Gujarati Methi Thepla

A quintessential Indian flatbread, Methi Thepla is an anytime-of-the-day recipe. It is made with fresh fenugreek leaves, flour and Indian spices.

Great for a meal, breakfast or travel this comes together really quickly!

When it comes to childhood recipes, I have a long list of favorites. Chikki, ladoo, potato sabji, sabudana khichdi, dahi vada; the list is endless!

My grand mother and mom made them all effortlessly and with so much love. The taste and flavor of these recipes linger till date.

I love to recreate these recipes in my kitchen to have my family enjoy them. It is amazing to enjoy heirloom recipes with family!

Jump to:

• What is Thepla
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Preparing Methi for the recipe
• Using the stand mixer
• Storage
• Recipe FAQs
• More Gujarati recipes to try
• Methi Thepla

What is Thepla

Thepla, a popular Indian flatbread is pretty easy to make, super delicious and great for trips or for a meal. Plus, it is amazing for breakfast with some masala chai.

While thepla was a flatbread that was known in the Gujarati community, it is now enjoyed by folks all over. Gujaratis still enjoy it as a staple!

A lot of recipes like mine call for addition of methi, a leafy green that is perfect for this flatbread. Fenugreek leaves

When served with dry potato sabji or yogurt or masala chai; it makes the perfect combination.

Thepla is a generic term and is often used for methi thepla. However, there are several other kinds of thepla recipes. Bhaat na thepla i.e. flatbread made with leftover rice, dudhi na thepla i.e. made with grated bottle gourd are the popular ones.

Why this recipe works

• These taste the best when made with fresh methi.
• However, if it is easy to make with dried methi or other greens.
• Thepla is an excellent meal prep recipe.
• It is made with just wheat flour and a handful of ingredients.
• These are super easy to make Vegan. Skip the yogurt or use non-dairy yogurt.
• Thepla is perfect to make ahead, refrigerate or freeze for further use.
• Whether you are looking for a meal time flatbread or an easy make ahead breakfast recipe, thepla works perfectly.
• Plus, given its dry nature and long lasting characteristic; it is a super popular bread to take along for trips and travel.
• These taste the best with yogurt, potato sabji and Indian pickle for a meal. And we love it with hot masala chai for breakfast.
• We can roll these methi thepla thin or thick based on how you like it.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Wheat Flour: Wheat flour is the primary ingredient in the recipe. One can add some besan (gram flour) to the flour. However, I like to use just wheat flour in the recipe. The result is just as great without any additional flours. Also, I roll these with wheat flour too. Using rice flour to roll these is an option too.
• Methi: Fresh methi makes the best theplas. As long as it is in season, I like to use it. If you cannot find fresh methi for any reason use dried methi i.e. kasoori methi. While the flavor and taste will not be the same, it comes handy when methi is not available.
• Ginger/Chili: I like to add grated ginger and green chili to the dough. Add or skip them based on preferences. I sometimes like to add grated garlic too. It enhances the flavor in the thepla really well. Add it or skip as desired.
• Spices: I add red chili powder, turmeric powder, asafetida, salt and sugar to the dough. Plus, sesame seeds and cumin seeds enhance the flavor of the dough. Also, carom seeds and methiya masala is an option.
• Yogurt: Adding yogurt to the dough helps make the methi thepla super soft. Plus, it adds some tang to the recipe. However, skip it if you need to preserve the theplas for a longer time.
• Water: Water is needed to knead the dough for methi theplas. Add as much water as needed but do not add a lot.
• Oil: A little bit of oil in the dough and the rest to cook the theplas is needed. It makes the dough soft and cooks the thepla well.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In the base of the stand mixer add wheat flour.

2- Then add in chopped methi and spices.

3- Add in green chili and ginger.

4- Mix on medium speed till it all comes together.

5- Add yogurt and half the water.

6- Knead till the dough comes together. Add the remaining water as needed.

7- Add oil and knead till the dough is coated with oil.

8- Bring the dough together and let it rest covered for 30 minutes.

9- Divide the dough into small balls. I like to make them 1 tablespoon each.

10- Coat the dough ball with dry flour.

11- Flatten it out into a flat disc of even thickness. It can be thick or thin as desired.

12- Repeat for a few more dough balls and set aside.

13- Heat a flat griddle on medium heat. Once hot, place a thepla on it.

14- Once bubbles start to appear, turn over and apply some oil.

15- Let it cook and turn it over. Apply oil and flip one more time. Remove from heat.

16- Serve with masala chai, yogurt or Indian pickle.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Yogurt makes the theplas soft. However if you are making them for travel or want to preserve them for long, skip he yogurt and add some extra oil.
• Use multigrain flour if you prefer that over wheat flour. Also, adding some besan is common.
• Knead the dough well to make the softest theplas. Either by hand or using the stand mixer.
• While fresh methi makes the best theplas, adding kasoori methi will work too. The texture of the thepla will be slightly different. Plus, other greens like spinach and cilantro work as well.
• Cook the thepla on medium flame. Cooking them on low flame makes them chewy and they will burn on high flame.
• Serve these fresh off the stove with some pickle and masala chai or yogurt or let them cool and refrigerate. Use as desired.
• To make the recipe Vegan, skip the yogurt or add Vegan yogurt. All other ingredients remain same.

Preparing Methi for the recipe

To prepare the methi, pick the leaves from the stems. Place the leaves in water and rinse them well. Once the leaves are free from sand and dirt, remove.

Drain the leaves and cut into small pieces. Use them to make the thepla dough. In case fresh methi is not available, use kasoori methi for the recipe. If using that, simply add to the flour mix and proceed to make the dough.

Using the stand mixer

The dough for methi thepla, roti or even parathas is easy to make using the stand mixer.

Using Kitchen Aid is my favorite way to make the dough. I like to add all the ingredients and let the mixer do all the work while I prepare other things in the kitchen. The dough hook stretches and kneads the dough super amazingly making it perfect for soft theplas.

If you do not have the stand mixer, the same dough can be made in a bowl. Use your hands to knead it for at least 15 minutes to develop enough gluten and make the dough soft.

Storage

Theplas are great fresh. However, they are also perfect candidates for travel and to make ahead.

The ones with yogurt stay well at room temperature for 2 days and in the refrigerator for up to a week. Leave out the yogurt and the shelf life easily doubles.

To store, cool them to room temperature. Then stack and keep them in ziploc bags or in airtight container.

Moreover, thepla is easy to freeze for a very long time. Pop them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

More Gujarati recipes to try

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