Yemeni paratha flat bread

Name: Yemeni paratha flat bread (Mlawa)
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 250 g (9 oz/1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour (I use Turkish brand flour because of its superior quality for these kind of breads); 250 g (9 oz/1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour (I use Turkish brand flour because of its superior quality for these kind of breads); 250 g (9 oz/1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour (I use Turkish brand flour because of its superior quality for these kind of breads); 1 tsp salt; 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) warm water; Any flavourless oil, to drizzle; 125 g (4½ oz/½ cup) butter, softened; Nigella seeds, to sprinkle

Mlawa

Preparation info

Makes
3

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Red Sea Cookbook

By Madeeha Qureshi

Published 2026

About

Probably the simplest of the flatbreads out there – so easy to make, and addictive if you love a crispy flaky bread to soak or mop up any curry or dip.

Ingredients

250 g (9 oz/1¾ cups plus 2 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flou

Asia
Saudi Arabia
Bread
Vegetarian

Method

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, bring it together with the water, a little at a time, and knead it for 5 minutes, then cover with a tea towel and leave it to rest for 10 minutes.

Knead the dough again for 5-7 minutes so the gluten develops and the dough is stretchy. Drizzle some oil over the dough, cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour – the longer the better.