Lauki thepla is a nutritious, savory, spice flatbread made with lauki or bottle gourd. Lauki is also called dudhi, ghiya, sorakaya in Indian regional languages. In English these light green tender gourds are known as opo sqaush, calabash, long melon, and bottle gourd.
About this Recipe
Making Lauki thepla is easy and makes for a healthy breakfast or brunch. These remain soft and so go well in tiffin boxes or as picnic food.
Usually, I add some gram flour (besan) and on occasions pearl millet or sorghum flour too. We like the taste of besan and millet flours in these flatbreads. In this recipe, I have made lauki thepla only with whole wheat flour and gram flour.
If you do not prefer besan or millet flours, then just skip them. However, adding them increases the nutritive value.
Being fond of Gujarati food, I do make theplas at times. I usually serve them with mango pickle or mango chunda or with curd. Sometimes with a batata nu shaak (dry potato curry).
So apart from Methi Thepla, I make the plain version, Mooli thepla and this lauki thepla on occasions.
Lauki thepla can be served hot, warm or at room temperature.
How to make Lauki Thepla
Preparing bottle gourd mixture
1. First rinse, peel and then grate the lauki in a bowl or parat/large plate. About ¾ cup grated lauki. You can also add about 1 cup grated lauki.
NOTE: Before your grate, check the taste of lauki. If it is bitter to taste, then throw it away.
2. Add the spices – 1 tsp ginger-green chili paste, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp red chili powder, ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¾ tsp salt.
3. Mix the spices & salt very well with the grated lauki and keep covered aside for 5 minutes. The lauki will release its juices.
Making the savory dough
4. Then add 1.5 cups whole wheat flour and 3 tbsp besan or gram flour. If you don’t have gram flour, then skip. Just make the theplas with whole wheat flour. You can also add 1 cup whole wheat flour and ¼ cup bajra flour, ¼ cup jowar flour, and 3 tbsp besan.
5. Mix.
6. Add 2 tbsp yogurt and 1 tbsp oil. If making a vegan or dairy free version, then add 2 to 3 tbsp water instead of curd/yogurt and knead.
7. Mix and then begin to knead into a dough. Add more yogurt if required while kneading.
8. Make a smooth soft dough.
9. Make medium sized balls from the dough.
Rolling dough
10. On a dusted rolling board, take each ball and begin to roll it.
11. Sprinkle some more whole wheat flour, if required while rolling.
12. Roll to a round of about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
Roasting Lauki Thepla
13. Place the rolled thepla on a hot tawa or skillet.
14. When you see air pockets, flip it.
15. Here is a half cooked side which we flipped.
16. Spread some oil all over.
17. Flip again.
18. Spread some oil on this side now. Add some more oil while roasting, if making for tiffin or picnic lunches so that these stay soft.
19. Flip once or twice till the thepla are well cooked. Make all thepla this way. You can add less oil if you prefer while roasting the thepla.
21. Serve them hot, warm or at room temperature with a mango pickle or curd or mango chunda or mango chutney.
Helpful Tips
- Bottle gourd: Fresh, tender, juicy bottle gourd is the best in this recipe. If your bottle gourd has a sour or bitter taste, then discard it.
- Curd (yogurt): Use fresh yogurt and not sour. If you do not have yogurt, then replace it with buttermilk or water, adding as required to make a soft dough.
- Spicing and seasonings: You can make these lauki theplas spicy if you prefer. Increase the quantity of green chilies and red chili powder.
- Flours: Gram flour (besan) can be skipped if you do not have it. Simply add 1¾ cups of whole wheat flour if you decide to omit gram flour. To make these flatbreads more healthy and fiber-rich, make them with some millet flours like sorghum or pearl millet flour.
Few more flatbread recipes for you!
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Lauki Thepla
Ingredients
- ¾ to 1 cup grated lauki (dudhi, opo squash, calabash, bottle gourd)
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- 2 tablespoons Curd (yogurt) – add 1 or 2 tablespoons more, if required while kneading
- 1 green chili + ½ inch ginger – crushed to a paste in mortar pestle or 1 teaspoon ginger-green chili paste
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¾ teaspoon salt or add as required
- oil as required, for roasting
Instructions
Kneading dough
- First rinse, peel and then grate the lauki in a bowl or tray or large plate. Grate about ¾ to 1 cup lauki. NOTE: Before your grate, check the taste of lauki. If it is bitter to taste, then throw it away.
- Add the spices – ginger-green chili paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder salt.
- Mix the spices, salt very well with the grated lauki and keep covered aside for 5 minutes. The lauki will release its juices.
- Then add whole wheat flour and besan or gram flour. If you don't have gram flour, then skip or you can add chickpea flour. You can also simply make these with whole wheat flour. Mix well.
- Add yogurt and oil.
- Mix and then begin to knead into a dough. Make a smooth soft dough.
Rolling
- Make medium sized balls from the dough.
- On a dusted rolling board, take each ball and begin to roll it.
- Sprinkle some more whole wheat flour, if required while rolling.
- Roll to a round of about 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
Roasting
- Place the rolled dough on a hot tawa or griddle.
- When you see air pockets, flip it.
- Spread some oil all over. Flip again.
- Spread some oil on this flipped side now.
- Flip once or twice until they are roasted well.
- Serve these hot, warm or at room temperature with mango pickle or curd/yogurt.
Notes
- Bottle gourd: Fresh, tender, juicy bottle gourd is the best in this recipe. If your bottle gourd has a sour or bitter taste, then discard it.
- Curd (yogurt): Use fresh yogurt and not sour. If you do not have yogurt, then replace it with buttermilk or water, adding as required to make a soft dough.
- Spicing and seasonings: You can make these lauki theplas spicy if you prefer. Increase the quantity of green chilies and red chili powder.
- Flours: Gram flour (besan) can be skipped if you do not have it. Simply add 1¾ cups of whole wheat flour if you decide to omit gram flour. To make these flatbreads more healthy and fiber-rich, make them with some millet flours like sorghum or pearl millet flour.
Easy recipe to feed all doodhi haters. Pics make it easier to follow. Kudos.
Thanks Binita
Please guide what can we di agar atta khatta hi jaye toh ?
at my home, if the atta becomes our, we discard it. my mother in law says it not good for health. in the west there are breads made from sour dough. the dough is left to leaven, till it becomes sour or khatta. but in these recipes yeast is used. i have not yet tried making sour dough breads as i know no one in my family is going to eat it. but i do plan to give a try in making a small batch and test it myself.
You can also add seesam seeds lemon and sugar. It tastes so good.in lauki thepla
thankyou vaishali 🙂