Oats Thepla

This week's blogging marathon theme of travel food is making me all nostalgic thinking about the long, memorable trips I have had with my family while back in India. During my childhood days, long trips translated to train journeys, as in case of most of the middle class Indian families of that period. And we kids sure used to enjoy them.
During this summer when we visited India, we wanted our kids too experience one of those exciting long train trips that I and my husband used to enjoy and look forward to during our childhoods. We booked one way train tickets to Delhi from Bangalore and little did we know that how memorable our daughter was going to make that trip for us, adults. The two days she was on train, she refused to either get up from her berth or touch food for no apparent reason. She had developed gastritis by the time we got down from the train and ended up throwing up on herself. Exciting, phew! It was funny though when later on she told everyone that she liked her train trip and would like to take another one during her next visit. 

Coming to food, rotis, pulihora (tamarind rice) and savory snacks always feature(d) on our train trips. Gujarati theplas are one such category of rotis that are suitable for travel and doesn't need a side dish other than some pickle, making it more suitable and convenient to carry. I came across this oats version theplas on an oats packet in my mother's kitchen and had noted this down to try later. They were soft and yummy as expected and I had served them with moong subzi. 

Ingredients: (Yield 8 theplas)
1 cup atta / wheat flour
1/2 cup ground oats
3 tbsp. besan / garbanzo flour
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 green chili, finely minced
1/2 cup finely chopped methi / fresh fenugreek leaves
2-3 tbsp. yogurt
1 tbsp. oil
Warm water to knead the dough
Oil to make theplas

Method:

* Combine the flours, salt and turmeric in a bowl. Add chili, methi, oil and yogurt to the flour mixture and mix well. Next add water as needed to form a soft dough. Allow it to rest for about 30 - 45 minutes.

* Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape them into balls.  

* Take a dough ball and roll into a thin circle of about 5 inches diameter. Use wheat flour for dusting if needed.

* Keep the rest of the dough balls covered while rolling out a ball.

* Heat a tava / griddle and cook each dough circle, using a little oil, till it golden brown flecks are noticed on both sides.

 

* Usually theplas are served with chunda or sweet mango pickle and yogurt.  

 

This is my post under "Travel Dishes" theme for BM#36. Check here to know what other marathoners are cooking. 

 

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