Gujarati Methi Thepla (Flat-bread)

Thepla is a Indian flat bread just like roti, but spiced up and flavored with herbs or greens. This bread can be eaten as it is for snacking or served with simple dal or pickle for dinner. It also stores well for 3-4 days at room temperature. The addition of yogurt not only makes the bread softer, it also brings down the heat from the spices. Next time i would like to add minced green chili and garam masala to my theplas. Feel free to add your favorite spices and enjoy'em warm. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Chapathi Flour

1 tbsp Canola Oil

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt

1 tbsp dried Fenugreek Leaves

2 tbsp fresh Cilantro (minced)

1 1/2 tsp minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

3/4 tsp Salt

2-3 tbsp warm Water

 How to:

• In a big bowl with whole wheat flour, pour oil and mix well with your hands to incorporate the oil into the flour.

• In another bowl, add the yogurt, and mix together the fenugreek leaves, cilantro, garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder and salt.

• Now pour the yogurt mixture to the flour and start kneading gently. Slowly add water 1 tbsp at a time and knead to bring the dough together.

• Prepare a smooth and well-hydrated dough, smear oil on top, cover it with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 mins.

• Take a lime-size dough dusted with flour and flatten the dough with a press or rolling pin, meanwhile heat the tawa/griddle.

• Place the flattened dough on the hot griddle (smear oil if you want to) and gently press with the back of the spatula. 

• Let cook for a couple of mins and flip the bread and cook for another min, until you see golden brown spots on the bread.

• Serve hot with pickle or thokku. Store'em in a thermal food container until ready to eat.

Aloo Methi Curry

Dried fenugreek leaves are not a frequent ingredient used in my kitchen. But every now and then i see many recipes with methi from my blogger friends. This time, with methi in my hand, i searched for a perfect side dish for my rotis and voila! landed here. At first i wasn't sure about the recipe which calls to use a lot of dried leaves(because of the bitterness), but after cooking, it had no bitter taste and thanks to her recipe, we both loved the curry.  I am sure you will love too, check out the recipe,

Ingredients:

4 medium Red Potatoes (boiled and mashed/cubed)

1/2 big Yellow Onion

2 Roma Tomatoes

2 small Green Chilli

1/2 cup dried Kasoori Methi (fenugreek leaves)

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1tsp Chilli powder

1tbsp Coriander powder

3/4tsp Cumin seeds

1/4tsp minced Ginger (optional)

1tbsp Oil

Salt

How to:

• Soak the dried methi with enough water for 5 mins, drain'em and keep it aside.

• Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds, followed by onions, ginger and green chilli.

• Saute until tender and add the tomatoes, followed by dried methi and saute for 3-4 mins.

• Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder along with salt, mix well and pour 1/2 cup of water.

• Let cook for a min or two, then add the mashed/cubed potato mix well and continue cooking.

• Then pour 2 cups of water, check salt for taste and cook until right consistency. (The original recipe was done with the last step, but i wanted a gravy like thickness for my rotis.)

• Finally, switch off and sprinkle chopped cilantro.

Serve hot with chapathi or poori.

Methi leaves (Vendhaiya Keerai) Pulao

Last time i remember chopping methi leaves was at my home, before marriage. As my mom, most of the times, make me separate the leaves from the stem, wash and chop'em, i always think its a big time consuming process. After marriage, when i started cooking, i avoid picking fresh spinach leaves, rather buy chopped frozen leaves just to make my cooking easier. But today as i cleaned fresh methi leaves, i found it quite refreshing with the smell of those fresh leaves on my hands. You know it, when handling the fresh ingredients. Trust me, your lunch will be ready in no time. I came across this recipe from showmethecurry. Their method was, to cook the rice along with methi, but i cooked the rice separately and mixed with the methi masala mixture. You can choose your way of cooking. Alright, here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Basmati Rice

1 bunch Methi leaves

1/2 cup Petite Peas (optional)

1 small Roma Tomato (chopped)

2 Green Chilli (finely chopped)

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

2tsp Coriander powder

1tsp Chilli powder

1tsp Cumin seeds

1tbsp Oil

Salt

How to:

• Separate the methi leaves, wash and chop'em. Add some salt and let sit for 20 mins.

• Pressure cook the basmati rice along with 1tsp oil and salt. Cool it and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds, followed by green chilli and tomato, saute for a min.

• Then add peas along with salt and cook with lid closed for couple of mins or until tender.

•  Now squeeze out the water from methi leaves and add into the skillet.

• Add the coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder, and saute for another couple of mins.

• Add the cooked rice and mix well. Check salt for taste, close the lid and cook for 3 mins at low heat.

• Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve hot with onion raita and chips.