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!

When it comes to childhood recipes, I have a long list of favorites. Chikki, ladoo, potato sabji, sabudana khichdi, thepla; 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!

Thepla is a recipe I love to keep recreating. It is loved by everyone in the house and it makes a great recipe for meal time, breakfast or for trips.

There are several ways of making thepla with various combination of ingredients. This recipe is from my childhood and is pretty simple. However, one can make changes based on preferences or availability of ingredients.

What is Methi 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!

Whether you are looking for a meal time flatbread or an easy make ahead breakfast recipe, thepla works perfectly. Plus, given it's dry nature and long lasting characteristic; it is a super popular bread to take along for trips and travel.

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.

This Recipe of Methi Thepla

• Taste the best when made with fresh methi. However, if it is unavailable dried methi can be used. Adding cilantro and spinach is an option too.
• Is made with just wheat flour. One can also add besan (chickpea flour) to the flour. Or even use multigrain flour. Another popular cousin of this recipe is this Bajri Methi Dhebra.
• Are super easy to make Vegan. Skip the yogurt or replace with non-dairy yogurt.

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 often make a huge stash to take along for a trip. It is amazing when you are outside and you can enjoy the taste of home there!

We can roll these methi thepla thin or thick based on how you like it. The thicker they are, the longer they take to cook. And the thin ones cook instantly on a hot tawa. Make them the way you like them. That is the best versatility of the recipe!

Video Recipe

Ingredients

Wheat Flour: Wheat flour is the primary ingredient in the recipe. A lot of recipes call for some besan (gram flour) to be added 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: The recipe uses a handful of 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.

Adding carom seeds and methiya masala is an option too.

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.

Step by Step Instructions to make Methi Thepla

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.

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 to make Thepla dough

The dough for methi thepla and other kinds of thepla can be made using the stand mixer or kneaded with hand.

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.

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.
• While fresh methi makes the best theplas, adding kasoori methi will work too. The texture of the thepla will be slightly different.
• Serve these fresh off the stove with some pickle and 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.

More Gujarati recipes to try

If you are a fan of Gujarati cuisine, here are some delicious recipes to try:

• Air Fryer Handvo: Easy, quick and always has a lot of taste and flavor! This Air fryer version of handvo is a must-have.
• Methi Thepla: An addictive flatbread made with whole wheat flour, spices and methi leaves, thepla is something you have to try!
• Khatta Dhokla: A cousin of these rava dhoklas, white dhokla or khatta dhokla is made with fermented batter of rice and lentil. These taste best with cilantro chutney.
• Raw Papaya Sambharo: A must-have side of Gujarati cuisine, this sambharo is SO good with gathiya, khaman and roti.

This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2017.