Spinach Thepla and Vaghareli Dahi

May 05, 2024

Thepla, unleavened Gujarati spiced flatbreads, is one of my favorite go-to Gujarati comfort foods. Typically made with fenugreek leaves, I’ll often sub with spinach when it’s hard to find or not in season, just like my mom does. Another trick I borrow from her is to roll out the dough in oil instead of flour, which gives you soft, supple thepla. Keep in mind that the amount of water needed to bring the dough together depends on the brand of flour you are using (I used Bob’s Red Mill), so add sparingly. In the end you want a stiff dough that has just enough moisture for it to come together into a ball. You can freeze the theplas for future use by parcooking them. Cook the thepla for 45 seconds on each side, then place on a wire rack to cool. Stack and wrap them in plastic or foil and place in a plastic bag and freeze. When you’re ready to make them, just heat up your pan and cook per directions. I like to serve my thepla with vaghareli dahi, or tempered yogurt. The vaghar (also known as chhonk or tadka) is simple and adds an immense amount of flavor to the yogurt. You can also enjoy thepla with chai, athanu/achar, or on their own.

Ingredients

4 Servings

Vaghareli Dahi

cups plain yogurt

Kosher salt

2½

tsp. vegetable oil

tsp. cumin seeds

garlic cloves, finely chopped

Pinch of asafetida

Pinch of red chili powder

Spinach Thepla

cups (375 g) whole wheat flour

Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more

Tbsp. sesame seeds

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

tsp. ajwain (carom) seeds

tsp. cumin seeds

tsp. ground turmeric

Pinch of asafetida (optional)

small Indian green chile or serrano chile, finely chopped into a paste (optional)

garlic cloves, finely grated

tsp. finely grated ginger

cups spinach leaves, finely chopped

Preparation

Vaghareli Dahi

Step 1

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Once oil is shimmering, cook cumin seeds until fragrant and oil around seeds starts to sputter, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and asafetida, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in red chili powder. Pour over reserved seasoned yogurt and mix well.
Spinach Thepla

Step 2

Using your fingers, rub together flour and 1 Tbsp. oil in the bowl of a stand mixer until well combined, about 1 minute. (This will help the thepla stay soft after cooking.) Add sesame seeds, salt, ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, and asafetida and mix well. Then mix in chile, garlic, and ginger, followed by spinach. Add ½ cup room-temperature water and mix with your hands or a large spoon, adding more water by the tablespoon as needed, until a shaggy dough forms.

Step 3

Fit bowl onto stand mixer and attach dough hook. Mix dough on medium-low, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice, 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a clean surface; gather with your hands and knead dough, adding more water a tablespoonful at a time if it feels too dry, until you have a semi-stiff dough. Knead dough another minute, then form into a ball. Coat dough with a little oil and place back into bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let sit 15 minutes.

Step 4

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Divide and roll dough into about 20 walnut-size balls (about 40 g each). Rub your work surface and rolling pin with a little oil (about 1 tsp. total). Working with 1 ball at a time and keeping the rest covered, flatten balls against work surface, then roll, rotating occasionally for an even shape, into 6″-diameter rounds, about ⅛” thick. Cook thepla in skillet 1 minute, then flip and brush with a little bit of oil. Cook 30 seconds, flip, and cook another 30 seconds. Continue cooking, turning every 30 seconds, until thepla is browned in spots on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Step 5

Serve spinach thepla with vaghareli dahi alongside.