Lachha Paratha
لچھا پراٹھا
paratha is the paratha with rings of flaky layers you can pull apart with your fingers, served at dhabas and breakfast tables across Pakistan. The layers come from a simple fold: the dough is rolled thin, brushed with ghee and dusted with flour, pleated like a paper fan and then coiled into a spiral. Rolled out again gently and cooked on a hot tawa, each layer of ghee turns into a crisp, separate ring.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Prep: 50 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Medium
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the and salt in a bowl and rub in the tablespoon of ghee. Add the lukewarm water a little at a time and knead for 7–8 minutes into a soft, smooth dough, slightly softer than for roti. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6 equal and keep them covered. Roll one out on a floured surface as thin as you can, about 25 cm across; it should be almost see-through.
Brush a teaspoon of melted ghee all over the surface and sprinkle with a light dusting of dry flour. Starting from one edge, fold the dough back and forth into narrow pleats, like a paper fan, until you have one long pleated strip. Gently stretch the strip a little longer.
Coil the strip into a tight spiral, like a snail shell, and tuck the end underneath. Press it lightly to flatten. Repeat with the rest of the dough and let the coils rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
Dust a coil with flour and roll it out gently to about 15–18 cm, using light pressure so the layers aren't squashed together. Heat a over medium heat.
Lay the paratha on the hot tawa and cook for about a minute, until small bubbles rise and the underside has pale brown spots, then flip it.
Spread a teaspoon of ghee over the top, flip and spread ghee on the other side too. Keep turning and pressing the edges with a spatula for 2–3 minutes, until both sides are crisp and golden and the layers at the rim look flaky.
Take the paratha off the tawa and, while it is hot, scrunch it gently between your palms from the sides, or clap it, so the layers open up. Serve hot with chai, or with a salan, qorma or nihari.
Kitchen notes
The thinner you roll the first sheet, the more layers you get. Small tears don't matter, since the dough is pleated and coiled anyway.
Don't skip the dry flour over the ghee. It keeps the layers from fusing back together during the second rolling.
Keep the heat at medium. On high heat the outside browns before the inner layers cook, and they stay doughy.
The paratha with rings
means a coil or a ring of strands, and the name describes exactly what this paratha looks like when torn open: ring after ring of thin, crisp layers. In Pakistan it’s a dhaba and breakfast favourite, eaten with chai and an omelette in the morning, or with nihari, qorma or a simple daal later in the day. It’s richer than an everyday roti and takes a little more care, so at home it is usually made on weekends or for guests.
Pleat, coil, roll gently
All the flakiness comes from how the dough is folded. A very thin sheet is brushed with ghee and dusted with dry flour, so each layer is separated from the next by a film of fat and flour. Pleating the sheet like a fan stacks those layers, and coiling the pleated strip turns them into the rings you see when the paratha is cooked. The final rolling needs a light hand: press too hard and you seal the layers back together. On the tawa, steam from the dough and the hot ghee push the layers apart, and a quick crush between your palms at the end opens them up fully.
Variations
- Pudina lachha paratha: sprinkle dried mint over the ghee before pleating for a fragrant version that goes well with grills and kebabs.
- Ajwain: a pinch of carom seeds on each layer adds a sharp, warm note.
- Simpler fold: for a quicker version, roll the ghee-brushed sheet into a long rope instead of pleating it, then coil and roll it out.
Storing and serving
Lachha paratha is best eaten straight off the tawa. Wrap cooked parathas in a clean cloth to keep them warm while you make the rest. Leftovers keep for a day wrapped in foil; reheat on a hot tawa for a minute on each side so they crisp up again.
Questions people ask
Can I make lachha paratha with maida?
Yes. Many dhabas use [[maida]] or half atta and half maida, which gives softer, whiter, more stretchy layers. Whole-wheat atta gives a nuttier, crisper paratha.
Why aren't my layers separating?
Usually the first sheet was too thick, there wasn't enough ghee and flour between the folds, or the coil was rolled out too hard. Roll the final paratha gently and always crush it while hot.
Can I make the coils ahead and freeze them?
Yes. Shape the coils, roll them out, then stack them between sheets of baking paper and freeze. Cook straight from frozen on a medium tawa, adding a minute to the cooking time.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 310
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
