Methi Thepla : Gujrati cuisine

Recently, i came across a very beautiful image shared by a friend on her Facebook wall. Here it is :

The painting says so much...

As much as we are busy with our everyday lives of work, husband, kids, family etc. we should never forget our "girl-friends" or "sisters" !! Just as much, life surprised me a few months back by getting me in touch with my college bestie Beena. We had lost contact and touch for all those years, and now am happy to be chatting almost everyday with this ever smiling lady. On and off, we share recipes with each other and this one is her recipe.

Being a Mumbaiite, i have had Gujrati friends right from childhood. My mother, in fact had a lot of Gujrati neighbors and speaks the language fluently. Having brought up eating a lot of the cuisine, i have developed an immense liking and taste to it, to which a lot of people find it sweet. But khandvis, dhoklas, fafdas... the names itself gets me drooling. 

Thepla is basically a flatbread that is eaten in Gujrat. The difference between paratha and thepla would be parathas are thick, whereas thepla is a think bread. Also the dough of thepla is made with curd and no water. Theplas are light, healthy and mostly eaten as a snack. But they are filling too as a meal when served with curd or "chunda" or any chutney or pickle. They make a great travel snack, as they stay good for almost 2-3 days or even more if packed well.

Methi theplas are so easy to make, and so yummy that i often make them now to incorporate Methi (Fenugreek fresh leaves) in our diet.

Ingredients:

Fresh fenugreek leaves (Methi) - 1 cup

Whole wheat flour(Atta) - 1 cup

Besan (chickpea flour) - 1/2 cup

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Green chillies - 1-2

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (Adjust according to taste)

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Oil - to fry the theplas

Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Curd - Use as much required to make a dough (Took me about 1/3 cup)

You can also add sesame seeds for change of taste. 

Recipe:

Wash the methi leaves well and chopped them finely.

Mash the ginger and green chillies to a paste in a mortar and pestle.

Mix Atta and besan, and add the paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, hing, lemon juice, and salt. Mix well.

Now add the methi leaves and set aside for 5-10 minutes, just in case methi leaves water. That way we will know how much curd to add and the dough wouldn't become too sticky later on.

Now add curd little by little and knead it into a nice soft dough.

If the dough becomes sticky, add a tsp of oil and knead again.

Now divide the dough in equal sized balls.

Roll each ball into a flat roti (The size should not be thick, make it medium or really thin. If you make it too thin, make sure you lift up the thepla carefully or else it will stick and break.)

Now heat a tava, and fry the thepla with oil on both sides till golden spots are seem on the thepla. 

Serve when hot, but tastes great even when they become cold. I served it along with a sweet and spicy carrot chutney, the recipe of which i will post soon.

Wrap them up in an aluminium foil, so they remain soft.

Happy Cooking :)