Dudhi Thepla or Dudhi Na Thepla is a dish made with whole wheat flour, basic spices, and grated bottle gourd. Thepla is the most well-known flat bread in Gujarati cuisine and is adored throughout all of India for breakfast, teatime snacks, and as the ideal travelling food. There are various variations of thepla, including simple thepla, Methi thepla, Mooli thepla, bajra thepla, etc., but the basic preparation procedure is the same in all of them; the main vegetable ingredient is simply added or substituted.
Thepla is usually multigrain and is typically made with whole wheat flour plus chickpea and millet flour. When making thepla for travel, the flour is mixed with additional ghee or oil and milk instead of water to make a stiff dough. Their shelf life is extended in this way. People frequently mix up the thepla and the paratha. The paratha is cooked with plain dough and stuffed with various fillings, whereas thepla is prepared with dough made from mixing all the ingredients together, such as fenugreek leaves or dudhi, wheat, salt, and some spices. The parathas are slightly thicker due to the stuffing, and the thepla is rolled thin.
Indian cuisine uses dudhi, sometimes referred to as bottle gourd or opo squash, in a variety of ways. Dudhi is a typical Gujarati or Maharashtrian name, however it is also known as Lauki or Ghiya in Hindi and much of north India. Running or climbing vine, it is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes gourds. This fruit is harvested young and used as a vegetable. It has a smooth, light green skin and white inner flesh.
Ingredients
• 1 Medium Sized Dudhi/Bottle Gourd
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Green chili Paste
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp Asafetida/Hing
• 1-2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sesame Seeds/Til
• ½ tsp Carom Seeds/Ajwain
• 2-3 tbsp Yogurt/Dahi
• 2 tbsp Oil
Other Ingredients
• Flour for Dusting and Rolling
• Oil for Roasting
Method
1. Peel and shred the Lauki and squeeze out the water from it, keep aside the squeezed water.
2. Add flour, minced, squeezed Lauki, and ginger-green chili paste to a mixing bowl.
3. Add turmeric, red chili powder, hing, salt, sugar, sesame seeds and carom seeds.
4. Now add yogurt and oil, mix it, and knead it. Make a soft dough using squeezed Lauki water.
5. Cover the dough for 10-15mins.
6. Create a ball the size of a lemon out of the prepared dough, coat it with flour, and then roll it into a thin circle, adding more flour as necessary as you roll.
7. Place the rolled tortilla over a hot griddle, flip it over after 10 seconds to heat it slightly, and then drizzle it with 1/2 teaspoon oil.
8. Turn it over once again, gently press down with a spatula, and continue cooking until golden brown spots appear.
9. Take it off from the griddle, follow the same steps, and use the leftover dough ball to make additional thepla.
Tips
• The shredded dudhi can be added to the flour without needing to be squeezed but be sure to use the necessary amount of flour to avoid having loose, sticky dough that is challenging to roll out.
• If you don’t want any sugar, skip it.
• For vegan recipes, substitute tamarind paste for the yogurt or skip it altogether.
• Thepla should not be overcooked on the griddle, or it will become hard after cooling.
• Always roast over a medium flame.
- Ingredients
- 1 Medium Sized Dudhi/Bottle Gourd
- 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 tbsp Ginger-Green chili Paste
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp Asafetida/Hing
- 1-2 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds/Til
- ½ tsp Carom Seeds/Ajwain
- 2-3 tbsp Yogurt/Dahi
- 2 tbsp Oil
- Other Ingredients
- Flour for Dusting and Rolling
- Oil for Roasting
- Peel and shred the Lauki and squeeze out the water from it, keep aside the squeezed water.
- Add flour, minced, squeezed Lauki, and ginger-green chili paste to a mixing bowl.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder, hing, salt, sugar, sesame seeds and carom seeds.
- Now add yogurt and oil, mix it, and knead it. Make a soft dough using squeezed Lauki water.
- Cover the dough for 10-15mins.
- Create a ball the size of a lemon out of the prepared dough, coat it with flour, and then roll it into a thin circle, adding more flour as necessary as you roll.
- Place the rolled tortilla over a hot griddle, flip it over after 10 seconds to heat it slightly, and then drizzle it with ½ teaspoon oil.
- Turn it over once again, gently press down with a spatula, and continue cooking until golden brown spots appear.
- Take it off from the griddle, follow the same steps, and use the leftover dough ball to make additional thepla.
If you don't want any sugar, skip it.
For vegan recipes, substitute tamarind paste for the yogurt or skip it altogether.
Thepla should not be overcooked on the griddle, or it will become hard after cooling.
Always roast over a medium flame.
