Gujarati Special Recipe 8: Dudhi na Thepla (Dhebra)

You tell someone you are Gujarati and one of the first things they'll say is 'Gujarati thepla is famous. You make any?' Yes I do and I love it. It's an excellent breakfast, and a simple lunch or dinner. It's a smart choice while travelling too as it stays good for 3-4 days easily. 

So far I have never posted any thepla recipe. Time to change that. This is the very common and basic thepla recipe using grated dudhi (bottle gourd). You can put chopped methi also.

To knead the dough, my mother uses a large thali having sloping edges called taas in Gujarati.  You can use what you usually use to knead roti dough.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup grated dudhi (medium grate)
2 tablespoons oil (for maun)
3 teaspoons cumin coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon turmeric 
1 teaspoon sugar
Water
Salt

In a taas, place the flour. Make a well in the center and put all the ingredients except water. Rub with palms to incorporate the oil with the flour. It should form clumps when you grab it in a fist. Now add water, little at a time, and knead it into a medium stiff dough, not as soft as roti. 

Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes. 

Now take a ball of dough and roll into a thepla about 1.5 mm thick and 7 inches in diameter. You can make them larger or smaller, however they have to be thin to be theplas. 

Heat a non stick or regular pan. Lower the heat and put the thepla in it. After 15 seconds flip the thepla, increase heat to medium, add oil around the edges and apply it over the top surface. Cook for 20 seconds while pressing down with a spatula. Flip again apply some oil over the center and cook on high heat, flip one last time and cook till done. 

Enjoy hot with some fresh curd and chundo!