So Gujjus and snacks can never be parted! And we can honestly say, Gujaratis do make the best snacks! This Dhebra is easy and amazing and right from the State of Gujarat and now we can all relish and enjoy it. It is a bread or a snack that is healthy (no frying needed), full of flavor and has a great shelf-life. Make a few or a stack and take it along for the road trip and make some great Dhebra memories 🙂
Prep Time: 7 min
Resting time for the dough: 15-30 min
Makes: 7-8
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour (Chapati Flour) – 1 cup
Millet Flour (Bajra) – 1/3 cup
Yogurt – 1/2 cup
Citric Acid – 1/4 tsp (if the yogurt is not sour)
Jaggery (Gud) or Brown Sugar – 1 tbsp
Minced Ginger – 2 tsp
Minced Garlic – 2 tsp
Sesame Seeds – 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder -1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1/4 tsp or to taste
Green Chillies – to taste (minced)
Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) – 2 tbsp
Cilantro (Coriander Leaves) – 1/4 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Oil – for pan frying
Method:
1. Combine the Follow in a bow – Yogurt, Citric Acid (if being used) and Jaggery or Brown Sugar.
2. Mix well and break down all the lumps.
3. To this add – Ginger, Garlic, Sesame Seeds, Cumin Powder, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Green Chillies, Salt, Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) and Cilantro (Coriander Leaves).
4. Mix again and set aside till ready to use.
5. To make the dough, combine the the flours, add the Oil (2 tbsp) and work the Oil into the flour till well incorporated.
6. Add in the Yogurt/Spice mixture and make a dough without using any additional Water.
7. Once the fours come together in a dough, knead for a few minutes.
8. Drizzle a few drops of Oil on the dough, cover and allow the dough to rest for 15 – 30 minutes.
9. Heat a Tawa on medium heat till nice and hot.
10. Divide the dough and make golf size balls.
11. Take one and form a smooth ball and then flatten with your palms.
12. Dust in some Whole Wheat Flour and start rolling it with a rolling pin on a flat surface.
13. Keep dusting while rolling as needed.
14. Roll it out similar to Chapati in thickness.
15. Once done rolling, dust off excess Flour and place it on the hot tawa.
16. Move the Dhebra a little so it does not stick and the allow it to cook on the underside till you see a few bubble appear.
17. Once the bubbles are visible, flip the Dhebra and allow it to cool on the other side.
18. Drizzle a little bit of Oil, spread it and flip it.
19. Press down gently but firmly with a flat spatula – pressing and turning as you go.
20. Apply Oil on this side as well and flip and press down again.
21. Take off the tawa and transfer into an insulated Container till ready to eat.
Tip:
1. Make a big batch and store in the refrigerator and use as needed. They have a great shelf-life.
2. Take on long (or short) road trips or travels.
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
i would ask you, is it possible to substitute bajra flour with besan flour? Thank´s for your answer.
Hi Reni,
Besan flour is very dense and heavy so the texture of the dhebra will not be that good.
Hi Hetal& Anuja,
Should I use the same portion of wheat flour and bajra flour and oil to make plain theplas ?
I have some Jowar flour … Can I use that instead of bajra ?
Hi Melanie,
We have not tried it with jowar flour, but it should work. The flavor will be slightly different.
Another great recipe, I love the spices and green herbs but I’m not keen on Bajra atta. I’d like to give it a go and substitute in besan, would you recommend it?
Dear Hetal and Anuja,
Loved the methi na dhebra recipe. It worked very well for me and I was able to make delicious dhebra. How do you keep your skillet so spotlessly clean? Please sometime do reveal this secret too! I always have an issue with my Futura skillet having so much baked on residue.
Ami
Hi Ami,
The best way to keep a skillet clean is to maintain it. Many people neglect to clean or scrape off the burned or stuck on residue after each use and it just keeps building up.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
i like ur recipes a lot..
can v substitute citric acid for this snack?
Hi Sindhu,
The citric acid is basically to make the dhebra more tart. You can try lemon/lime juice.
Now that I have found you ladies, I will not be letting you go, what a great site, I’ll be making the Dhebra as soon as I can find millet flour.
all the best
Ian , England.
Hi Anuja n Hetal
Thanks for posting such a nice recipes. I love them all. I tried this recipe for breakfast n it came out perfect.I have a question. Please suggest me about which tawa you are using. I tried a couple of them but nothing works well. Could you tell me which one have you used in this recipe. n where can I get it from?
