Aloo Stuffed Thepla

Aloo Stuffed Thepla
The love child of Gujarati Thepla and Aloo Paratha.
If you’re looking for a flatbread with big, bold flavours,
you’ve come to the right place. The traditional Thepla of my
childhood are unstuffed and served spread with butter or ghee.
Paired with Sukha Bateta nu Shaak (dry potato and cashew
curry), it’s family comfort food at its best.
My memories of eating Thepla made by the expert hands of my
mum are ones I still treasure today. They would be smoking hot
off the tawa, rolled up like a cigar and dripping with golden
butter – and first thing in the morning too. Thepla are the
ultimate breakfast bread and waking up to the smell of them
toasting on a hot pan outweigh the feeling of hitting snooze
on Sunday morning. Trust me.
Packed with the smoky, slightly-bitter caramel notes of fresh
fenugreek leaves, these turmeric-hued discs of fluffy bread
are one of the most iconic recipes of Gujarat. Traditional
Thepla are as I said, eaten with potato curry, masala chai,
pickles and chutneys.
Here, I’ve combined the beauty of fluffy potatoes and
fenugreek leaf-studded bread to create Aloo Stuffed Thepla.
Yeah, it’s a little unconventional incorporating the potato
element into the bread itself, but since when was sticking to
the rules any fun?
So WTF is fenugreek? They look like coriander but bury your
nose in a bunch of fresh fenugreek and you’ll instantly know
they are in a league of their own. Not dissimilar to the deep
burnt sugar flavours of Marmite, fresh fenugreek leaves are
one of those ingredients you’ll either love or hate. They have
a slightly bitter caramel taste and I find that fans of dark
chocolate tend to love fenugreek too.
It’s important to know that fresh fenugreek leaves and
fenugreek seeds aren’t interchangeable. The seeds have a
deeply nutty aroma and the flavour is bitter in the same way
great coffee and cacao beans are bitter. They lend amazing
complexity to Indian recipes in very different ways so
remember not to substitute one for the other. It would be like
subbing coriander seeds for fresh coriander. Not a great idea.
Kasuri or Kasoori methi are dried fenugreek leaves and indeed,
can be used in place of fresh fenugreek. The flavour is much
more concentrated in the same way any dried ingredient is
stronger in flavour compared to the fresh counterpart. Added
to rich, makhani sauces, it’s an absolute game changer. To
release the full aromas, simply rub it between your palms and
add towards the end of cooking or to finish a dish.
There’s not a type of bread I don’t love but recently I’ve
developed a huge passion for breads with a punch of flavour
rather than bread being secondary to another main dish. In
this recipe, the Aloo Stuffed Thepla are the star of their
very own show, perhaps accompanied by a selection of chutneys,
achaars, plain yoghurt and chai.
Find out exactly how to prepare these step-by-step in my first
YouTube video below. Let me know what you think.
Aloo Stuffed Thepla
Makes 18-20
Ingredients
For the filling:
1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled, boiled and
mashed until really smooth
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
2-3 chillies, chopped
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder) or 2 tbsp lemon juice
80g frozen peas, defrosted and pulsed in a food processor
until coarsely crushed
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander, optional
For the dough:
550g chapatti flour
2 tsp turmeric
5 tbsp chopped fresh fenugreek leaves (if you’re using kasoori
methi, use just under 1 tbsp)
1 ½ tsp salt
100ml sunflower oil
320ml hot water
125g melted butter or ghee
Method
1. First, make the filling. Heat the oil in a non-stick
saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Allow them to sizzle
slightly, then add in the ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook
for a minute. Next, add in the peas, potatoes, garam masala,
amchur, salt and coriander if using. Mix well and cook until
heated through. Set aside to cool.
2. To make the dough, place the chapatti flour in a large bowl
or tray. Mix in the salt, turmeric and chopped fenugreek. Make
a well in the middle and add the oil. Pour in the water and
stir until cool enough to handle. Go in with your hands and
knead for 4-5 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough.
3. Divide the dough into golf ball-sized rounds and roll
between your palms until smooth.
4. Do the same for the filling but take slightly more than the
size of the dough.
5. Roll the dough to about 3-4” in diameter and place the
potato ball on top. Using your thumbs and forefingers, pinch
the dough closed around the filling, starting in the middle
and working your way outwards. The filling wrapped in dough
should be fully enclosed with no gaps or holes.
6. Flatten the ball using the palm of your hand. Dust with
flour on both sides and flip over. You will need to roll the
smooth side.
7. Begin rolling the dough, turning gently as you do. Ensure
it is even all over and dust with more flour if necessary. Try
to aim for 1/2cm in thickness.
8. Cook in a dry, non-stick frying pan, turning once and
spreading the dry-cooked side with some butter or ghee. Flip
and repeat. The underside should be golden in a few moments,
flip again and cook on the next side until golden.
9. Repeat until you’ve used up all of the dough and filling.
So, as if by magic, you’re now a paratha extraordinaire and
well on your way to rustling up some bread to accompany your
favourite Indian dishes. Enjoy making these Stuffed Aloo
Thepla and once you get the hang of rolling, remember to have
fun creating your own fillings and flavours.
These are in-freakin’-sane with Gor Keri (sweet mango pickle
with fennel seeds). You can buy it ready made or make your
own. I’ll share my recipe soon.
Love Sanjana