Methi Dhebra ~ Of Lazy mornings and fresh breakfasts!

I hate rainy and wintry mornings. Period.
No concessions please. I mean, no offence intended, I get up and get about my routine as usual, but something about the cold in the air makes me a bit grumpy. The cold makes it all the more difficult for me to leave the cozy warm confines of my thick and warm comforter and  get out of my bed. The only thing that then improves my mood is a good breakfast.

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{New Post} Methi Dhebras and Spiced Indian Tea ~ Breakfast 10 of #100happybreakfasts ! Link in the profile/bio section! Dhebras are thicker, hand flattened and healthier cousins of traditional Gujarati snack Theplas. Normal made out of #millet, I have made these using #Fenugreek mixed with Bajra (pearl millet), jowar (white millet) and corn meal, spiced with Indian spices and toasted #sesame seeds. Fenugreek imparts a lovely mildly bitter flavor which is countered by #jaggery. You can use sugar too, however jaggery is more nutritious. It is mostly deep fried but I have chosen to cook it on a griddle with minimum amount of oil possible. It has a beautiful crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside texture. Note: If you find it too difficult to shape these, you may add a teaspoon or two of whole wheat flour. But if you knead the dough with conscious use of water, this won't be needed. Adapted from the Gujarati Cuisine Cookbook by @tarladalal #dhebra #multigrain #sorghum #millet #cornmeal #vegan #fromscratch #dairyfree #glutenfree #paleo #mealplanning #bangaloreigers #instafood #instabreakfast #igers #srujans100happybreakfasts #food52 #healthyfoodporn #morningtea #brekkie #whatsonmyplate #whatsforbreakfast #wholefoods #gujjufood #gujjugram #nutritious

A post shared by Srujan Desai (@d.srujan) on Aug 13, 2015 at 10:36pm PDT

Okay, so I am Gujarati and I am not proud to admit that I haven’t really had dhebras quite frequently while growing up.  There are various reasons for that which we will not go into for my safety, because no matter how old we grow, moms always feel we are very picky about vegetables and I don’t want to scolded again.

For a quick introduction,  Dhebras are thicker, hand flattened and healthier cousins of traditional, quintessential Gujarati snack Theplas which are quite famous (or shall I say ill famous? ). Well, if you spot a Gujarati at the airport next time, well place a hefty bet about what snacks he/she is carrying and 11/10 times it will be Theplas. Ok that was a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point right!The difference between them is that Theplas are more like flatbreads made with predominantly wheat flour. Whereas, Dhebras are millet based and hence nutritionally higher on the scale.  Normally made out of millet, I have made these using Fenugreek mixed with Bajra (pearl millet), jowar (white millet) and corn meal, spiced with Indian spices and toasted sesame seeds. Fenugreek imparts a lovely mildly bitter flavor which is countered by jaggery. You can use sugar too, however jaggery is more nutritious. It is mostly deep fried but I have chosen to cook it on a griddle with minimum amount of oil possible. It has a beautiful crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside texture.

Adapted from Tarla Dalal’s cookbook for Gujarati Cuisine, the original recipe can be referred to here.

Ingredients
1/2 cup finely chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves
1/2 cup bajra (black millet) flour
1/8 cup jowar (white millet) flour
1 tbsp besan (bengal gram flour)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tbsp curds (dahi)
1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
1 1/2 tsp garlic (lehsun) paste
1 tsp jaggery, powdered or grated
2 tbsp sesame seeds
salt to taste
3 tsp oil
water to kneed the dough

Method
Combine all the ingredients along with oil in a deep bowl to make a soft dough, using enough water.
Divide the dough into equal portions. Pat a portion of the dough into a 50 mm. (2”) diameter and 1 cm thick circle in between your palms.
Place it on a hot tava (griddle).
Cook on a medium flame using ½ tsp of oil, till they turn golden brown in colour from both the sides.
Repeat the steps 3 and 4 to make rest of them.
Serve hot with fresh curds, pickle or simple with hot cup of tea.

Handy tip:
You can also deep-fry these dhebras in hot oil till they turn golden brown in colour on both the sides.
If you find it too difficult to shape these, you may add a teaspoon or two of whole wheat flour. But if you knead the dough with conscious use of water, this won’t be needed.