As my fellow author has mentioned in her article, ‘Multigrain Indian Fenugreek bread’, theplas are a staple dish of the Gujaratis, usually savoured while they travel. Though the dish is prepared mainly with fenugreek leaves, striving to add more to its nutritional value, I have prepared the same with raddish leaves and an additional ingredient White water Cress (singhara powder). Very often when the vegetable raddish is sold or purchased in the market, the raddish leaves are discarded. As the leaves also have their own nutritional role too, I always wondered, why this had to be left out of our diet! This tasty and nutritional flat Indian bread, prepared in this manner, is the best way to get the children to have their leafy vegetables.
Theplas
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch (handful) of radish leaves
- 1 tbsp (heapful) water cress /singhara powder
- 1tbsp (heapful) soya powder
- 1tbsp(heapful)gram flour powder
- 1 ½ cup wheat flour
- 1 tsp ajwain/bishops weed seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (kashmiri lal)
- 1 tsp cumin seed powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- a pinch of asafoetida/hing
- salt to taste
- oil
- water
Optional
- 1-2 green chillies (finely chopped)
Method
- Wash and chop the radish leaves fine, and place in a pan or vessel in which you would prepare the dough.
- Add to it ajwain seeds, the powders-coriander, red chilli, cumin, turmeric, asafoetida and salt.
- Pour half a cup of hot water and cover it for 5 minutes.
- Now add the flours –soya, gram, water cress, wheat and knead it into a soft dough, adding water if required. Add ½ teaspoon of oil towards the end. Knead well and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Make balls of the dough and roll out into thin circular roti/bread.
- Cook one side on a girdle (till colour changes), turn and apply a little oil on the cooked side. Repeat the same with the other side and remove from flame when both sides are done.
- Repeat with all the balls till the dough is over.
- Serve hot with pickle.
Preparation Time: 30-45 minutes
Makes: 10-12 theplas
Healthy Tip: The theplas can also be prepared with a variation of leafy vegetables and flours.