Saturday, February 6, 2010

Methi Na Thepla - Indian flatbread made with fenugreek leaves

Dear Foodies,

Gujarati,Fenugreek leaves,Indian Flatbreads,Methi Na Theplas

I have received so many requests and emails to share some of the famous Gujarati recipes, so i thought lets start with one of my very favorite gujarati dish Methi Na Thepla translated as Indian flatbreads made with fenugreek leaves. The moment we hear the word Gujarati some of the dishes automatically are associated with it like Theplas, Dhoklas, Khakra, Oondhiyu to name a few. Being gujarati myself I have born and brought up in a household where theplas and dhoklas are made almost every week. I cant even imagine my life without them! 

Gujarati,Fenugreek leaves,Indian Flatbreads,Methi Na Thepla

These are life savior when it comes to travelling and shelf life. I dont remember a single vacation or a trip when we didnt prepare these. When had with batata nu shaak (Potato curry) its unbeatable combo! Even when I left for swiss, my mom had prepared 200 theplas , not that I eat a lot but lot of my colleagues had requested to get these for them from india. If prepared properly and refrigerated these go on for almost a month. Due to higher shelf life people going abroad always take theplas with them to survive for the initial few weeks. I make methi na theplas every week, they are very healthy, delicious and you can have them with absolutely anything curd, pickle, potato curry or jam!

Gujarati,Fenugreek leaves,Indian Flatbreads,Methi Na Theplas

Recipe Source: My Mom
Yields 10 - 12 theplas depending upon the size
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves finely chopped
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour (atta)
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
lemon sized ball of jaggery
Salt to taste
Water as required

Procedure:-

  • In a clean bowl, mix together fenugreek leaves, salt, jaggery, coriander powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder. All in 2 tbsp of oil and mix well using your hands for 5 to 8 mins until jaggery has disolved. The mixture should be oily. Cover and leave for 15 mins.
  • After 15 mins, add the whole wheat flour in this mixture and knead into a soft dough using water as required. The dough should have consistency similar to roti dough.
  • Make lemon sized balls and using a rolling pin roll them into circles.
  • Cook theplas on non stick pan using little oil on both the sides. Make sure the heat is medium, if you cook them on slow heat the theplas will become very crispy and hard, if you cook on high heat they will get browned too soon without being cooked.
  • Serve them hot with curd, pickle or potato curry. 


Gujarati,Fenugreek leaves,Indian Flatbreads,Methi Na Theplas

Let me share a very funny incident with you all. Back in school days we along with my cousins family visited Rajasthan. We visited many cities along with Jaipur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur. One day we were visiting a fort in Jaisalmer and below is the conversation I had

Uncle: Chalo chalo bacha log, lets get down and move towards the fort.
Me: Grrr..(We had skipped morning breakfast and it was decided to have it at the fort itself)..let me finish my thepla, i'll join u all later.
Uncle: Ok you can take it with you but I will not leave u in the car alone.
Me: Oh...pls ..I'll be fine
Uncle: NO!!!
Me: Ok fine..lets go
(Leading the way by my uncle we started walking towards the fort, I was busy enjoying my theplas which was rolled up with some lemon pickle...mmm just thinking of it got my mouth watering!! Behind my parents and aunt were following, suddenly uncle shouted)
Uncle: Be careful here, its marble flooring and someone has spilled water on it.
Me: I shouted back to my parents and aunt, be careful everyone the water is wet !!!!

Frankly even after i blurted out I still couldnt get it, my uncle came by my side and said casually "water is always wet dear". Hearing this everyone started laughing and I felt like why doesnt the earth open up and take me within :(( Till this date he teases me and I still cant forget that horrid incident!! But all in all it was one of the most memorable trip I have had, what a beautiful place rajasthan is, havent visited? What are you waiting for, plan your next trip there!!


