Methi Thepla – High protein Savory flatbread with chickpea flour, quinoa flour, coconut flour, sesame seeds. Vegan Soy-free yeast-free. Can be made gluten-free.
These multigrain flatbreads have chickpea flour, quinoa flour, coconut flour to add to the protein. plus a good load of sesame seeds. Spiced liberally with Indian spices and dried fenugreek, these can be served as is with chutney or as a side.
Use flours that you have, use the spices that you have and make this fabulous flatbread. Add a scoop of unflavored protein powder to amp up the protein even more.
You can make them gluten-free by substituting the wheat flour with chickpea flour. The gluten-free breads will be more delicate when you roll them out, so keep them a bit thicker. The traditional Methi thepla has more wheat flour, some chickpea flour and other flours such as sorghum or millet, and fresh or dried fenugreek. These are my modified version with quinoa flour and coconut flour to add more protein. to make traditional thepla, use 1 cup wheat flour, 1 cup chickpea flour and 1/4 cup flours like millet or sorghum. For variation, roast the chickpea flour for 3-4 minutes before using to make a dough for a nuttier flavor profile.
More flatbreads from the blog
- Spinach Paratha flatbread – Yeast free
- Vegan Pita Bread Recipe
- Vegan Yeast free Flatbread and Pita bread
- Injera – 100% teff Ethiopian flatbread
Serve these with favorite Dals, sauces, curries or chutneys and Indian pickles.
Steps:
Knead the ingredients into a somewhat smooth dough that is not too sticky or too stiff. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Then divide the dough into 1.5 inch balls and roll into flatbreads.
Use flour or parchment to help roll. The shape and some cracks on the side don’t matter 🙂
Cook on a skillet. Spray oil on both sides and cook until golden brown spots.
Recipe Card
Methi Thepla - High Protein Savory Herbed Flatbread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (60 g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour or besan
- 1/4 cup (28 g) quinoa flour or use more chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp oat flour or use whole wheat flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour or use soy flour or more chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp flax seeds or flax seed meal optional
- 1/4 cup (37.5 g) sesame seeds
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) baking soda
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) asafetida- hing optional
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) turmeric
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cumin
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) onion powder
- 1 tsp red chili flakes or to taste
- 3 to 4 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves kasoori methi or 1/2 cup packed finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves
- 1/4 cup (4 g) packed finely chopped cilantro optional
Wet
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (81.67 ml) non dairy yogurt
- 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 1 hot green chili grated
Instructions
- in a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients and mix well.
- In a blender, blend the yogurt, water, ginger and chili. Or grate ginger and chili and add to the dry bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix until a dough is formed. Add a tsp or so more water if too dry, or add a tbsp more chickpea flour if too soft and sticky.
- Spray oil on the dough, Cover and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Oil your hands and knead for a minute to smooth out the dough. The dough will be somewhat stiff but should not be too stiff to knead or too sticky.
- Divide the dough into equal sized balls. Cover the balls with a towel while you roll.
- Take each ball and using wheat flour or chickpea flour, roll it out into 7 inch rounds. Do not worry about the shape. Just roll the flatbread so it is generally even thickness. Roll out the rest and keep covered with towel.
- Cook over medium heat. Cook for 30 seconds, then flip. Cook for 30 seconds. Spray or spread a little oil on the flatbread and flip. Cook for another 30 seconds, spray oil on the current side, flip and cook again until golden brown spots . Cook all of the flatbreads. Store on the counter for upto 2 days.
Notes
To make traditional thepla, use 1 cup wheat flour, 1 cup chickpea flour and 1/4 cup flours like millet or sorghum. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
In the news today, Stray dog culling is a solution that state authorities (in India) often favor over the funding spay, neuter and adoption. Another dog culling session this month means gentle moms with pups and disabled dogs are being killed as well, using inhumane methods such as poisoning with cyanide, beating to death and throwing alive dogs at sea with legs tied. The dogcatchers killing squads are paid $1.75 per dog they eliminate. Please see this Comprehensive list of petitions to sign against dog killing in Kerala.
Anna Tejada-Lambeth
Tried for the first ever because I eat gluten free. My husband LOVED them and requested I make them often. I used your suggestion of garbanzo flour to substitute for wheat. The spices are amazing! My college roommate introduced me to the delicious cuisine and I’ve decided to teach myself through great recipes like yours. Thank you.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome !
Avery
Whoops – it looks like I posted on this last year and completely forgot…haha. Well, I do really love this recipe… 😉
Avery
This flatbread is absolutely delicious and very satisfying. I had never heard of thepla before making this recipe, but I decided to give it a shot and I’m SO glad I did! Now it is in my permanent recipe files and I have made it a few times since.
Avery
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I couldn’t for the life of me find fenugreek anywhere in my city so I substituted for 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder (first ingredient fenugreek). It went perfectly with Chickpeas in Turmeric Peanut Butter Curry. Yum!
Archena
Hi Richa,
We make Methi Thepla quite often. Add a bit of millet flour (Bajri Flour) to the mix. Fresh or Frozen Fenugreek leaves available at Indian stores also works great.
korralinn
I made those gluten free and I like them so much! Fenugreek leaves can be replaced with seeds?
Richa
awesome! you can use 1/2 to 1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds. the seeds are more bitter than the leaves, so you need very small amounts for the flavor.
Korralinn
Thank you!
Elizabeth Ellis
Can you share what you substituted to make them gluten free please?
I was thinking to just substitute a gluten free flour mix for the wheat.
This looks so good!
Richa
use chickpea flour instead of the wheat flour.
Zofia @ Kiwi Phase
There are so many wonderful ingredients in your recipe that I use daily. I’m only just getting away from the habit of buying normal white flour and still need to try coconut, quinoa and soy flour!
May
Thanks for the recipe I am always looking for high protein recipes.
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com}
That’s terrible about Kerala! I can’t believe they are getting paid and the whole thing is just sickening. Thanks for the link to the petitions! This flatbread looks delicious by the way : )
Cassie Tran
YUM! This looks absolutely amazing!
Varneet
Omg these look super delicious!! I recently made Fenugreek flatbread but with Quinoa, Oat, Chickpea flour! It came out really good! Your work is very inspiring Richa! 🙂