Hi Shivani,
Our tawa is from India but we’re sure you can find it in some of the larger Indian grocery stores (sorry, don’t know the brand). It has a non-stick coating on it.
I usually love your videos. Please change this recipe to include what kind of green pepper you used. You said you minced about four or five small chillies and it did not seem like you were adding that much in the video. Now, after kneading the dough, I have the strongest burning sensation under my thumb nail and I somehow touched my nose so that is also burning. I’m afraid I have ruined my husbands dinner by making it too spicy. I choose these really small chillies from the store and now when I look chillies up online it looks like it is thai chillies. I really wanted to feed my husband something nice because he is homesick and now I’m finding myself in a whole lot of pain and worrying that we wont have dinner tonight. I’ve had burning in my nails before from cutting chillies but never this strong.
Hi SadCook,
So sorry to hear about your problem. For certain ingredients like chili or salt, every taste palate is different so we always say “to taste”. We do not mention what type of chili because really, any green chili can be used and different parts of the world have availability to different types of chilies. Also, 4 to 5 Thai chilies may not be a big deal to some but can be “hotter than Hell” to others. My guess would be that your and your husband’s dinner will not be ruined. Sometimes, chilies are spicy to the touch but they get toned down once they are cooked.
If the burning does not go away, you can try to soak your hands in a bowl with some water and baking soda…it should help. Good luck.
I am so happy and amazed at the way you have replied to the above comment, Hetal! You have proved that you don’t just fish for positive comments and also try to genuinely help your viewers with their problems (some of which are not even directly related to your show). Keep the good work going, may you reach heights of success! Looking forward to more wonderful recipes from you ladies (till date, I must have tried atleast 50 recipes from your site over the last 2 yrs). God bless you and your families!!
Hi Divya,
Thank you so much for your well wishes and for your continued support of SMTC…its always appreciated 🙂 .
Hi Hetal n Anuja,
one query can i use lemon juice instead of citric acid.
Hi Reena,
Yes, you can use lemon or lime juice.
can i make the dough and keep it out on the counter top overnight to make fresh debras in the morning ?
Hi Melanie,
You can make the dough the previous day but keep it in the fridge. An hour or so before making the dhebra, just keep it on the counter top to thaw out or use the defrost button on the microwave for 30 secs or so.
thanks for your reply hetal .. will do that.
also can we have a chunda recipe too. i think it goes well with debras 🙂
Hi H & A
I made this y’day, it came out super fantastic.. thanks a lot for this.. as some mentioned above, I did use aamchur powder and it came out just perfect..
God bless !
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I love your videos and simple recipies.
In this dhebra/thepla recipe, one can use Aamchur instead of citric acid. Aamchur is more healthy than citric acid. So, I use aamchur [if the curd is not sour].
Hope you will continue the good work. 🙂
Thanks Kruti!
Do we have to dry roast the millet flour? Because when i knead the flour, it tends to be sticky.
Hi Anita,
No, the flour does not need to be dry roasted. The dough is a bit sticky but it is not too much of a problem as you will be dipping it in dry flour while rolling. You can also oil you hands at the end (while kneading) to prevent it from sticking to your hands.
Hello ladies,
Once again a delicious receipe..
One quick question if I don’t have bajra flour ..
Then should I substitue the wheat flour with the same quantity
Of bajra flour and follow the other ingredients measurements as it is ?
I want to try this soon.
You’d quick reply would be appreciated !!
Hi Bhavika,
Wheat flour absorbs water/liquids differently from Bajra. If you substitute, we suggest that you go with the recipe and if needed add tiny amounts of water or flour depending on if it is too wet or dry.
Hope that helps.
great recipe Hetal and Anuja, thank u. This is what i was looking for. can u suggest one or 2 other recipes which i can store in refrigerator for 1 week and just heat and eat.
Have u guys tried debra with garlic?Bajri and lassan great combination,Please try it.
Hi there,
That does sound awesome 🙂
I also use dry mango powder instead of citric acid, methi leaves or spinach leaves and also add 5 to 6 cloves of garlic.it is reallay yummy..
I used Greek yogurt when making this and found it too dry to use the amount stated in the recipe. I added more to make the dough work for me, and it worked out fine.
These are awesome. I love the “fermented” aroma the yogurt and bajra gives them.
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
I tried the dhebra last week. I used ‘Dry Mango Powder’ instead of Citric Acid b’coz didn’t have at home. They turned out pretty good. love your recipes. Whenever I want to try something new, I visit your site.
Thanks for sharing recipes.
