Thepla Tips & Tricks
Born and brought up in a Gujarati family, Thepla was our go to as a snack, lunch and sometimes dinner. Usually when you see a Gujarati traveling, you see them carrying Theplas as they make the most filling snack. It is loved by all age groupsWhen we moved to USA, it was a struggle finding the same softness in Thepla we got back in India. It took me trials and errors to perfect it and I realized that the tips and tricks are the key to keep them soft for longer. In this post sharing my recipe as well as tips and tricks. Hope this will help you as much as it helped me.
Ingredients
Thepla Dough
- 1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp red chili powder or as needed
- Salt as needed
- 1 tablespoon yogurt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafetida powder hing powder
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon green chili paste optional
- 1 tsp sesame seeds optional
- 1/4 cup fenugreek leaves chopped optional
- 1 tsp oil to knead the dough
To Roll and Cook Theplas
- 1/4 cup of dry whole wheat flour to roll Theplas
- 1/2 cup oil to cook Theplas
Instructions
- Combine whole wheat flour with red chili powder, salt, asafetida powder, turmeric powder and mix it well
- Add fenugreek leaves, green chilies and sesame seeds at this point if you plan on adding them
- Add 1 tablespoon of yogurt
- Add warm water little by little to form a soft dough and only use water as needed
- Once the dough is formed use 1 tsp of oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes
- Let the dough rest for 15 - 20 minutes upto 1 hour max, covered with damp cloth so it does not dry out
- Form 10-12 even portions from the dough and roll then into a ball and flatten the balls pressing with your palms
- Roll the Theplas into even and then 1/4 inch circle and use the dry flour as needed
- Pile them up before cooking
- Use a flat pan on medium to high to cook the Theplas
- Place a Thepla on pan and once you see bubbles on that side, flip them
- Quickly apply 1/2 tsp oil using a spoon and spread it on all sides
- Flip the Thepla and spread oil on the other side
- Once it’s cooked on both sides take the Thepla off the heat and place it on a flat plate
- Repeat last 4 steps and place the theplas on top of each other forming a pile and pressing them against each other
- Shuffle the theplas in the pile till you store them
- Once they cool off store them in an airtight container for 2-3 days and you can refrigerate them for up-to a week
Notes
Form a soft dough, replace the oil in the dough with yogurt. Just use the oil to knead the dough in the end, let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling them
Roll them even and thin disc shape
Pile them up. I always struggled with an electric or induction cooktop where the extra heat would burn them and sometimes it is hard to manage 2 things at the same time so I find it easier to roll 10-15 together and before cooking them
The stove should be turned on medium to high heat as you don’t want to cook them for long
Use enough oil, if you use less oil they will dry out and harden and if you use more oil then they won’t stay soft and will be chewy. Use the right amount of oil and flip them quickly
Using a spatula press them against each other, this releases oil so they can stay soft
Shuffle the cooked Theplas so when they are cooling off they don’t get dry
Once they cool off store them in an airtight container for few days, may refrigerate
If you find these tips helpful SAVE this post and don’t forget to tag me when you do make them