Lehsuni Kasoori Methi Lachcha Paratha (Layered Flatbread with Garlic and Dry Fenugreek Leaves)

Various nutritious flatbreads come from the colorful subcontinent of India. You pick any grain and you will come across a unique style of flatbread preparation with it. Be it millets, johar, wheat, rice, chickpea, etc etc. Then there are unlimited types of stuffed flatbread...it is simply amazing!

In this post, I am going to show you how to make a simple layered paratha called as lachcha paratha and I am making it even more special by adding some ghee with garlic and dry fenugreek leaves ( kasoori methi). My fav herb, kasoori methi, it smells so great and adds amazing flavors in your dish. This lachcha paratha with a twist tastes super yummy! My kid enjoys his lachcha paratha by dipping in the melted ghee.

Having a perfectly made paratha to go with the delicious curry is like sone pe suhaga ( icing on the cake :))

Lachcha paratha is basically made using all purpose flour to make it flaky and sometimes crisp. But in my recipe, I have tried to use half maida and half whole wheat flour, it comes out just as good!

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour (maida)
• water for kneading
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp sugar (add little more if you like, or skip altogether if you don't like sweet)
• 1 tbsp ghee
• more flour for dusting
• salt to taste

For the filling:

• 2-3 tbsp ghee melted ( or butter )
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (or garlic powder)
• 3 tbsp crushed fenugreek leaves

  

                                                                    Stuffed Lachcha (Strips and spiral)

OR

                                                                       Plain Lachcha (Pleated style)

Roast

Plain Lachcha Paratha with Gobi sabji

Preparation:

• Add both the flours and salt into a mixing bowl. Add warm one tablespoon of ghee into the flours. Warm the milk and dissolve the sugar in it. Add the mixture to the flours and mix thoroughly. 
• Add enough water little by little and knead lightly to make a soft dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes covered.
• Now make the filling mixture. In 2 tbsp of warm ghee add 1 tbsp of minced garlic or garlic powder. In another dry bowl, take kasuri methi and crush with your hands nicely and keep it aside.
• Divide the dough into 4-5 equal portions of balls. Roll out each ball into a thin, six to seven-inch round roti. 
• Brush the entire surface of each roti with garlic ghee mixture and sprinkle kasoori methi generously over it, and then dust with flour. 
• There are 2 ways of making this, either pleat the rolled disc of roti or cut into strips 1 inch apart with a knife. They will look like ribbon strips. Now start spiraling each strip from left to right, one inside the other. See the pics. Make one big roll. 
• Press gently, dust  more flour on it and roll out lightly into a five to six-inch paratha. Heat a tava, cook each paratha on both sides on medium heat.
• Pour a little ghee all around and shallow-fry the paratha till both sides are golden brown. Lightly crush the parantha with your hands to separate the layers. 
• Serve hot immediately with any vegetable curry or non-veg curry! I usually make gobi or baingan sabji or egg curry along with boondi raita.

You may also like Aloo Paratha, Mooli Paratha, Ragi Poori.....

njoy!! happY cookinG!!

my 'twist' idea to lachcha paratha is adapted from cubes n juliennes site.

Notes:* I have shown both plain Lachcha and Stuffed Lachcha in the pics!

dry fenugreek /kasoori methi

Health Benefits: Fenugreek leaves is highly beneficial for treating poor liver functions and dyspepsia. It is also helpful in treating gastric problems and other intestinal issues.  These leaves are also used in the powdered form for treating GI issues, as well as allergies or congestion of the upper respiratory zone. Kasoori Methi is tremendously beneficial for breastfeeding women; its regular use enhances milk production. 

Whole wheat flour has less gluten and is said to be a healthier grain to be used for baking etc. Said to improve metabolism.

Garlic a herb used widely as a flavoring in cooking, and has also been used as a medicine throughout ancient and modern history to prevent and treat a wide range of conditions and diseases.

Garlic has been used to treat hypertension, TB, liver disorders, dysentery, flatulence, colic, intestinal worms, rheumatism, diabetes, and fevers.

Palak Paneer

Palak(Spinach) Paneer(Indian Cheese) is a famous North Indian dish that is very delectable, smooth textured dry curry dish. Calorie for calorie, this leafy green spinach has a delicate texture and jade green color that provides more nutrients than any other food. It is available almost year around, and that is the best part. As a south-west Indian ( I refer myself like that:) ) while growing up, palak paneer used to be a very special kind of dish, we ate mostly only when we went to the restaurants.

After I got interested in cooking, I used to have a mind block with respect to this dish as I thought it is a laborious dish to make because I had to make paneer from the scratch, cleaning spinach was a task in itself as we used to get mud rooted leaves and all... But now spinach is available in a clean and ready to use form, paneer is readily available too. Life is getting simpler, faster, quicker :) and palak paneer has become a staple food(dish) in my house.

I simply love spinach. There are days where I just saute it plain with garlic, salt and pepper and devour, and I am not even kidding. Various dishes can be dished out using this superstar green leafy vegetable, such as Spinach chicken, Spinach juice, Spinach pesto, salad, Spinach puffs, Spinach roti, poori etc etc.

After I have started my blog, I have made it several times and now finally got a chance to photograph it and pen it down here.


Let us take a look at this recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb spinach leaves (palak) frozen (or fresh leaves chopped roughly around 4-5 cups)
• 2 cups paneer cut in squares
• 1 onion big finely chopped
• 5-6 garlic pods roughly chopped
• 2-inch ginger roughly chopped
• 2-3 green chillies chopped
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
• salt as per taste
• 3-4 tbsp oil

Preparation:

• If using frozen palak, thaw it in a microwave or in warm water.
• In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add green chillies, ginger, garlic and saute for a few seconds. Add palak leaves and mix everything. Cover and cook on med flame till the leaves wilt. 
• In a processor/blender make a coarse paste of this mixture and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add rest of the oil and add chopped onions, saute till translucent and add garam masala. 
• To this add the palak/spinach paste and cook for around 8-10 minutes, stirring in between. Add salt as per your taste. 
• Sprinkle salt and pepper lightly over paneer and you can shallow fry paneer separately on a grill(tava) or just gently add paneer pieces to the palak gravy.  Mix everything with a light hand. Simmer for another couple of minutes.
• Serve hot with rotis or with plain rice.  You can add a little bit of butter or drizzle heavy cream too while serving. 

njoY!! happY cooking!!

you may also enjoy leafy vegetables like methichi bhaji(fenugreek leaves vegetable) or mooli leaves (radish) pachadi

Health Benefits: Spinach has a high content of vitamin K and is useful for protein modification and plays an important role in protecting bones from osteoporosis. Spinach is also high in fiber, which helps break down food and keeps your digestive system moving.One cup of spinach is all you need to get a full day’s requirement of vitamin A. That’s good news for your tired eyes. Very rich in iron content, that’s why vegetarians and anemics are encouraged to eat lots of spinach for healthy blood and proper red blood cell production.If you are prone to asthma attacks or have difficulty breathing, include spinach in your diet. The beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and magnesium in spinach all have anti-asthmatic properties.