Hi Rashmi,
Thanks for taking the time to write to us and your substitution sounds perfect! Thanks for the compliment as well 🙂
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
Thanks for sharing the lovely snack with us. I’d very much appreciate if you could let me know where i can purchase the tawa that you have used in this episode here in the US (preferably online)?
I remember my MIL making something that she called Dhebra, but I thought she used left over kichidee. Would this be something different?
Hi, I did try this recipe yesterday and the taste was excellent. But while kneading the dough, it breaks a lot of time and the ball-like shape doesn’t come smoothly. Why does this happen? I did let the dough rest for 15mins. It always happens.
Hi Priyanka,
Bajra flour is gluten free so it is a little hard to work with. Did you knead the dough enough? Since we used considerably less bajra than wheat, and wheat does have gluten, kneading it well will help with the rolling.
One tip- You can use frozen methi leaves. Its easier to use, gives a fresh green color.
Also what is the difference between Dhebra and Thepla? any thoughts?
Hi Natasha,
Growing up, I only heard the term “dhebra” in my family. I was curious so I asked around. What I found was that some people say “dhebra” if it is a combination of different flours such as wheat/millet or wheat/corn, etc. They say “thepla” if it is only wheat flour. It could also be a regional thing and then both terms are interchangeable.
Can I substitute Yogurt+ Citric acid to Sour cream? (I dont have neither sour yogurt nor citric acid.Cant wait to try this out :-))
Hi Sri,
We say to use “sour” yogurt because it balances the sweet flavor of the jaggery. Sour cream really is not “sour” as in tangy. You can just use regular yogurt and maybe just a bit of lemon or lime juice.
can we use cornflour instead of bajra ? pls reply
You can use flour made from corn. The term “cornflour” is used to refer to corn starch…different from flour made from corn.
sorry not lolo, it’s called loli.
koki is also called lolo. It’s delicious and healthy too!
Hi Hetal and Anuja …
Awesome recipe … fact that it can be stored for a week is what I wanted. Can you guys show how to make Koki, I remember back in my school days my fried used to get it … I look forward to see in your website …
Hi Revathi,
hmmm…I’ve not heard of koki. Can you describe it?
It is a sindhi dish …. it is similar to Dhebra, but only whole wheat flour is used. They add chopped onions, green chillis, ajwain along with some other ingredients. I did try couple of times, but failed to get that real taste.
Hi Hetal,
I’m from Andhra Pradesh. I don’t have Bajra flour at home. Can I use Raagi instead? Are they both same? Please reply.
Thanks,
Amulya
Hi Amulya,
Bajra and Raagi are different but you should be able to substitute one for the other. Otherwise, you can skip the bajra altogether and use more chapati flour.
wow andhra pradesh ! it’s amaizing how all indians are connecting in smtc with each other..from so far away..i am a gujarati from toronto..great to see everyone connecting online and learning something new from each other !
thanx to Hetal and Anuja !!!!!!!!!!!
thnk u for the lovely recipe……i often make thepla n i like to eat with athela marcha…………plz show us how 2make athela marcha…..
thnk uuuuuuuuuuu
Your welcome! We’ll put athela marcha on our list :).
Hey guys, I tried the dhebra yesterday. They turned out pretty good. I made a booboo though – I added a tad bit more of yougurt and the dough was a little on the runny side. I watched the video after I was done making the whole batch and noted the consistency of your dough, Hetal & Anuja. Another booboo I made was that I added lime juice as the yogurt I had was not sour and I did not have any citric acid handy. I must have added a bit too much because my dhebras have a tart taste in the end – when you are about to swallow it. But over all, they turned out pretty good. I’ll try them with fresh methi next:) Thanks for another wonderful recipe that is quick and delicious and healthy!
One quick question to H&A – can I add bajra and wheat flour in equal proportion?
This is very good recipie. I am gujarati and i always wondered what to do when i don’t have sour yougurt. Can you post few more gujarati recipies?
Hi Daxita,
We have several gujarati recipe including Kadi, Daal, Handwo, Khandvi, etc.
Great eats
I must thank you for the lovely recipes & tricks that you use to make some really nice dishes, this debra dish would have been impossible for me to make, now that you showed how to blend the flour & the mix, it makes it easier.
Thank You Again
You are very welcome Mohua!
Oh, one more thing. For exactly how many days we can store this in fridge?
Hi Lajja,
You can keep the dhebra in a container or ziploc bag in the fridge for about a week. Wrap a stack of them in foil and put them in a freezer ziploc bag to store up to 2-3 months.