This dish is off to Flavors Of Gujarat event by Nayna



94 comments:

  1. "water is wet"!! lolzz...:D
    Ahhh...methi thepla...kone na bhave?? 1 cup chah sathe...it's alltime fav. Your pics makes me drool drool. :)
    Mine thepla version is slightly different.

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  2. wow..these looks so gorgeous...yummy..love the methi

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  3. WOW! Looks so perfect. Wonder I can make this as nice as yours ;)

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  4. Wow!!!! Parita, these look so perfect and so tempting!

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  5. Who denies for methi na thepla..infact I am having one right now..with a cup of tea..looks and tastes yummy..

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  6. Theplas look perfect !
    hey I always had this doubt as to what is the basic difference between paratha and theplas as I thought we add dahi in theplas ..

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  7. Flatbreads sound excellent with fenugreek leaves!

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  8. Healthy rotis, this ha sbeen on my todo list for lng!

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  9. I've always wanted to taste Theplas,but never got the chance.I love Methi Khakhras and am sure I'd love this too.Got to try out your mom's recipe.

    Lol at the incident..:)

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  10. Ha ha ha ha ha.. water is wet......:) cho cute of you. :)

    lovely theplas. This is something so new to me.. so will try it right tomorrow.. but I dont have methi leaves at home.. so will try to use some other greens or mint leaves.

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  11. Looks Yummy Parita, I often make these parathas just with methi leaves, never included the other spices you have mentioned. Next time I should try adding those spices & especially with jaggery it should definitely taste better!

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  12. These are not very different from methi parathas ... no Parita? Have you posted a Undhiyo recipe ... couldn't resist asking now that I know you are a Gujrati ... I love Undhiyo. :-)
    The story is very funny. :-)

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  13. Mmm., you r making my mouth water!!, I love methi theplas, I keep making them often even my family love it, I have posted this long back, but not so beautiful, lovely pics as yours is, They look GORGEOUS!!, I learnt it from my neighbour who was a Rajasthani

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  14. Wow, Parita, methi thepla bhave chhe (okay, I learnt Gujarati a while ago in Mumbai but I am trying to say methi thepla looks good.. thats the correct xlation, right?) Love your clicks too.

    I studied at Pilani for over 4 years, its a shame though that I didn't explore the place further. I wish I could go back in time now :)

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  15. Hi Parita, Thepla have been my favourite since the time i came to US. I made them only once till now. Every weekend we go to Indian store, buy the ready to eat thepla, i'm crazy abt them. U made them well, nice tempting pics!

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  16. Wow.. Nice theplas :).. thank you for sharing the recipe along with a beautiful introduction.. I've had this some times, but never knew the name was thepla :).. and nice sweet memories from your childhood!

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  17. He he!!!!!!!!!!!!lovely methi theplas my favourite which I too make often.

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  18. They look like a tortillas. ;-D I'm sure I'd enjoy these on a trip, too.

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  19. Nice click theplas look delicious and you are right every gujju family will serve theplas for every journey, picnic, lunch box and sunday morning brekfast .:)

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  20. can't wait to try this. I was dying to know the recipe from a gujarati as my last attempt was a disaster. Please post undhiyu too!

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  21. Oh i love theplas specially coz they come with memories...a frens mom used to specially make these for me,among other goodies and i rarely kicked up a fuss on the table...and i love these...thanx a ton for the recipe...i love ur recipe...they seem so so easy...

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  22. Hey

    Methi thepla all time favorite with cup of tea or batata ni suki bhaji...sometimes i do make with garlic....i made them just couple of days ago...

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  23. My fav teplas , they are gorgeous!
    U guys owns some of the delicious recipes! Cannot wait and see all of them Parita!

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  24. wow parita this theplas luk yummy...i love mthi n meth thepla is awesome combo...thnx for sharing this recipe...n incident is also very nice...lol

    http://siddhiscookingexperiences.blogspot.com/

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  25. Wow Parita, methi thepla looks fantastic...prefect for me..love it..

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  26. Water is wet:) thats a funny incident Parita...and Rajasthan is indeed really beautiful...its my birthplace:) theplas are just yummm and I can have them anytime:) Have a great weekend!

