Lachha Paratha (Layered Flatbread) with Potato and Peas Curry

Indian breads are a delight to eat with any kind of curries, and adding spices and stuffings like garlic, potatoes, paneer, onions or other veggies, not only makes them tasty, but wholesome and nutritious too. Wheat flatbreads, popularly known as "Chapatis" or "Phulkas" are light and fluffy, while Parathas are more heavier and come in various shapes and flavors. One such simple variation that uses all-purpose flour is the "Lachha or Layered Paratha". Originated from the northern provinces of India, this is a very simple bread, with no spices except salt, but the beauty lies in the crust and crisp flakiness of the bread. It has several layers and is made by folding the rolled bread over and over again for a few times. It does take some time and patience to make these parathas, but they are an absolute joy to eat when they are served hot with delicious curries! Some people also have it for breakfast with their tea in the morning. Not a bad start of a new day, I must say:) These parathas are heavy, so you might be full with just one, and that saves a lot of time!

Recipe Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
Water to make dough
Salt to taste
1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

Method
Mix the flour and salt and knead into a soft dough with a little water at a time. The consistency should be such that the dough is pliable, yet not too hard, nor too watery. It might help to knead the dough with some warm water as that would help obtain a better and softer texture. Cover the dough and keep aside.

There are several different ways of doing this, but the basic idea is to create layers by folding the rolled dough over a few times. Here's how I do mine.

Divide the dough into equal-sized balls, and roll into a round over oval shape using a rolling pin and flat board. Now take a knife and cut to make long 1" wide strips. Layer all the strips on top of one another to form a stack. Then roll the entire stack from one end to the other, length-wise, just like you'd do in a jelly roll cake.

Flatten between the palms of your hands, grease with some ghee, then dip in some raw flour and roll it out again. To see a pictorial representation, click here. Don't try to be very exact in following these steps; as long as you are creating layers, you are fine. Finish the paratha by rolling it into desired shape.

Heat a flat pan on a medium flame. Then cook the paratha on each side; remember to sprinkle some oil when flipping it over so it does not stick to the pan. Cook on both sides till it turns a light golden brown in color. The layers will start puffing up, and make sure you cook it on medium flame only, too high and it may get burnt, but stay uncooked from inside.

The resulting paratha will be crisp and flaky, ready to serve with a curry of your choice!!

Potato and Peas Curry

Ingredients
3 cups cubed boiled potatoes
2 cups boiled gren peas
a pinch of asafoetida
3 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
4 tbsp tomato puree
salt - to taste
sugar - to taste(optional)
lemon juice - to taste
4-5 tsp red chilli powder
chopped coriander - for garnish
3 tbsp oil

Method
Take a non-stick cooking pan. heat the oil, then add the cumin and mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Then add the asafoetida, followed by the tomato puree, and then the potato cubes and green peas. Add about 1.5 to 2 cups of water, add the salt and sugar, then cover with a lid and cook for 10 mins on medium heat.

When the curry starts simmering, add all the remaining spices. Mix well, add more water if required, then add the lemon juice. Check for taste, then allow to cook for another 5-10 mins on low flame. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish wit chopped coriander.

Enjoy a wholesome meal with the hot and crispy Lachcha Parathas with the delicious Potatoes and Green peas curry!

Similar Recipes
Paneer-Ajwain Parathas
Mung-Dal (Lentil) Parathas

Paneer and Ajwain Paratha

Everyone has enjoyed paneer in gravies, but it tastes equally great stuffed in a paratha. Paneer Paratha is a savoured flat bread amongst Indians. It is also a healthy breakfast item with tea and it sure is a favourite with kids! Enjoy this simple Paneer Paratha recipe. The latter helps in digestion and also gives a beautiful aroma and flavour to the paratha.

Ingredients
3 cups wheat flour
1 cup paneer - crumbled or shredded
2 tbsp ajwain seeds(carrom seed or Bishop's weed) - roasted and crushed (optional)
1 tbsp jeera
3 green chillies
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste (optional)
salt, sugar and lemon juice- to taste
2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup coriander - chopped
2 tbsp oil
water - to knead dough

Method
Knead the dough with water and 2 tbsp oil as you would for any parathas.(Check out the "how to make a paratha" video for a visual instruction). Cover and keep it aside for 15 mins.

Now mix all the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Crumble the paneer and mix all the spices and ajwain with the paneer. Mash with your hands so the paneer mixture becomes soft and maleable. Now divide it into equal portions to use as filling for the parathas.

Take a small part of the dough. Roll it out into a small circle, then put the filling mixture in the center. Roll over the dough over the filling and make into a ball. Then flatten it between your palms, roll in plain flour and once again roll this into a thick paratha.

