benazir's blog

Lawash

I remember when my mother in law came here to USA to visit. She was between New York and here in Chicago when she came to visit us. We went to the store one day and she picked up a bundle of lawash which is a very flat bread that is very thin. I didn’t argue at all and told her ok. When we got home that I heated it up and we had it with our lunch or dinner. Oh my God it has been so long and I really miss this old lady. Now I have the recipe I have tried it and have taken a picture of it.

If you want to see what mine looks like then look at the profile image above. When you make yours it should look like this. Now take 1 cup each of unbleached all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, 1 pinch each of pink salt, turbidano sugar and baking powder. I prefer clabber girl and have been using it for ages. I was in my 20s when I first started to use this baking powder and I never stopped using it. There is also Calumet but I never used it. Clabber girl always gave me best results. That is why I am not changing brands ever.

Add 1 handful of nido or carnation milk powder, 3 pinches of yeast which can come from either a bag or a jar, 1/4 cup of room temperture water a little at time. These all get added to a large mixing bowl and in here you make the dough for the lawash and keep kneading until the dough is formed and add 3 tbs of butter ghee and knead again and cover the bowl and let the dough proof for 30 minutes. Rapid rise yeast is very ideal for today’s baking because a lot of people are flat out way too busy to bake now days.

When the dough has risen means it is time to punch the dough and knead it for the second time and repeat letting it it proof for another 30 minutes with the bowl covered. This time take the dough and break it in to pieces and they should be as big a an apricot. Take one piece of dough and dredge it in to flower and then place it on a clean work surface. For me as you know already it happens to be my huge tray I had for hears. Roll out the dough and it should be flatter then a pancake. Poke the lawash on both sides all over with a fork to make these holes before you put them on the tawa.

Take the flattened piece of dough and place it on a very hot tawa meaning griddle in Urdu and do not forget it has to be on high heat. Turn every 20 seconds like if you are making chapati. Cook until it is golden brown. Repeat until you have all of them done. For each lawash be sure you brush them with a dab of butter ghee or 1 small pat of butter for each one and place it in the cloth lined roti warmer. If you have family overseas then ask them to send you a dafstakan. It is a large cloth used for keeping bread like this fresh and warm.

If you are a non Desi chick like me and you get along with your in laws then it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Also If you are a Desi person then you would know where to go and buy one and It is very helpful indeed and the roti is even more tasty when it is this hot and fresh. Also If you want to use an oven instead of a tawa to cook the lawash then I suggest you preheat the oven to 400F or 200C and use a baking sheet with either silpat or even parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray for 5 minutes. Also you can use a round pie plate compatable with instant pot or other multi functional cooker.

Take the trivet and place this in your instant pot and use a silpat and place your lawash dough on it and then place this in the instant pot on top of the trivet and place your air fry lid on top and select bake at 400F or 200C. All you do is toggle the temp thingy. Set the time for 5 minutes and press start. Just like after the stovetop tawa method is be sure to add butter to the freshly cooked lawash. Enjoy this with your favorite kabab and side dishes.

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