Methi Thepla

Blogging Marathon# 36: Week 2/ Day 2
Theme: Travel Food
Dish: Main Course -- Methi Thepla

When I think of the good old days summer travel to Vijayawada is something that I always remember and cherish. Right after our annual exams, my mom would take us sisters for almost 2 months to my grandparents house to spend the summer vacation. We used to take the train and my mom had either pulihora or roti with potato curry packed for our meal. We were never allowed to buy anything on the train. I especially liked the cutlets that were sold on trains but never got a chance to try them. But my mom made sure we were not hungry and we had more than enough munchies to munch on.

As I was thinking of what main course dish to make for Day 2 of BM# 36 under travel food theme, I remembered one of my friend bringing Methi Theplas on a road trip we had together few years back. I think we ate them on day 2 of the trip and they were still soft and tasted delicious with some pickle she had packed.

I already have Palak Thepla recipe posted here, but this recipe that found on Manjula's Kitchen is slightly different. I used both fresh methi and a few tablespoons of kasoori methi for some more flavor. My 6 year old absolutely loved them and he ate them with some ketchup. My 16month old also seemed to like them with some yogurt and we adults enjoyed them with tomato pickle and yogurt.

Ingredients: Makes about 10 theplas
Atta (wholewheat flour) - 1½cups
Besan (chickpea flour) - ½cup
Methi leaves - 2cups, finely chopped
Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 2tbsp, crushed
Red chili powder - 1tsp (adjust as per taste)
Turmeric - ½tsp
Hing/ Asafoetida - ¼tsp
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Yogurt - ½cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2tbsp

Method:

• Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add little water at a time and knead into a smooth, pliable dough (I think I added about ½cup water). Cover the dough with damp towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat a tawa or griddle on medium flame.
• Divide the dough into equal size balls. Roll out the dough into 5~6" round rotis. Sprinkle with dry flour as needed.
• Place the roti on the hot tawa and cook until dark spots form, about 2 minutes. Brush with oil and flip and cook on the other side until cooked, another 1~2 minutes. 
• Repeat with rest of the dough.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 36.