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  27. Beautiful pictures Parita...adding jaggery is new to me..your version sounds very interesting..will try it soon :)

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  28. mouthwatering. this always reminds me of train journeys in India. I cannot wait to make it when I grow some fresh methi.

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  29. Those flatbreads must have a lovely taste! So interesting!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  30. I love ordering these Parita, and now I can make them at home! I'm glad you shared this! :)

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  31. I love theplas..a friend of mine makes them so well and my son is very very fond of it too..So there's always a batch of yummy theplas she sends every week :)

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  32. water is indeed wet dear.theplas looks mighty gud. perfectly round also.

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  33. yummy theplas! perfect pics! loved reading this post too! funny incident :)
    Renuka
    http://cookingyummy.blogspot.com/

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  34. Gorgeous..... pic.s and theplas looks so mouthwatering. he he heee so sweet of u yes I agree with Rajasthan is one of the most beautiful place in India love to go there once again and again......

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  35. Water is of course wet being a liquid. LOL! Thepla is beautiful with its golden color! Yummy!

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  36. My sil made this nd i totally loved it... waiting to try it soon :)

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  37. Lovely pictures,I do similar way i add buttermilk too ..

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  38. these look perfect, parita. I love mine with chunda and dal on the side!

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  39. Wow... Looks so yummy dear.. Never had this before though..
    Aww.. I didnt know "water is wet" too ;)

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  40. Yes, great recipe. Never tried it with jaggery but will do so now. We gujjus like our theplas and dhebras etc. Have to have them on our picnics and nights away. And you are right, until recently, we always took them with us when we travelled.

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  41. Couldnt help smiling wide, reading abt the "wet" water..:)..Cute!! :)

    Healthy and flavourful theplas :), simple and neat pics :)!!

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  42. That's so delish..waiting for other delicacies from Gujrat :-)

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  43. Wow beautiful pictures and the bread looks so so delish. Wish we got these leaves here.

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  44. paree!! thanx for passing by :) btw i like this bread recipe specially the addition of those leaves! :)

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  45. lol yes ! bataka nu rassa walu shaak is a match made in heaven for theplas!
    I remember mom used to make it everytime we had a journey ! So gujju !
    Great post ... 3 thumbs up for gujjus !

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  46. The Water conversation was simply amusing. The Thepla click is simply superb Parita! I liked the spice powders making appearance for the Thepla. Very tasty!!

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  47. Wonderful pics... Love them they have come out really well... Color is great!!!

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  48. Gorgeous clicks paritha and i love these goodies.As you said Rajastan is such a lovely place to visit.As for 'water is wet' am still grinning :)

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  49. Water is ofcourse wet:lol!

    I have never tried making thepla's...urs looks great.Bookmarking it:)
    Counting your entry for my baking event:)cya

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  50. Ur click is so da,mn good....I never had these.....I guess ur blogging frequency has gone down a bit....Isnt it...but the pictures are really good.....so much of sunlight eh???im missing sun:(...

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  51. Thepla mane bau bhave che :D I hope I said it correctly! It's been more than 6 years we left Guj and we absolutely miss Dhokla, Thepla, Khakra slurrp..I am drooling now. Wonderful clicks.

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  52. hello :)
    LOL..that incident was really cute, that reminds me of something my nephew S had said when he was a kid ..he was running around and playing and suddenly fell down with a thud...everyone went running to see if he was ok, when asked how he fell..he said that " when I was playing I looked down at my legs...they were running and I suddenly fell down ;)" we all had a great laugh ...even to this day we make fun of him :)
    BTW the theplas are superb, adding jaggery is new to me shall try adding it.
    Thanks.
    TC

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  53. Hey..i saw ur comment n updated my event post.Heart shaped cakes was jes an example...u can think of any shapes,any cake ,any kind...suit urself:).Thanks for ur comment!

