Lachcha Paratha (Layered Indian Bread)

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
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Updated on 01/11/22
Lachcha Paratha (Layered Indian Bread)

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
326 Calories
26g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 326
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 16g 80%
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 75mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 110mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This style of paratha has several layers and turns out delightfully crispy. Parantha takes only a few ingredients to make—flour, salt, water, and ghee—and is an unleavened flatbread. Its light, flaky texture is the perfect accompaniment to any thick-gravied, hearty Indian dish. Try it with your favorite tikka masala or masala gosht, for example.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour, divided

  • Salt, to taste

  • 3/4 cup water, more as needed

  • 1 cup ghee, divided

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Lachcha Paratha (Layered Indian Bread) ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Mix 2 cups of the flour and a hearty pinch of salt and add water, a little at a time, while kneading into a soft dough. Set aside.

    dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Mix 3 tablespoons of the ghee with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour, and set aside.

    ghee and flour mixture

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Divide the dough into equally sized balls. Divide each ball into 2 portions.

    dough balls on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Take each portion and roll into a long, finger-thick noodle shape.

    dough rolled out into a thick noodle

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Coil the first shape into a spiral.

    coil dough into a spiral

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Flour a rolling surface lightly and very gently roll out the spiral into a flat circle about 5 inches in diameter (1/3 inch thick).

    dough rolled out on a floured surface

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Grease the top surface with the ghee-flour mix.

    dough brushed with the ghee mixture

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  9. Roll the next shape in the same way, and place over the first circle. This makes 1 lachcha paratha. Repeat with the remaining dough.

    roll out dough on a floured surface

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  10. Heat a flat pan on medium heat.

    heated pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  11. Fry each paratha as follows: After placing it on the pan the first time, turn after 30 seconds. Using the remaining ghee, spread some ghee on the top surface and turn again. Grease the side now on top. Turn often and fry until crisp and golden.

    Lachcha Paratha (Layered Indian Bread) frying in a pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Paratha vs. Naan

What's the difference between these two popular Indian flatbreads? Very simply, paratha is an unleavened flatbread that is rolled out many times, layered, and then fried. Naan is a leavened flatbread that gets rolled out once into a layer and then baked in a tandoor or oven.


Both of these flatbreads are great for mopping up sauces from Indian curry or other dishes.