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5 min
29/12/2025
Tawa heat checks, dough hydration, oil distribution, and timing are the cues for ensuring your parathas don't burn (blacken), dry out, or become overcooked on the tawa. If you experience problems with burning or uneven cooking on the tawa when making rotis and parathas, these suggestions will help dramatically improve the results.
Burning can occur long before the roti or paratha touches the tawa. Oftentimes, burning occurs when the wrong flour is used for a particular recipe, when the dough is not adequately hydrated, when rolling is uneven, and/or when the tawa gets too hot, preventing the dough from cooking evenly. This article provides information on how to manage tawa heat (i.e., sedentary and overheated) using the water-drop and smoke test methods, as well as when to flip, what to avoid as far as creating hot spots, and how the use of Aashirvaad flours can aid in the successful cooking of rotis and parathas.
Parathas burn faster because the dough is too dry; therefore, the surface cooks faster than the centre can reach the appropriate cooking temperature. When you use a softer dough, the centre of the paratha will reach the proper cooking temperature after the surface has already finished cooking, thus preventing burning. In particular, the Aashirvaad Select MP Sharbati Atta performs well at retaining moisture and softness in the dough, resulting in the dough cooking more slowly than with many other flours. For stuffed parathas, the dough should be slightly softer to ensure the filling heats through before the outer surface burns.
Your dough needs a brief period of resting (15-20 min), allowing the gluten to relax, and the moisture to be distributed evenly throughout, making it possible for you to roll your dough out thin without it cracking. If dough cracks, it has burned, which is a big deal in cooking. It is beneficial to allow the dough to rest, particularly when using Aashirvaad High Fibre Atta with Multigrains, since it has a high fibre content and therefore needs more time for all the fibre to absorb the moisture used to make the dough fully.
To ensure your paratha cooks properly on the tawa, it's best to test the cooking surface temperature before placing the dough on it. If the tawa hasn't heated sufficiently and is cold, it will dry out the paratha when heated, and if too high a temperature is applied, it will burn the dough immediately.
If there is a small, almost invisible wisp of smoke coming from the tawa, this indicates it is at a temperature that is adequate to allow for the browning of your paratha, but insufficient to cause it to scorch. If there is thick smoke, it is time to remove the tawa from the heat, as it can go from golden to black within a matter of seconds. Should this occur, please remove the tawa from the heat source for approximately 10-15 seconds.
Another condition that might cause burning is flipping your paratha too late. You should flip your paratha as soon as you see small bubbles on its surface, not after it has browned. The first side of the paratha will only receive partial cooking; the second side will receive the bulk of its cooking. And when you are working with whole wheat flours (such as Aashirvaad Shudh Chakki Atta), you will see small bubbles appear even more quickly because the dough retains moisture exceptionally well.
Uneven application of oil can produce hot or cold spots on your paratha, causing faster blackening in specific areas. For layered/ lachha parathas, it is essential to use a thin, even layer of oil. For stuffed parathas, it is best to apply oil after the first complete flip, as this will prevent the first side from burning.
When you drag a paratha over the surface of an iron tawa, thin areas form that will burn before the thicker areas do, resulting in an unevenly cooked paratha. Instead, use a gentle rotary motion (with tongs) to present all parts of the paratha evenly to the heat source while cooking on an iron tawa with naturally occurring hot-spot areas.
Timing, heat control, and an understanding of how dough behaves are typically the most critical factors in mastering paratha cooking. When tawa temperature, rolling technique and the order in which you cook them all match up correctly, your parathas will come out perfectly cooked every time - soft, evenly browned and consistently cooked.
With just a little thought put into adapting basic recipes to suit your cooking style, you can produce perfectly cooked, consistently reliable parathas every time.
