Fresh fenugreek leaves flavoured, pan roasted Indian flatbread recipe from the heartland of Gujarat. These are great as breakfasts/snacks or even as your main meals
Whenever I am back home from a long holiday, I crave for simple home cooked meals. And while, I have quite a few quick and easy recipes on my list, these methi theplas or fenugreek flavoured flatbreads are my favourite. These simple theplas or parathas, like a lot of people call them, do not even need an accompaniment. You can have them with a bowl of lightly spiced yoghurt, if at all, or simply as is. These flatbreads, are seasoned pretty well, but lightly. Therefore, making them perfect to have with a piping hot cup of chai. Now, you see why they are my favourite “holiday after” food. I need my cuppa chai once I am home, and when I have these methi theplas along side, it is a then a feeling called home!
Gujarati recipe
Theplas are Gujarati food – originating from India’s western state. While these can be made with mixing other vegetables in the dough as well, I love the ones made with fresh fenugreek leaves. However, you can also use the dried ones, called kasuri methi, too. Having said that, if you can lay your hands on fresh methi leaves, do use them. These flatbreads are a great summer food recipe too. Low on spice and oil, it is the perfect meal when temperatures are soaring.
I was introduced to theplas early on in life, by a Gujarati friend of my mum’s. Generally, whenever this lovely lady and her family would travel abroad, they would carry these flatbreads with them. And not just ten or twenty of them, but almost around 100! No kidding here. Since they are a great, light snack which stay without spoiling for long, these theplas are a great travel food.
In Mumbai (from where I belong), there are women, who for a living make and supply theplas in bulk. There is a huge demand for these as a travel snack or to be carried along, as a memory of home when re-locating. In fact, last year, one of my closest friends was visiting me, in London, on her way back to Seattle from Mumbai. And since she was coming from home, she got theplas packed for herself and me! The 50 fenugreek flatbreads that she got, was my breakfast, lunch and dinner for all the days they lasted. That is how much I love them.
Here is another Gujarati recipe, khatta moong – green gram buttermilk curry, if you wish to check.
Quick and easy recipe
Flatbreads are a staple Indian diet. And, we Indians, have hundreds of different ways of making them. Nonetheless, making the dough for it is the most and crucial step. Likewise, for these methi theplas or fenugreek flavoured flatbreads, you will need to make one, too. And that is about it, as far as the pre-preparation is concerned. All you will need to do is, mix all ingredients together and knead a soft dough out of it. Thereafter, roll them out and pan roast them. All these reasons, make these parathas a quick and easy breakfast/brunch recipe too. In fact, I can have these for a quick and light weeknight dinner too.
Additionally, since these methi theplas are so flavourful you won’t need to prepare a separate side dish for it. I, generally, serve it along side a bowl of chilled and lightly seasoned yoghurt. However, since I was feeling slightly enthusiastic this time, I also made a yummy raw mango and mint chutney. Even, this is a quick-fix if you have fresh mangoes in hand. This delicious, tangy and refreshing chutney has also got mint and coriander in it. The perfect summer chutney I would say.
So, here is the methi theplas – fenugreek flavoured flatbreads recipe. Make this for your next meal, for yourself and your loved ones. I hope you are going to enjoy it and keep making it as regularly as I do.
Below are some of my other flatbread recipes, for you to check out,
Aloo paratha – spiced potato stuffed flatbread
If you happen to like these recipes and try them out too, I’d love to hear how they turned out for you. You can share your pictures with me over on Instagram, as well
Eat hearty!
Methi theplas - fenugreek flavoured flatbreads
Equipment
- Tawa (Indian skillet) or any skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh methi or fenugreek leaves
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp yoghurt
- ¼ cup gram flour besan
- 2 tbsp green chilles crushed
- 2 tbsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp asafoedita powder hing
- 1 tsp oil for the dough
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- oil for cooking
For the mango-mint chutney
- 1 cup raw mangoes peeled and chopped
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves
- 2 fresh green chillis
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop the methi leaves finely and then wash them. Keep them soaked in salted water for about 15 minutes
- In a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour and the gram flour, turmeric, salt, hing, ginger & chilli pastes. Mix with a spoon. Then add the yoghurt, the drained methi leaves and oil. Mix well
- Gradually add lukewarm water, to knead a smooth, soft but firm dough. I needed less than ½ a cup of water for the dough to come together. Apply some oil, cover with a damp cloth and rest it for 15-20 minutes
- After 15 minutes, knead again and pinch out lime sized balls from the dough
- Now, dust your work surface with flour and roll each of these out, as thin as you possibly can. This is crucial for getting soft, unbreakable theplas
- Heat your skillet. Make sure that it is quite hot, since these flatbreads will not take less than a minute to cook, as they are so thin. Place the rolled out bread on it, apply some oil and flip it in about 30-40 seconds. Repeat the same for the other side and all others too
To make the chutney
- Blend all ingredients, mentioned under the chutney head with 1/4 cup water to make a thick and smooth chutney
- Serve your super soft, thin and delicious methi theplas - fenugreek flavoured flatbreads hot, with the chutney, some chilled yoghurt and a cup of chai. Enjoy!
Notes
- Roll the theplas out very thin. Their thickness is lower than that of rotis too
- Do not cook them for more than a minute (both sides included), otherwise they will not remain as soft. Do not worry about them being being undercooked since they are rolled out thin, they cook quickly
- The yoghurt added, makes the theplas very soft. However, if you are planning to store these for a longer time, do not use yoghurt. Only use water to knead the dough
- These measurements yielded 14 flatbreads
- You can roast these methi theplas in ghee as well
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
