Recipe of the month: Methi Thepla & Tikhari

My apologies for not posting regularly on the blog since the start of 2023. I have been in India since the first week of February and having done a fair bit of domestic travel, I have not been in the headspace to even think about content creation. But currently I'm at home in Bangalore (not gotten into the habit of saying Bengaluru yet!) and have some time to myself so I decided to cook and blog a recipe that has quickly gone on to become a weekday staple meal. 

For those who have been following this space for a long time, you may be aware of my love for herbs and green leafy vegetables. Among those, methi or fenugreek leaves rank among my most favourite. 

In Singapore, fresh methi leaves aren't available at local grocery stores so the only way to get our hands on them is when we go to Indian grocery stores. Since they are hard to come by, I tend to buy a substantial amount and spend the next few days making some of my favourite dishes. If you have not done so yet, I suggest you try my recipes for Methi Paneer, Methi Pulao and Methi Dosa which are some of the dishes I typically make with fresh methi. I also tweak my Aloo Paratha recipe by adding in sautéed methi to the aloo (potato) filling which tastes just as great if not better. 

A dish I've learned to make more recently is methi thepla. I had it at a friend's house along with pickle and a spiced yoghurt-based side dish called tikhari a few years ago and I really liked the combination. I got the recipes, tweaked them a little to suit our preferences and I haven't looked back since. These nutritious theplas turn out tender and are both wholesome and flavourful. 

Methi thepla and tikhari now features as a staple on our weekday menu. My family loves it, guests appreciate it, and it is super travel and lunch box friendly so an all-round winning dish in my humble opinion.

I hope you try this recipe and it works just as well for you as it does for me 😊

Methi Thepla & Tikhari

Preparation time: 40 min

Cooking time: A few minutes per thepla

Serves: 4 (makes about 15-18 theplas)

Recipe category: Indian (Gujarati)/Main course or Snack

Recipe level: Easy

Recipe source: A mishmash of a few recipes

Ingredients:

For the methi thepla:

3 cups wheat flour 

Slightly less than 1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour)

2 cups chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves 

2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)

4 tbsp oil

~1 cup warm water (add as required)

Ghee or oil to smear over the theplas, Optional

For the tikhari:

4-6 garlic cloves

1/2-2 tsp red chilli powder (as per spice preference)

2.5 cups thick plain yoghurt

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp fine grain sugar

1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves

1 tsp ghee

Method:

1. Remove the thick stems and separate the methi leaves. Chop the methi leaves finely when still dry and then wash properly a few times in a colander under running water. You can sprinkle some salt over the leaves during washing. 

2. Mix all the ingredients (except the water) properly with your hands. Now slowly add the warm water little by little and knead well to form a soft and non-sticky dough. Let the dough rest for at least 20 min. Note: Making the dough ahead of time and keeping it in the fridge for a few hours makes the theplas even softer. 

3. Make small balls with the dough. Dust a little flour and roll out each ball thinly into a uniform circle. Place on a hot pan and let a few brown spots appear, then overturn. Don’t press with spatula or overcook. Drizzle on both sides with a little ghee. Place the theplas in a hot box.

4. To make the tikhari: Pound 4-6 garlic cloves (depending on preference) with 1/2 to 2 tsp red chilli powder (depending on how hot you like it) and a generous pinch of salt until fine using a mortar and pestle. Fry this off with little ghee till raw smell goes away and keep aside to cool. To  2.5 cups whisked plain yoghurt add this garlic-chilli mixture, more salt if needed, 1/2 tsp sugar and a small bunch of finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well and serve as a side dish for the thepla. 

Depending on whom I am making it for, I adjust the quantity of garlic and red chilli powder. When making for my kids, I add 4 garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder to make it mild. When making for adults, I add 5-6 garlic cloves and at least 3/4 to 1 tsp red chilli powder. 

5. You can serve the theplas with tikhari, pickle of choice and a simple salad. 

Notes:

• Theplas can be eaten hot, room temperature or even cold
• Theplas can be made ahead of time and serve as a great dish to pack in a lunchbox or for picnics
• You can cling-wrap any leftover dough and make theplas the next day
• You can freeze prepared theplas and reheat it just before consuming

Cheers,

Megha