Methi Thepla

Benefits of Methi or fenugreek

Methi or fenugreek leaves as it is called in English, is an unsung hero, in my eyes. This green leafy vegetable is full of nutrients, and its benefits are plenty. It helps in aiding digestion, reducing cholestrol, reducing blood pressure, and diabetes, aids weight loss, great for skin and hair, helps new mothers for lactation, and many others.

Indian households eat this leafy green right from when they are young. The fenugreek seeds are used in Indian cooking in many ways and impart a wonderful taste to any dish! Methi is a winter leafy green and hence it is limited in season.

How to clean methi?

Methi or fenugreek can be a bit tedious to clean. But do not get intimidated by it. Yes, it does take about 20 minutes to clean the methi.

You start off by having a large bowl as a trash pile, a colander for the clean leaves and a clean surface to work on. Take each stem of the methi and remove the leaves and put it into the colander, and the stems in the trash bowl. The process is meticulous but oh so worth it!

I admit, by the end I do get tired and frustrated, and let some of the stems go! The colander with the fenugreek leaves is washed thoroughly under cold water in the sink. I spread the leaves onto a kitchen towel to air dry them.

You do not need to air dry it if you are using it on the same day. The air dry process is if you want to store it in the fridge or the freezer.

How to store methi?

The methi leaves are then stored in an airtight container lined with a paper towel, or you could spread them on a paper towel, roll it up and store it into a zipped plastic bag as well.

It can be left in the fridge for upto 4 to 5 days, and in the freezer for upto a month. Be sure to date the bag so that you know when you cleaned and air dried it.

What are theplas?

Theplas are a quintessential Gujarati dish. They are essentially flavored rotis or flatbreads eaten typically with yogurt and pickles. Methi theplas are rotis made with fresh fenugreek leaves and a bunch of spices. They are best when eaten fresh off the tava or pan, but they store well for upto a week or even longer!

My mom would make the combination of the methi theplas with a potato curry(bateta nu shaak), yogurt, and chundo(sweet shredded raw mango pickle). She would often make it and we all devoured this meal. It was soul satisfying and fulfilling. Her food was always so lip smackingly tasty. I can still remember the taste of her food in my mouth.

My dad’s favorite meal!

This is my dad’s favorite meal, or one of his ultimate favorites :). My dad loves his home food. He is not fussy about eating out, but he prefers home cooked meals. He usually does not comment on how good a meal is. If he eats it well, and takes seconds, you know it is good. When he visits me in the Bay Area, I make it a point to make this meal for him a few times, since he loves it a lot. He mentioned to me that this meal tasted like mom’s, that was the biggest compliment I could get. To be able to have my food taste like mom’s … and to know that he enjoys it, is a good feeling.

Theplas is an emotion

Theplas are a food item we used to carry on our family trips anywhere in the country, along with pickles, especially for our train journeys. This is a food item my mom would pack for us when we would go on our school trips in case there was some food that we did not like. They do not need to be kept in the fridge, and last for about a week. They can be eaten cold or hot. They are tasty by themselves.

When my brother came to the US for the first time, to study his Masters in Boston, I carried food for him, since I thought he must miss home food, and one of the things I carried were theplas. Theplas have a lot of mileage, and enjoyed by one and all.

INGREDIENTS FOR METHI THEPLA:

The ingredients for methi theplas are:

• Whole wheat flour: I always use whole wheat flour, which is what makes methi theplas wholesome.
• Dry Spices: Asafoetida (hing), Turmeric, red chili powder, Salt are added as dry spices
• Whole spices, seeds: cumin seeds, carom seeds(ajwain), and sesame seeds are added
• Leafy greens: fenugreek and cilantro leaves are added. Fenugreek is the major component here. They are slightly bitter, and hence I add a bit of brown sugar to balance out the flavors in the thepla.
• Garlic is a must to give it that pungent, yet delicious taste.
• Yogurt makes the theplas soft, as opposed to if you do not add yogurt.
• Oil and water are required to bind the mixture.

My dad

I wanted to take a minute to talk about my dad. He is one of the most liberal parents I know of, growing up around my friends. He is a huge fan of Elvis Presley, and the Beatles, and my favorite pic of his, is his pic from his 20s when his hairstyle was the same as Elvis Presley! He loves singing the songs from that era. He instilled the love of music in us as kids. He has never screamed at us, and always been supportive of whatever we wanted to do, and encouraged us in that direction.

