Thepla
on Aug 29, 2014, Updated Feb 01, 2024
Methi Thepla is a very popular Gujarati dish made with flour, spices, and fresh fenugreek leaves. It is a soft flatbread that can be had at any time of the day. Here is how to make it at home.
Here are some more Indian Bread that you can prepare at home for everyday meals – Khamiri Roti, Tawa Paratha, Multigrain Roti, Punjabi Missi Roti.
Table of Contents
About This Recipe
Thepla is Gujarati Style Paratha or Flatbread that is prepared using whole wheat flour and is sometimes fortified with other flours like besan, bajra, and jowar.
Traditionally, methi is added in the thepla to enhance the taste, texture, and the nutrition level, but you can experiment with the same and add other vegetables such as lauki, carrot, beetroot, etc.
These Theplas are an everyday affair in Gujarati households and you will always find them in big quantities sitting in the fridge. So that whenever the hunger strikes, heat them on tawa and enjoy with a cup of Masala Chai.
These theplas remain good for a couple of days and are a perfect choice to take along while traveling.
These are also a great lunch box option as your kid can just roll and eat it without much hassle. This Indian flatbread is considered very nutritious and good for digestion.
Superb to eaten with Adrak Wali Chai or any favorite beverage, trust me Methi Thepla tastes out of the world whenever eaten with something warm to slurp with!
These Methi Theplas are,
- Tasty
- Healthy
- Travel Friendly
- A great option for Lunch Box
Ingredients
Flour – To make these Thepla, I have used whole wheat flour and chickpea flour/besan. Besan adds a nice crispy texture in the theplas, when eaten fresh.
But if you are planning to make it for your travel or to store the same, then you can avoid adding besan and just prepare these with whole wheat flour.
Methi Leaves – Fresh methi leaves are washed, stems removed, and then finely chopped to add in the flour mixture. Methi leaves add a great taste, texture, and nutrition in these theplas.
If methi leaves are not available then you can even add Kasuri Methi, which is also known as dried fenugreek leaves. It also adds a fantastic flavor in these Gujarati Style thin parathas. Use 3 tablespoon of Kasuri methi for every 2 cups of flour.
Yogurt – Yogurt makes these Theplas soft. You can even add buttermilk instead of yogurt. But if you are planning to store it for a long time, avoid adding yogurt or buttermilk and knead the dough using water.
Spices – To enhance the taste of these Theplas, we will add in some everyday spice powders such as turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.
Cumin & Carom Seeds – These seeds along with texture and taste, also add health benefits as these are considered great for digestion.
Green Chillies – To add some spicy taste and make them even more delicious, green chili paste is added in the thepla dough. You can even avoid adding it if you are not a fan of spicy food or increase the quantity of green chilies if you want it to be spicier.
Others – Apart from these, you will need ginger paste and hing.
Step by Step Recipe
Mix all the ingredients except warm water and oil in a bowl. Mix nicely with your fingertips and leave aside for 10 minutes. Methi will release the water it has.
Add very little water and knead to make a soft dough.
Cover and keep the dough for 15-20 minutes. Add a tablespoon of oil in the bowl and knead the dough again for a minute. Divide the dough into 10 equal balls.
Dust and roll the balls to a 6-7 inch circle.
Heat a griddle. Keep the thepla on the hot griddle and cook from both the sides till brown spots appear.
Apply 1 teaspoon oil on both the sides and cook till spots darken and the thepla is cooked. Keep pressing the thepla with a flat spoon while it is cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make Methi Na Thepla soft, yogurt is added in the dough. I also add besan in my recipe which makes the thepla slightly crisp but if you want them really soft, skip adding besan in the dough.
You can replace water with buttermilk to knead the dough to make it even softer.
Traditionally, whole wheat flour and a little besan flour are used to make theplas. However, some people also like to add a tablespoon of Bajre ka Atta or Jowar ka Atta to their dough. It enhances the taste and also the nutritional value of the dish.
To increase the shelf life of the thepla, it is advisable to avoid adding yogurt while making these.
Keep rest of the ingredients the same and skip the yogurt while making the thepla for travel. I also don’t add besan if I am making these to keep for long. Besan makes these a little crunchy which tastes when had fresh, off the stove.
Both the Indian Bread are prepared using whole wheat flour, but they do have minor differences. Theplas sometimes use besan and other flours also along with whole wheat flour, whereas Paratha uses only whole wheat flour.
Theplas are also thinner as compared to the Parathas. In thepla, methi leaves are chopped and kneaded in the dough itself, whereas Parathas are prepared by filling it with stuffing.
You can clean and remove the methi stems and store them leaves in an air tight container or a ziplock bag and store them in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. If possible, store them in a steel container. Cover the leaves with kitchen tissue to increase their shelf life.
Storage Suggestions
These Theplas lasts for about a week in the refrigerator. Cover them in a steel or plastic airtight container. While reheating, place them on a tawa and heat them till nice and warm.
You can also freeze it for about 2 weeks. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve Methi Thepla with any pickle, Aam Ka Chunda is my personal favorite. You can also serve it along with Raita such as Tomato Onion Raita, Boondi Raita, Cucumber Raita, or any raita that is prepared at your home often.
I sometimes even like to enjoy it with Green Chutney.
You can also serve it as a snack with a hot cup of Masala Chai, Adrak Wali Chai, or South Indian Filter Coffee.
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Thepla Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- ½ cup Chickpea Flour
- 1 cup Fenugreek Leaves (chopped)
- ½ cup Yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Paste
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Paste
- ¼ teaspoon Hing
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Carom Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients except warm water in a bowl.
- Mix nicely with your finger tips and leave aside for 10 minutes. Fenugreek will leave the water it has.
- Add very little water and knead to make a soft dough.
- Cover and keep the dough for 15-20 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon of oil in the bowl and knead the dough again for a minute.
- Divide the dough into 10 equal balls.
- Dust and roll the balls to a 6-7 inch circle.
- Heat a griddle.
- Keep the thepla on the hot griddle and cook from both the sides till brown spots appear.
- Apply 1 teaspoon oil on both the sides and cook till spots darken and the thepla is cooked.
- Keep pressing the thepla with a flat spoon while it is cooking.
- Serve hot with pickle and curd.
