Recipes by Rupa Sethu

Theplas

Theplas are a spiced, unleavened flatbread from the Indian state of Gujarat. They can be made with a multitude of flours. This article in Bon Appetit magazine by Hetal Vasavada gives you a more traditional recipe for Theplas. I tried some that my friend Veena Mahesh had made on our trip to Arizona. She used almond flour and flaxseed meal in equal portions for keto-friendly Theplas. My low sodium husband was all over it and so I decided to try it out with the addition of chickpea flour and sorghum flour as well. These turned out great!

A stack of Methi Theplas

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/2 cup sorghum flour
  • Spices: 1 tsp each – cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala
  • 1 bunch of fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves, chopped OR 3 tablespoons of kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) OR skip if difficult to find!!
  • If you plan to serve these with tea as a breakfast or snack on it’s own, I would add a bit of salt to the dough. This is optional if you plan to serve with a curry that would bring the salty flavor.

Method

  • Add all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl
  • Add the fresh or dried Methi leaves, if using.
  • Now slowly pour about 3/4 cup of just boiled water into a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon. Add a bit more water if needed till you have a slightly wet dough.
  • Cover and set aside for about 30 minutes. The dough will tighten as the flours absorb the water.
  • Now divide into 8 portions with well oiled hands and roll each one into a 6-7” round between parchment paper. This is critical to avoid sticking.
  • Cook on a nonstick pan or iron griddle with a little oil on both sides. You should get a lovely color on them when done.
  • As you cook them, place inside a dish towel to stay warm till ready to serve.

Serve as a flatbread on its own or with any curry of your choice. I did not add any salt since I was serving it with a spicy Chana Masala. If finding Methi leaves is a problem you can substitute with baby spinach leaves too.

These Theplas are pretty much no sodium flatbread and so full of flavor! If you have a bit more leeway on the sodium front, feel free to add salt to the dough. That makes it a tasty standalone snack with a hot cup of Chai!