Gujarati Bajra Methi Dhebra Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 140kcal
Bajra Methi Dhebra is a popular Gujarati deep-fried snack or breakfast recipe, that is prepared with bajra flour (pearl millet) and methi (fenugreek leaves). It can be served with yogurt, coriander mint chutney, or pickle. Check out the easy recipe to make it.
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Ingredients
- 1-½ cups pearl millet flour (bajra flour)
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour (gehu ka atta)
- 2 cups chopped fenugreek leaves (methi) packed
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped green chilies
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds (til)
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1-½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 tablespoon jaggery dissolved in 2 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd)
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare The Methi Leaves
- Pluck the leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Measure out 120 g (2 cups packed) leaves.
- Wash the leaves well with water a few times to get rid of the dirt. Drain the water well and chop the leaves finely.
Make The Dough
- Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix the ingredients well using your fingers.
- Keep the bowl aside for 15 minutes. The leaves will release water at this time. This is a very important step so do not skip it.
- Now mix the flour again with your fingers and try to bring it together.
- Add water little by little (1 tablespoon at a time) and knead to make a slightly tight dough.
- Do not add a lot of water at once otherwise, the dough can become sticky. The amount of water will depend on the quality of the flour used.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and keep it aside on the counter for 20 minutes.
Roll The Dhebra
- Divide the dough into 14-15 equal size pieces. I use my measuring scale to divide the dough so that the Dhebra are equal in size.
- Take one piece and make a smooth ball from it.
- Press it in between your palms. Dust it with some dry flour and gently roll to make a thick circle (0.5 cm).
- Roll 3-5 balls into circles and keep them on a plate in a single layer. Keep the remaining dough covered with the cloth to avoid drying.
Fry The Dhebra
- Heat 5-6 cups of vegetable oil for deep frying in a skillet over high heat.
- When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Drop 3-5 dhebra in hot oil and fry until they are browned from the bottom (4-5 minutes).
- Flip them using a fork and fry them on the other side as well.
- Note – Don’t be in a hurry to turn the dhebra until they are browned and set, otherwise, they may break while turning.
- Fry on medium-low heat only. Keep flipping them once in a while frying.
- Once the dhebra are browned well and crispy, drain them on a plate lined with paper tissues. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Once one batch is fried, roll the other dough pieces. Increase the heat to high to heat the oil well. Reduce the heat once the oil is hot and then drop the next batch in oil. Fry all the dhebra in the same manner.
Notes
You can also add other flours like jowar (sorghum), makai (corn), or besan (chickpea) while making it.
Frozen methi will also work well in this recipe. Just thaw it and squeeze out all the liquid before using it.
If the methi leaves are too bitter, add some salt to the chopped leaves and keep them aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rinse them off with cold water and makes sure you squeeze out all the water before adding it to the recipe.
You can also add grated lauki (bottle gourd), carrot, or palak (spinach) instead of methi to the dough.
In summer when fresh methi is not available, you can always add in dried fenugreek leaves instead. But the taste differs a bit when dried ones are used.
Nutrition
Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 92mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg