Making Theplas is very similar to making other Indian breads such as porothas and chappatis. The only difference is the combination of flours and herbs used. However, they are not served in most Indian restaurants. You may find them in some Gujarati restaurants and supermarkets. Most Gujarati's love their theplas and they makes piles of them to take away on picnics and holidays. It's one of those breads you can eat with yogurt, pickle or just a cup of tea. I've even enjoyed it with a glass of coke.
Yes, like porothas, they need frying but I'll let you know how I make them using as little oil as possible.
Ingredients:(makes 12 depending on the size of theplas you roll out)
1 cup of millet flour
half cup of chick pea flour
half cup of wheat flour (preferably chappati flour or strong flour -NOT plain flour)
If you do not want to use this combination - using just wheat flour on its own is okay too. (Using millet flour on its own would work and the theplas turn out great but the flour is not as pliable and it's quite difficult to roll out millet flour. You usually have to make them by patting the dough between your palms and not everyone can do this. Recipes for making millet flour Rotlas are at: http://www.givemesomespice.com/2010/07/rotla-millet-flat-bread.html
I would not recommend using chick pea flour on its own for this recipe as this flour is sticky. A combination of chick pea and wheat flour would work..
half a bunch of finely chopped fenugreek ( The more - the tastier )
6 or 7 cloves of garlic, blended into a paste.
1 teaspoon ginger is optional
1-2 teaspoons of ground chillies is optional. You can use chilly powder or even pepper.(Not everyone likes hot and spicy food like me)
Oil : You will need 2 to 3 tablespoons for the dough and a another cup to fry the theplas in. If you have the spray oil - that works wonderfully with my recipe.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons of yoghurt (optional)
3-4 tablespoons to wheat flour to flour the surface when rolling out the theplas.
Method:
1. Mix and sieve the 3 flours
2. Add the fenugreek, garlic, ginger, green chilly paste plus the salt, turmeric.
3. Add the yoghurt if you have it. This makes the theplas taste nicer - similar to sour dough bread.
4. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and mix well. Using some warm water, bind the dough. If you have used millet flour in your recipe, you will have to keep mixing the dough by adding a small amount of oil it until it feels pliable. Grease your hand with oil to pick up the dough to transfer it to a new container and keep it covered for 10 -15 minutes. You will see from the picture below that the dough looks dark as the colour of millet flour is a strange grey.
5. Divide your dough into 12 to 13 small balls.
6. Roll out the theplas by sprinkling some wheat flour on your work top. If you havenot used millet flour, I would advice you to make small theplas as it's quite hard to roll them out bigger. You will see that from the edges of the theplas below ..............
7. Cook them slightly on a hot griddle or tawa or frying pan. They should look slightly uncooked as shown in my picture:
8. I would advice you to pile up these slightly cooked theplas and keep them covered until you are ready to eat. I have frozen them at this stage and taken them out a couple of hours in advance of frying them and they worked fine. Handy tip for ladies (like me) who work full time.
9. Using a non stck frying pan, either spray the theplas with oil and cook them until golden brown or lightly brush them with cooking oil and cook them. Transfer them on to a kitchen paper and dap them until they look dry. Yes - they need frying but try and use as little oil as possible. Theplas made this way will stay fresh and can be eaten for a couple of days.
10. These theplas taste nice with potato and onion curry. But they taste just as nice with yoghurt, pickle or a nice cup of tea.
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Nice, looks too good!
ReplyDeletelovely combos for a delicious thepla.
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