Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (2024)

Breads/Flat Breads/ Snacks/munchies/Quick Bites

Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (1)

Soft, flaky, mildly spicedwith hint of sweetness that is balanced withsournessBajri-Methi na Thepla can be termed as Gujarati equivalent to Aloo Paratha. It is a flatbread that is much loved amongst the Gujarati households for its versatility, nutrition, ease of making and keeping and its ability to be paired with any accompaniment. The longer-shelf life of these flatbreads is the reason you see well traveling Gujaratis carrying stacks of methi-thepla on their desi-videshi sojourns whereas, the healthquotient of this preparation makes it a ideal choice for kids lunch box.

Ideally, the Methi Thepla were made during winters when fresh methi greens make an appearance in the markets. These days however, they are a regular feature as methi is now available round the year. Nonetheless, it is a better choice to make them during winters when methi is at its fragrant best.There are many versions of this flatbread some families make them using just whole wheat flour, some make them with whole wheat and besan (chickpea) flours while some like us, make it with whole wheat and bajra (pear millet) flours. Winters also bring along fresh green garlic and this is the other star ingredient of this flatbread. If you have a choice do make it a pain to use only green garlic for this recipe.

Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (2)

As a kid, a bout of food poisoning because of the stale thepla I ate made me averse to the Methi Thepla, for more then 15 years I maintained a distance from these fantastic breads. But, the post-graduation days that required long stays in the remote corners of the state made me fall in love with the methi na thepla and tikha chopra (spicy paratha). Thepla and Sukhdi became my new companions. I would carry stacks of these essentials to be had with chai on the road sidekitlies (tea stalls) that dot the countryside and the most secluded of places. The much adored foods like Thepla are also a good conversation starter when shared with fellow travelers. They seldom fail to win a favorable response!!

The recipe I share here today is how Devyaniben, our trusted and very dear cook makes it. She has been with my maternal family for more than 20 years. Bajri and Methi make a flavorful and earthy pairing while jaggery and yogurt lead the balance of the sweet and sour elements. We do love methi a lot and hence go overboard with the methi leaves in this flatbread.

As it is with most traditional recipes there are no staunch rules with this recipe, you may choose to play around with the proportions and ingredients. Add methia masala if you like, redchili powder insead of fresh green chili or a combination of both, why not?? Make it the way you like to suit your taste palate!! The only thing I’ll not compromise on is the amount of oil used in the recipe. Oil here is a prerequisite to soft and flaky Bajri-Methi na Thepla…..

Go ahead, make it and use it to scoop any of the winter pickles or chutneys…

Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (4)

Serves: 4-5

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour/atta
  • 1 cup bajri flour/pearl millet flour
  • 2 cups methi/fenugreek leaves
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup jaggery
  • 4 green chilies
  • 2 inch piece of ginger
  • 7 (small)cloves garlic or handful of green garlic shoots
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
  • 4 tablespoons oil + more to shallow fry the thepla
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • salt to taste

Instructions

1

In a small pan mix the warm water and jaggery. Allow the jaggery to seat in the water until it dissolves completely.

2

Wash the methi leaves until the water runs clean. Ideal way to clean the leaves is to soak them in water for a while and keep changing the water until it runs clean.

3

Roughly chop the fenugreek leaves.

4

Make a rough paste of chillies, ginger and garlic cloves in a chutney grinder.

5

To make the dough - in a parat or large mixing bowl add both the flours, oil, sesame seeds, chilli paste mixture, yogurt, turmeric powder, salt and chopped fenugreek leaves.

6

Using the jaggery water and curd knead the dough. The jaggery mixed water and yogurt mentioned are enough to knead the mixture in a semi-stiff dough.

7

Allow the kneaded dough to rest for 8-10 minutes, not any more. If allowed to rest more the leaves will release water and it would be difficult to roll the thepla.

8

Divide the dough in 15 lemon sized balls.

9

Using some bajra or wheat flour to aid rolling, roll the thepla in small disks of 5 inch diameter with 1/4 inch thickness. You may adjust the thickness of the thepla to your preference. These flatbreads are not very thin.

10

As you begin to roll, put a griddle on medium flame and once it has pre-heated begin cooking the thepla. First dry roast them on both the sides and then shallow fry them using a teaspoon of oil for each thepla. The thepla need to have the light brown spots on the surface.

11

Repeat until all the dough balls have been rolled into thepla.

12

Arrange them on a wire rack and once they have cooled completely stack them and store in an air tight container.

13

The thepla remain well for couple of days after which they begin to dry up and loose their softness.

14

Serve the Methi Na Thepla with chutney and pickle of your choice.

15

Enjoy them as breakfast or quick lunch or with tea.

Notes

If you wish you may increase or decrease the ratio of whole-wheat and bajri flour. Bajri is a millet that provides warmth and strength hence, urban Gujarati household prefer having more of Bajra flour during winters. You may not use oil at all for cooking but the oil-free thepla will need to be eaten straight away and might not taste as soft as fried thepla would.

flat breadsgujaratilunch box foodmethimilletquick mealsnacktraditional

February 6, 2017 By Sheetal

2

Bhakhri PizzaTri-Rangi Surti Patties

You Might Also Like

Piadina – a versatile Italian flatbread

November 14, 2016

Mango Salsa

November 20, 2017

Damni Dhokla

July 22, 2018

2 Comments

  • Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (9)

    Reply

    Bhavisha Patel

    April 10, 2020 at 9:20 pm

    Can I substitute all purpose white four for whole wheat flour?

    • Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (10)

      Reply

      Sheetal

      April 11, 2020 at 3:27 pm

      Hi Bhavisha,

      You can try but the taste and texture wouldn’t be the same. I have never eaten or made these using APF.
      Hope this helps.

    Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Bajri - Methi Na Thepla - theroute2roots (2024)

    FAQs

    What flour is thepla made from? ›

    Thepla is often multigrain, usually made with whole wheat flour with the addition of chickpea and millet flour. When made for travel, the flour for theplas is bound into a stiff dough using milk instead of water, and with extra ghee/oil. This is done in order to increase their shelf life.

    What is the difference between paratha and thepla? ›

    Parathas are identical to other filled flatbreads. While parathas can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian, theplas are entirely vegetarian. While mixed vegetables are frequently used to make paratha, they are rarely used to make thepla. Thepla is prepared in a manner similar to chapati.

    What is the shelf life of thepla? ›

    Thepla has a longer shelf life compared to any normal Indian flatbread and can be easily preserved for 3 to 4 days at room temperature. It also freezes so well for up to 2 to 3 months.

    What is the difference between thepla and Dhebra? ›

    Difference Between Dhebra And Thepla:

    Dhebra dough is made from barja flour mixed with a tiny amount of wheat flour. While thepla is made from whole wheat flour (chapati atta) only. Dhebra dough is kneaded using yogurt only (no water is used). While thepla dough is kneaded using water.

    What is the difference between methi paratha and methi thepla? ›

    What is the difference between methi paratha and methi thepla? Methi paratha is made with fenugreek, herbs, and spices while methi thepla includes gram flour (besan), curd (yogurt), and plenty of spices. The besan gives the thepla a nutty taste and the curd adds a delicious rich flavored sour taste.

    What is thepla called in English? ›

    Thepla Recipe, known as Methi Thepla or Fenugreek roti, rotli, flatbread.

    Is Methi Thepla healthy? ›

    healthy methi thepla is a also a very healthy diabetic snack, diabetics can indulge 1-2 theplas as fenugreek leaves improve the insulin and glucose response. The use of whole wheat flour adds in some amount of fibre. This is definitely a wholesome choice than refined flour (maida).

    What is methi Thepla made of? ›

    What is Thepla made of? Thepla are flavorful flatbreads that are made with spices, herbs, yogurt, whole wheat flour and millet flours with or without the inclusion of greens or veggies. Methi thepla is made with fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves and whole grain flours.

    Why is Thepla famous in Gujarat? ›

    Believed to have its origins in the Gujarati nomadic communities for being a food that could stay palatable during the course of long journeys, the flatbread is usually flavoured with a combination of spices and dried fenugreek to give it its signature savoury flavour.

    How long can you keep cooked paratha? ›

    Storing Cooked Paratha: Keep cooked parathas in an airtight zipper bag for 1-2 days after cooking. They're best on the day they're cooked. Freezing: After cooking, let the parathas cool completely. Wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in a zip-top bag.

    How long can you keep paratha dough? ›

    The quantity of the dough is often kneaded so that it can last for two days since it is a tedious task to knead it fresh for every meal. But what we need to keep in mind is that the dough remains fresh for the 24 hours. It tends to turn stale when it starts to look greyish-black.

    What is the shelf life of chapati dough? ›

    For my experience a dough will last approximately three days in the refrigerator; however, it is best to use it within 48 hours. This is the best way to refrigerate your dough. After the dough is kneaded, place in a lightly oiled, large mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.

    Who invented Thepla? ›

    It was invented by the women of the community for their travelling husbands, as Gujaratis are primarily merchants. The men travelled from village to village selling their merchandise, but they were not always guaranteed of getting something vegetarian to eat on their journeys, so the THEPLA was invented.

    What is Gujarati Thepla made of? ›

    Thepla is a Indian flatbread made with whole wheat flour, gram flour, millet flour and spice powders. Optional ingredients like fenugreek leaves, bottle gourd or mix veggies can be used.

    What are the benefits of Thepla? ›

    Theplas are healthy, filling and release energy slowly which is beneficial for health and performing daily tasks. They are also low in calories and saturated fats. It is an easy and convenient option to carry theplas along with you when you are traveling or are out for a meeting.

    What type of flour is chapati flour? ›

    Chapati flour, or “atta,” is a type of flour used in India. It can also be called roti flour, because it is used for making rotis (Roti were called “chapati” by the British). Chapati flour is whole wheat flour with a finer grind than common whole wheat flour.

    What kind of flour is used in Indian cuisine? ›

    The most commonly used Indian varieties of flour include atta, maida and besan, but there are many more such as rice flour and ragi flour. All of these are used for distinct purposes, to prepare customary Indian recipes and confer numerous health benefits.

    What is the name of the flour in roti? ›

    Chapatis are made of whole-wheat flour known as atta, mixed into a dough with water, edible oil and optional salt in a mixing utensil called a parat, and is cooked on a tava (flat skillet).

    Top Articles
    Latest Posts
    Article information

    Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

    Last Updated:

    Views: 6477

    Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

    Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

    Author information

    Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

    Birthday: 1999-09-15

    Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

    Phone: +6838967160603

    Job: Mining Executive

    Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

    Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.