Theplas became one of my favorite Gujarati snacks when I started college & met my BFF. She is Guju & her mom would make her these divine, paper thin, loaded with flavor, incredibly complex tasting snacks. I learned that they are called theplas & they are not so complex to make! The cooler thing is that they are pretty healthy because of the fenugreek (methi) leaves. Fenugreek is known to help lower blood sugar, so it's great for diabetics.
Heres my take, don't be afraid to try it at home!
Time: 1.5 hours, yields 30 theplas
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh methi (fenugreek) without the stems
- 2 green chilis, sliced
- 1.5 teaspoons ground jeera (cumin)
- 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1.5 teaspoons haldi (turmeric)
- ghee or butter for cooking
- 1 cup half & half (can use dahi / plain yogurt, or simply water)
- water for kneading
Recipe:
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients & the methi leaves, mix to combine.
- Add in the half & half slowly, kneading a bit at a time.
- Add in the yogurt & knead until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough.
- Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 15 mins.
- Form golf ball sized pieces out of the dough, this mixture should give you about 30.
- Roll out each piece with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle whole wheat flour down first to ensure the dough doesn't stick.
- On a shallow pan or taawa, heat 1 teaspoon of butter or ghee. Use medium-low heat.
- Place the round, flat thepla on the pan or taawa & butter the top side.
- When you see a bunch of bubbles forming, flip the thepla over using tongs or a spatula. Let it brown slightly on the other side.
- Put the cooked thepla in a container lined with paper towel to soak up the excess butter.
Enjoy with achaar or spiced yogurt & chai!
