Masala Thepla is perhaps one of the most revered flat-breads of Gujarati cuisine. These petit discs of sunshine have earned us the name Dhokla and Thepla loving Gujjus!!! Everywhere we go, they go!! Literally!! The well-travelled Gujjus seldom dare to set out on their travels without a dabba/box full of thepla. It is our ghar ka khana and ma ka payaar rolled up together!! I am sure you will agree that when it comes to travelling Gujjus are an adventurous lot whether it is a trip to watch the northern lights, cruise to Alaska, take a looong trip to NZ or Africa, Mediterranean, Europe, Canada (US might have outlets selling Thepla and Australia does not allow outside food) anywhere you travel on this earth you will definitely come across a bunch of Gujjus (occasionally noisy)There are no boundaries that defy us but, when it comes to food we do have constraints, the vegetarians that we are!! And it is not always about our food preferences!! Even if we eat all that is available at these foreign destinations we still need that little assurance, that backup just in case we do not like the food or we miss home-food!! That is when we pack some Thepla and chundo and some packs flavoured tea premix that some brands have developed especially for us. Of course, we have Bhakhri, Khakhra, Puri, Sukhdi, Chevdo and likes but the Masala Thepla tops the list!! We just love them be it our tiffin box, kids lunch box, for breakfast, with tea, for dinner anytime anywhere !!
There are the doodhi/bottle gourd thepla, methi/fenugreek thepla, kobich/cabbage thepla depending on the season and preference but the simple (no added vegetable) remain the most favourite and are designed to last long in dabbas!! And this is not just I who feel this way about Thepla and many readers who have been following the Instagram account of this blog shared a similar liking for Thepla when I asked them how do they enjoy this ever-popular flat-bread and here is what they shared….
100recipepromise : “I love mine slathered with malai.”
saffrontrail: “I love love thepla! With Alu subzi .”
chai_lounge : “Love thepla with carrot pickle or just dunked in chai.”
mohinikamath:“When I think of theplas, it’s with methi/dudhi. It goes with any subzi. The best taste comes when they are a couple of days old and it is a bit dry. I love to eat it with dah.”
zehrachhapiwala:“I love them with any pickle… limbu no mitho achar ya chhundo best!!!”
chedda.bina:“Thepla ne marcha nu athanu.”
sej21shh: “ Thepla and katki keri is a favourite in our household. Or thepla with garlic and red chili chutney along with dahi.”
Sangeetaamkhanna: “Haha I have had theplas, chevdo and buscuit bhakhris from the dabbas of fellow travelers many many times.”
_riniiee_._ :“ Thepla with Kala Chana ni suki bhaji and curd.”
bhuvaneswaridhadal :“Thepla, suki bhaki and yoghurt.”
megha.k :“Thepla with suki bhaji and dahi… heaven!”
dollyj24:“Hot theplas with kanda-bateta nu rasawalu shaak and cold with white butter and athaana no masalo.”
foreverexploring.bhavna: “Oh yeah you are so darn right, theplas have replaced poori for me long ago as travelling food. I love to cook and prepare little packets whenever we travel and we dont have any boundaries when it comes to food as we eat non veg too. I guess , as born marwari, some habits are genetic 😁”
pdee2004: Very well written, had a smile reading the description. Not sure about US but here in Toronto we certainly have number of outlets selling theplas.
spicecrackle: “Love theplas! I enjoy mine with chai/yoghurt/rasawala sabji/ chundo! The accompaniment changes but the theplas are unchangeable!”
tulipsgardens: “Theplas to me are loaded with memories of affection of my neighbour who once knew my liking , made sure I get whenever she makes it . She made sure my son had a month’s supply when he went overseas to study . And every subsequent visit , we had to take her supply of affection to my starving son in her opinion. Blessed to have had such unconditional neighbours who are truly family . I miss them in Bangalore . So thats my Thepla story.”
Bakerindisguise: “Haha…reminds me of this story my boss told me..a bunch of gujjus went to Switzerland and when they arrived on top of the mountain..instead of first admiring the view…they asked for their theplas!! 😅😅 classic isn’t it?
Dharatri :😍😍 Gujjus and Theplas go Hand in Hand..! 😉
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and preferences about thepla.
Masala Thepla
Ingredients
- 2+1/2 cups whole wheat flour/atta
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 teaspoon methia masala/gujarati pickle masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons groundnut oil (for dough)
- 1/3 cup of water to knead a tight dough
- groundnut oil for shallow frying
Instructions
Take a large bowl or parat to knead the dough.
To the bowl add whole wheat flour and oil. Massage the oil well to the flour.
Add the spices, salt, sesame seeds, sugar, yogurt and mix well in the dough.
Now begin adding water, little at a time and start bringing the flour mix together.
Adding little water at a time, knead the mix to a semi stiff dough.
Cover and allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 17 equal parts, roll them and flatten the dough balls.
Cover and allow the divided dough balls to rest for 5-7 minutes.
Heat an iron or non-stick tawa/griddle.
Begin to roll the dough balls into small thepla/discs of 4-5 inch diameter.
Place the rolled thepla on the skillet. First roast it on both sides and then fry it using a teaspoon or less of oil for each thepla. The process is just like making paratha.
Repeat rolling and frying until you have finished all the dough balls.
Once the thepla come cool down to room temperature in an air-thight container.
Enjoy with your favorite accompaniments.
4 Comments
Sushma
November 16, 2019 at 5:47 pmThank you for sharing!
Can these be made vegan without curds?
Sheetal
November 18, 2019 at 4:03 pmHey Sushma,
Yes, you can. Yogurt make them soft. But you can completely avoid it.
Vaishali Shah
September 29, 2024 at 10:05 amHi..
Thank you so much for all your recipes and stupendous efforts to preserve the art of Gujju cuisine.
My son is staying in a hostel. They have no refrigeration facilities on campus. Can you please suggest a thepla recipe that can last for about 7-10 days without refrigeration.
Thank you!
Sheetal
October 1, 2024 at 5:41 pmHello,
Omit the yogurt. It should work well.