas are dal makhani, chana masala, rajma masala, palak paneer, veg kurma, veg kadai, matar paneer, aloo matar etc.
For best taste have these parathas hot. They can also be had with a cup of hot tea or can be had with mango pickle or lemon pickle.
Notes
Knead the dough very well for about 8 to 10 minutes. It should be soft, pliable and smooth.
If you want a slightly soft texture then add some all purpose flour. E.g. You can use equal proportions of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour or any ratio of your choice.
For the best taste and texture, these flatbreads have to be served hot or warm. Once they cool and if you reheat them then they become chewy and dense.
Remember to roast the paratha on a moderately hot pan. If the pan is not hot enough the paratha will become hard. On a very hot pan, the outer layer may get burnt faster leaving the inside dough undercooked.
For a vegan laccha paratha use any neutral flavored oil instead of ghee.
The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for one paratha made with 1 tablespoon of ghee (includes both rolling and roasting).