He was my math tutor till I graduated from school, and I got 98% because of his due diligence and belief in me that I could do math. His positive attitude, and outlook towards life are infectious! He has gone through many ups and downs in his life, but always with a smile on his face. His practicality towards life and his words of wisdom are truly to abide by. THIS is my dad, who I love very much!

How my kids enjoy methi thepla

Back to my meal – my kids enjoy this meal as well. My daughter loves to spread cheese on the thepla and my son loves to put my jam on it, roll it and eat it like a burrito. He even likes to take it to school. I love eating these for breakfast with my morning masala chai. My favorite way to eat it.

The bateta nu shaak (or potato curry) can be found in my cookbook – Mumbai Modern (which is sold on Amazon, or any independent book store).

Other Indian breads of flatbread recipe inspiration from my blog are:

• Zucchini Theplas
• Puran Poli

I hope you get a chance to make it cause I know you will get addicted to it, as much as my family does!

Have a great rest of your November my friends!

Much love.

XO
Amisha

Methi Thepla

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• Amisha Gurbani

Methi theplas are a Gujarati staple, that can be enjoyed as an anytime meal. Theplas are essentially flatbreads made with whole wheat flour, Indian spices and there may or may not be some form of vegetable involved like fenugreek, spinach or bottle gourd. Theplas are enjoyed as is or can be enjoyed with some yogurt and pickle as well. They can be kept in the fridge covered for upto a week. They can also be frozen and stored for upto a month.

Makes about 15 theplas

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Ingredients

• 360 gms whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon black sesame or white sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon carom seeds
• 2 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Pinch of asefoetida
• 80 gms washed, and finely chopped fenugreek leaves
• 1/2 cup washed and finely chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves of grated garlic
• 1–2 green chillies finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (~60 gms) greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of warm water to bind the dough
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon to massage after dough is bound and made
• ¾ cup oil for making the theplas
• ¾ cup extra whole wheat flour

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Method:

1. In an extra large mixing bowl, add in all the dry ingredients and mix. Then add the fenugreek and cilantro leaves, grated garlic and green chillies and mix to combine.
2. Add the greek yogurt, water and oil, and bind with both your hands to mix well as to form a nice dough. It should not be too hard or too sticky. If it is sticky, add in 2 tablespoons of extra wholewheat flour at a time to see if it will bind. If it is too hard, add in 2 tablespoons of water and mix. Knead the dough for a good 5 minutes until soft and pliable.
3. Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil and massage the dough to smoothen it out.
4. Cover it with a damp cloth or damp paper towel and let it sit for ½ hour before rolling out the theplas.
5. Place a large skillet on the stove on medium heat. Divide the dough into about 15-16 equal balls. Shape them into rounds between the palm of your hands and flatten it to form a flat round disc about 1.5 inches in diameter and ½ to ¾ inch thickness(~48 gms per round ball). You can use a tortilla maker if that is easier.
6. Keep a small bowl of whole wheat flour on the side. Dip each disc into the dough and place it on the rolling board. Start rolling with a rolling pin, rolling from the center, and rotating after a couple of rolls, to get the perfect round shape, just like you would pie dough. The extra flour prevents the dough from sticking to the surface. I usually sprinkle extra flour on the top and bottom periodically to help it roll into a thin flatbread, about 6.5 to 7 inches in diameter.
7. Gently place the thepla on the hot pan. Ladle a teaspoon or 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, around the thepla and rotate it around gently with a spatula to make sure the bottom side of thepla is coated evenly with the oil. Let it cook for a minute or until you see little bubbles on the top. Flip it around. There should be brown spots on the thepla. Press lightly on the thepla. Cook for another minute, on the uncooked side, till you see brown spots on the thepla. Remove it on a plate, and keep it aside.
8. Continue the same process with all the round discs, until all are cooked.
9. Enjoy plain theplas, or with Bateta nu Shaak and Greek yogurt.
10. You can store them covered in an aluminum foil in the fridge for upto a week.
11. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds before eating.

Notes

• The theplas can be stored, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in the fridge. To warm it up, simply remove 1 to 2 on a plate, and warm for 30 seconds in the microwave.
• The greek yogurt keeps the theplas soft. They are best eaten within 3-4 days.