Methi Thepla / Fenugreek Flatbread

Methi Thepla are wholesome, wonderfully spiced, made with whole wheat flour, and satisfying. They are made with fresh fenugreek leaves and are great for breakfast, a snack, and a perfect carry-on meal while traveling!

Methi Thepla are soft, delicious, and melt in the mouth. The dough is made with yogurt and packed with fresh fenugreek leaves. Methi leaves give a faint bitter taste, and other spices and herbs make the Thepla highly flavorful!

Jump to:

• About Methi Thepla
• Why You Will Love These Thepla
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Directions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storing Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More Indian Flatbread
• Recipe Card

About Methi Thepla

Thepla are one of the most popular Gujarati foods. There are various ways to make these flatbreads, and each family has their own recipe. As a Gujarati, I have grown up eating the Thepla regularly.

I like to roll the Thepla thinner and cook it without pressing it with the spatula. And that makes them very soft and melt in the mouth.

Thepla are delicious and pair well with pickles or yogurt. I would consider them picnic food because Gujarati families can not travel without Thepla! The Thepla can either be made plain or by adding vegetables. Apart from methi leaves, they can also be made with spinach, zucchini, or Lauki.

Why You Will Love These Thepla

• Made with Whole Wheat Flour
• Contain Nutritious Fenugreek Leaves
• Wholesome, Healthy, satisfying
• Flavorful and Delicious
• Great for Breakfast
• Excellent with a Cup of Tea
• Perfect Carry-On Meal while Traveling

Ingredients

1. Whole Wheat Flour: Use your favorite whole wheat flour for the recipe. You can also use multigrain flour to make the Methi Thepla.
2. Fenugreek (Methi) Leaves: Methi is very healthy and loaded with protein, iron, and vitamin C. As an Indian, I often use methi in different recipes. There are dry methi seeds, which are also a part of our regular Masalas (spices). In India, we consume lots of methi in winter. However, here, methi leaves are almost available throughout the year. And especially in summer, you will find planted methi leaves in every other Indian’s backyard. Methi leaves are on the bitter side, but by mixing them with other ingredients, you will not taste bitterness. I have used 1 cup of fenugreek leaves, but you can use as much or less as per your preference. 
3. Coriander Leaves: I like to add coriander leaves for more flavors, but you can skip adding them if you want. Or add more or less amount according to your preference.
4. Chili and Ginger: Adjust the amount of chili and ginger to your taste. Instead of green chili, you can use red chili powder.
5. Spices: The spices I have used are regular ones. Feel free to add more or fewer spices according to your taste. I have added roasted cumin powder which is very flavorful. But you can use regular ground cumin instead. Also, cumin seeds add nutrition and crunch and enhance the flavors of these Thepla.
6. Yogurt: When we make Thepla, we add yogurt. Yogurt makes Thepla soft, melts in the mouth, and provides a slightly tangy flavor. But instead of yogurt, you can only use water to make the dough.
7. Jaggery Powder: Adding a sweetener is totally optional, but believe me, a bit of jaggery will enhance the flavors beautifully.
8. Oil: I added a little oil to make the dough and used it to cook the Methi Thepla. However, you can also cook the Thepla using ghee instead of oil if you want.

Step-by-Step Directions

Making The Dough

• Rinse fenugreek leaves thoroughly, drain, and chop them finely.

• Take flour, methi leaves, coriander leaves, oil, chili and ginger paste, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds, salt, and jaggery powder in a large bowl and mix well.

• Add yogurt and mix with your hands until the dough comes together.
• If you can not make the dough, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoon of water.
• Instead of water, you can add more yogurt until the soft dough is formed.

• Knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes until it is smooth and soft.
• Then, divide the dough into medium-sized balls.

Rolling The Methi Thepla

• Take one ball and flatten it slightly between your palms.
• Then dust it with some flour, and roll it using a rolling pin into a circle of about 6-inch diameter.
• While rolling, use some more flour as required.

Cooking The Methi Thepla

• Heat the skillet or griddle on medium-high heat.
• Once hot, place the rolled Thepla on the skillet and cook until you see tiny bubbles forming.

• Then Flip the Thepla using a spatula and evenly spread some oil or ghee on the top.

• Once the other side is almost cooked, flip again, and spread some oil or ghee on this side as well. 

• Flipping the Thepla a couple of times, cook it on both sides until you see golden spots and it is evenly cooked.
• You can also press the Thepla lightly with a spatula.
• Remove Methi Thepla from the skillet and continue cooking other Thepla.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve Methi Thepla with your choice of pickles. My favorite way is to have them with sweet mango pickles or Mango Chunda.
• Spread sweet pickles or jam over the Thepla and roll them for Kid’s lunch box.
• Thepla and plain Yogurt can make a complete meal.
• You can also serve them with Shrikhand.
• For lunch or dinner, serve Methi Thepla with Aloo Gobi or Aloo Palak.

Storing Suggestions

• Room Temperature: Methi Thepla will stay at room temperature for 2-3 days, stored in an airtight container.
• Refrigerator: These Thepla can be stored longer in the fridge for a week, stored in an airtight container.
• Freezer: They also freeze well. So you can make the Methi Thepla in large quantities and freeze them for up to three months. After making Thepla, let them cool completely. Then wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and then place them in the freezer-safe bag or container and freeze them.
• Re-Heating: Re-heat the Thepla in the microwave or a skillet on the stove until they are warm through.

Helpful Tips

• Flour: You can blend other types of flour with whole wheat flour to make these Methi Thepla, for example, pearl millet (Bajra flour) or sorghum flour (Jowar flour). Some also like to add gram flour (besan) to make the Thepla. But if you decide to use mixed flour, always keep a high ratio of whole wheat flour. And add other types of flour no more than ¼ cup.
• Methi Leaves: You can adjust the amount of methi leaves to suit your taste. Also, you can replace half of the methi leaves with finely chopped spinach.
• Yogurt: Yogurt makes the Thepla soft and flavorful. However, you can skip yogurt and make the dough using only water. Or use half yogurt and half water.
• Dough: Methi Thepla dough should be soft and supple but not sticky. A soft dough will make the Thepla soft, so if your dough is hard add little more water or yogurt to make it soft.
• Cooking The Thepla: For soft and melt-in-the-mouth Methi Thepla, do not cook on high or low heat. Cook on medium heat and cook them without pressing too much with a spatula.
• Oil or Ghee: I mostly cook Thepla using ghee because I like it that way. But you may use either oil or ghee to your preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Add Other Flours or Use Multigrain Flour To Make The Dough?

Yes, you can use ready-made multigrain flour to make Methi Thepla. Or you can make your blend of flour by mixing different flours, like pearl millet (Bajra) flour, sorghum (Jowar) flour, or gram flour (besan) into whole wheat flour. However, always keep the whole wheat flour more and add other flours less than ¼ cup. If you add other flours in more quantity, Thepla will be hard and dry.

How Thin or Thick Should These Thepla Be?

My mom always makes thin Thepla, which is how I like them. If we roll them thinner, they will be softer and quicker to cook. I roll the Thepla as thin as I roll chapati. So try to roll them thinner for the best results.

How Can I Make It Vegan?

For vegan Methi Thepla, simply skip the yogurt and instead make the dough using only water. And roast the Thepla with the oil of your choice.

Can I Use Dried Fenugreek Leaves Instead of Fresh?

Yes! Dried fenugreek leaves, also known as Kasoori methi, will give the same aroma and a faint bitterness. So if you do not have fresh leaves, add a tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves to the flour.

More Indian Flatbread

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