Put a griddle over medium heat and cook the parathas on both sides over the griddle. Apply oil or butter on each side. Serve hot with a dollop of butter and any curry (check recipes here)

Similar Recipes:
Vegetable Cheese Paratha
Makkai(Sweet-corn) Parathas

Makkai Parathas (Sweet Corn Parathas) with Raita

The season of sweet corn is still on in California, and 2 days ago, when I saw a farmer picking fresh corn from a field in front of our house, I decided I had to make something with corn this week. And one of my friends in Australia, Janki, had also requested me to post some corn recipes as she loves them. Well, there might be very few people who don't like corn! So here's the Makai (Maize flour) Paratha recipe. It is similar to corn tortillas, but it tastes way better with all the spices and sweet corn kernel added to it. Enjoy it for dinner and for breakfast the next day! And with corn, its a whole and hearty meal too!!

Ingredients
2 cups corn meal flour(makkai atta)
1 cup wheat flour
5 tbsp oil
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2-3 green chillies - chopped
1/4th cup cilantro - chopped
spices - garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhana-jeeru - to taste
salt - to taste
2 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp yoghurt
Hot water to knead the flour
Salted Butter to saute the parathas

Method
Take a frying pan, add 2 tbsp oil, jeera and chopped green chillies and allow to saute. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, sweet corn, chopped coriander, the dry spices, sugar, lemon juice and salt and mix well.

In a bowl, combine the maize and wheat flours, add the sauteed filling mixture, add oil and use hot water to knead into regular paratha like dough. Use your hands to keep kneading it a little more than regular dough because maize flour is more coarse hence needs more pressure to become soft and elastic. Keep covered with a damp cloth and leave so for 10-15 mins.

Now make equal-sized balls out of the dough. Take each ball and roll it into a circular paratha using a rolling pin. The edges might look a little jagged, but that is normal with makkai atta. Saute the paratha on both sides in a pan on medium-to-high heat. Apply butter on both sides while sauteing. You can use margarine or oil, but butter gives the most flavor with corn. Cook on both sides till done.

Raita Recipe
For a very basic raita, mix some yoghurt and whisk it till smooth, adding very little water. Chop some tomatoes, cucumber and onions and add to the yoghurt. Now add salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala to taste and season it. Mix well and your basic raita is ready.

Serve the Corn (Makkai) Parathas hot with curry or Raita!

Moong-Dal (Yellow Split Mung Dal) Parathas

Lentils, legumes and green leafy vegetables are the best source of proteins in a vegetarian diet, and these Moong Dal Parathas are my recent favorites to relish the goodness of legumes, plus make good use of my leftover Dal! Parathas(flat breads) are an interesting part of Indian cooking because they come in a wide variety, are nutritious, tasty and can be eaten with curries, raita, pickles, chutneys or even a sweet dessert!! And in case you are wondering from where to bring the lefover dal, don't sweat, for I've included the recipe below for making dal parathas from scratch. You don't need to have any leftover dal, but if you do, these parathas are a perfect way to make good use of it!!

Ingredients
5 cups plain wheat flour
3 cups moong dal - soaked for an hour (this is a small yellow-colored split dal, not the green whole mung)
1/2 onion -finely chopped
1/2 capsicum - finely chopped
1 tomato - finely chopped
3 green chillies - finely chopped
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp each of cumin seeds, turmeric powder, red chilly powder,garam masala
salt and lemon juice - to taste
3 tbsp - chopped coriander
water - to knead the flour
oil/butter to cook parathas

Method
Pressure cook the moong dal with 4 cups water so that it is entirely mashed. Now take a pan and add some ghee to it. Add the cumin seeds and green chillies, and when the seeds start spluttering, add the onions and capsicums and saute them till well-cooked.Next add the tomatoes and all the spices. Add the salt and lemon juice according to your taste and cook for 5-7 mins. Add the cooked dal and mash it well. Add one cup of water, mix everything together and once it boils a little, remove from flame and keep aside.

Now take the wheat flour, add 2 tbsp salt to it, then add the dal mixture and use hot water to knead into a pliable dough (just like any other parathas)
Cover the dough with a lid or damp cloth and leave like this for 8-10 mins. Then separate the dough into small portions and roll each on a flat surface using a rolling-pin into a round-shaped paratha. Use less force while rolling and keep turning the paratha in a circular way while applying even pressure on the edges.

Take a pan and cook the paratha with oil or butter on medium heat. Flip around to cook on both sides till well-done. Do not let it get burnt:)

Enjoy this healthy and filling mung-dal parathas with a curry of your choice! Suggestions?? How about Chatpate Chhole or Akbari Paneer??