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  54. Hi Parita, like ur innocent statement..
    I love theplas and had them breakfast today with some curds.I have never added jaggery to mine...but I guess no gujju food is complete without the jaggery!Btw I left u a comment in my comment box, read it when u have time.Take care.

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  55. Parita looking forward to more Gujrati recipes. Methi are one of the greens i often make too when available. Though i have some recipes for the teplas would love any number of recipes just to have them.

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  56. Thank you everyone for your wonderful and encouraging words!

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  57. lovely tempting pictures..looks delicious..

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  58. Parita I used to love these Theplas. When I was studying in Maharashtra. My room partner used to bring these with chutney. I used to gorge numerous of them with hot cups of tea. Such a wonderful time that was. Yours look so delicious. Made me nostalgic :)

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  59. i love gujarati food Parita..thanks a lot for sharing your mom's recipe. will try it soon.

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  60. I love these tepla's dear..I add some curds and old pickle masala to it..it really gets the zing...

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  61. Amazing Parita and thankyou so much for sharing your prized recipes! :D These look fantastic! I'm yet to make my first flatbread but these look really good! :)

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  62. Wow.. Nice theplas :).. thank you for sharing the recipe .. I've had this some times, but never knew the name was thepla :).. and nice sweet memories from your childhood!

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  63. That thepla looks beyond incredible, Parita. I am so glad to hear you're sharing traditional Gujarati dishes-- looking forward to more!

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  64. Beautiful, Parita!Love theplas although I get the store bought ones..

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  65. hi parita..
    i like methi leaves and ur roti and ur funny incident too.. our too innocent nature will hurt sometimes..u can be happy since u made everyone laugh...rajasthan is a luvly place..

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  66. They are gorgeous. Never seen them before :)

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  67. wow, looks beautiful, Parita! :)

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  68. Yummy yummy yummy!!! Looks fabulous!

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  69. Methi theplas look great Parita. They are one of my fav.

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  70. I made these on Sunday and loved it. Thanks for sharing!

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  71. I didn't know you add jaggery to theplas. what you said is so true - their shelf life is amazing!.. that was one funny incident, I must say :))

    Siri

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  72. i made theplas few days back too..but your recipe is very diff , i will try this way next time, nice addition of jaggery.

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  73. the methi thepla looks perfect. love that one with a dollop of pickle. Yum

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  74. Wow parita thepla looks so perfect..

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  75. The lighting and white background really makes these stand out nicely.

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  76. They look great Parita, i love theplas, can eat them anytime. Thanks for the recipe

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  77. Parita:

    I am looking forward to learning more about Gujarati cuisine from you!!

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  78. Hi Chapathi looks yummy..I have an award for you pls collect it from my blog link http://simplysara07.blogspot.com/2010/02/sweet-avalpoha-with-milk-my-200th-post.html

    Regards,
    Saraswathi

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  79. Hey Parita, About the sugarcane pieces for Menthi Sankati - yeah I used pieces of Sugarcane to melt and to be used in the rice batter!!! sorry for the late reply!!! :)

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  80. one of my favorite and perfect when you are travelling long distance and do no want to eat out..these look yummy and tempting..

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  81. Hahaha you doof! That's so adorable! The theplas look delicious! I need to give this to my cook!

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  82. Theplas look very inviting. I particularly liked the rolled up ones. And that Chocolate Raisin bread is just too gorgeous for words. It looks so moist and yummy

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  83. looks delicious and healthy recipe,pictures make tempting to eat it now

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  84. Hi Parita,
    I am travelling this week end with theplas in hand. Drop in at my blog Jayzkitchen.blogspot.com,
    Jayanthi Sekar

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  85. I'm your new stalker Parita;) We come from Udaipur and now you made me all nostalgic! Thepla's look great. Can't wait to get my hand on some methi

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  86. I had tried this the next week u posted this.... but cud click the snap this time and I posted it in my blog... thnks

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  87. Wow, always wanted the authentic recipe. I have aways made these with haldi, chilly powder and curd.

    Trying this now.....

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