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
Sorry for not being in touch since late. Lots going on right now in life. Btw, just saw this amazing recipe. I tried dhebra with corn flour a while ago, but it was a disaster, I guess because in US we don’t get the exact kind of flour needed for the recipe. Didn’t use yogurt too.
After that I tried methi dhokla using corn flour, ladu flour, and yogurt. It was amazing. Didn’t experiment dhebra again after that, but your recipe seems amazing. Now, again I am motivated to try this. Thanks a ton. Btw, I remember my mom first tossing methi leaves in pan with oil, salt, and red chilli powder for a while. Have you tried that?
Hi Lajja,
No, we have not tried tossing the methi leaves with oil. Are you referring to fresh methi leaves or the dried ones?
thanks hetal n anuja for the receipe it reminds me of my childhood..
n ya 1 more ting is it also called thepla?
hi, its a yum yum recipe!
i often need 2 go early morning on sunday,when family expects us 2 cook smthng different!so can i make it a day b4.n also
for how many days it can b stored in the fridge n is it fridge or freezer?
thank u!
Hi Khushboo,
You can keep the dhebra in a container or ziploc bag in the fridge for a week. Wrap a stack of them in foil and put them in a freezer ziploc bag to store up to 2-3 months.
Hey Hetal / Anuja: I have loved all your recipes, and tried quite a few of them.. I have a whole batch of sour yoghurt lying inmy fridge, and was wondering what to do, when voila! ur mailer for Dhebra comes along 🙂 what luck! def a keeper, and will help me get my daughter to eat this too (probably adding some veggies!)!
thx again,
cheers 🙂
Hi Chef Mom,
Yup…this is a great way to use up sour yogurt. A tip for you…you can mix some milk to the sour yogurt and make it more mild.
Hi Hetal and Anuja:
wow….awesome…this is a keeper…..cool recipe. I love it, and will make it in a few days…..Thanks for the recipe. you both rock…….:)
Have a great day.
Thanks Rizwana!
hi it look good i was waiting long time i love the dhebra i am gujarti i love it you are best ladies i love your show
Thanks Krishna!
you like dhebra where you like
where you like you welcome i like dhebra
Me too! I am from Karnataka and LOVE Gujrathi food! I am still waiting for Undhio recipe from more than a year I believe!
:-<(
Can this be made without bajra flour?
Hi Jaya,
Yes, you can skip the bajra flour. The taste will be different but it will still work.
Hi,Ladies,
I love Methi Na Thepla a lot, and since i am Gujarati i make a lot but one thing i do not like to add is Jaggery. Thats make the Thepla taste little sweet. I know some people think cause of Methi it will taste better but actully it’s not. My mother in law still adds the Gud.
Try it sometime without it….trust me it’s taste goood.
Bela
Hi Bela,
I am like you as well…I don’t like my food sweet. However, I really like the slightly sweet and sour taste of this recipe. It is not overpoweringly sweet. I’m sure it tastes great without the sweetness as well. Thanks!
Yummy!! Thank you for the great recipes you keep sharing and the methodical manner in which you present/explain it all.
Yet another amazing snack receipe 🙂 Gonna try this very soon!Thank you so much!
Looks sumptuous!
Hi Hetal and Anuja
U said “SNACK” … naaaa … am gonna make this for lunch or may be for dinner …. its just fabulous … I love these kind of parathas … wish I could grab one from your tawa .. Thanks for the post …
Hi Bindu,
We say “snack” because it is so flavorful that you don’t need any subzi or curry to enjoy with it. You’ll experience the amazing aroma as you get one on your tawa. Let us know how they come out.
yup .. will surely let u know … have to wait for a couple of days to get coriander leaves. 🙂
Hi
I could not wait for the coriander leaves.
Made it .. smells soooo gud … tastes awesome.
Thanks ..
Lol….glad you enjoyed them Bindu!
Hello Hetal and Anuja,
Thank you so much for this receipe.. Like Urvi said, was waiting for a long time… Will make this weekend for sure..
Thanks again,
Bani
Hi Bani,
Let us know how they come out!
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Dhebra’s came out very good… Since that weekend we have made them so many times… My whole family enjoys them very much at any time of the day…
My husband enjoys them with chilled yogurt.. Thank you so much for the easy and simple receipe. 🙂
-Bani
I forgot to mention that I made the Dhebra’s with fresh methi leaves…
hello ladies,
thanks so much for putting in this recipe. was waiting for a long time. appreciate ur concern for your desperate fans 🙂
cheers
urvi
Hi Urvi,
Its our pleasure!