Methi Thepla

Methi Thepla is a dish that comes from the state of Gujarat in India. It is a flat-bread made from fresh fenugreek leaves mixed with wheat flour and chickpea flour. It is healthy and flavorful, and a popular picnic/travel food. 

I have had theplas from my sweet Gujarati friend in school. Her mom used to generously pack extra theplas for her so that she could share them with us. And for us folks, thepla was a truly exotic dish! Anyway, those were fun times. 

Methi theplas are very similar to methi parathas except that theplas have chickpea flour, which brings in some protein to the flat-breads. 

Ingredients (makes 20-21 theplas):

1. 3 cups wheat flour / aata
2. 1.5 cups besan / chickpea flour / kadala maavu
3. 3 cups fresh methi leaves (remove the stems. methi leaves are small, so it's not necessary to chop them but chopping them helps distribute the leaves better and gives a greenish tinge to the theplas that's missing in mine)
4. 2 tablespoons dhania powder / coriander powder
5. 1 tablespoon cumin powder / jeera powder
6. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (add more for a spicier version)
8. 2 teaspoons salt, or as needed
9. 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
10. 1/2 cup yogurt
11. 2 tablespoons sesame oil (and some more to cook the theplas)

Preparation:

1.  In a wide bowl, mix wheat flour, chickpea flour, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and salt and mix evenly. 
2. Add the methi leaves, ginger garlic paste, and 2 tablespoons sesame oil and mix. 
3. Add the yogurt and begin to knead the dough. Slowly add a total of about 1.5 cups of water (or slightly less depending on your ingredients) and knead to make a soft, malleable dough. After the dough comes together, knead some more. Drizzle a little sesame oil and smooth on top. Cover with a damp cloth and a lid and let the dough rest for 20 minutes for the glutens to develop. 
4. Heat a griddle (cast iron, if you have one) until hot. Reduce the heat to medium. Make small lime-sized balls of the dough, dust the board with a little flour and roll out into flat thin discs (about 1/8 inch thickness or less, if you can manage). Transfer the disc onto the griddle and cook both sides by smearing 1/4 teaspoon sesame/olive on both sides. Cook until brown spots develop on both sides. Make sure not to over-flour the board, because extra raw flour on the bread will burn and make the bread hard. 

Store theplas in an insulated container until serving. Serve warm or hot with yogurt, pickle, or any other simple vegetable side.

I might be wrong, but I have been told that the addition of chickpea flour causes the theplas to become a little dry or hard when stored. So, if you plan on eating the theplas after more than 8 hours, reduce the quantity of chickpea flour or omit it entirely.