Name: Bajra Methi Dhebra
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cup methi leaves (roughly torn); 1/4 cup coriander leaves (chopped); 1 cup millet flour (bajri flour); 1 cup whole wheat flour (roti flour); 1/4 cup gram flour (besan); 1/2 cup yogurt; 2-3 tablespoon green chilli and ginger paste; 1 tablespoon garlic paste; 2 tablespoon green garlic (optional); 2 tablespoon oil (+ more to fry); 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (tal or til); 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder; 2-3 tablespoon grated jaggery; 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder; 2 teaspoon red chilli powder; 2 teaspoon cumin coriander powder; 1 teaspoon garam masala; salt (to taste); extra wheat flour (to roll dhebra)

You'll love these Dhebra made with bajra flour and plenty of fresh fenugreek leaves. Pan fried to perfection, they're made to an authentic Kathiyawadi Gujarati recipe and can be ready within 30 minutes.

Masala chai just found it's match.

A stack of bajra methi dhebra arranged on a rustic metal plate.

Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published 2021 by my Mum, Jagruti, who learnt this recipe from her (also Gujarati) neighbour when she was young. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.

I'm going to start with mentioning all the differences between vada, dhebra and thepla!

Now, depending on which part of Gujarat your family is from, these names are used interchangeably, particularly between vada and dhebra!

Bajri na vada are puffed and deep-fried with a chewy inside. Dhebra are pan-fried flat breads that have a crispy and flaky texture, often made with millet flour. Thepla is more of an umbrealla term, for example methi na thepla, and refers to softer, thinner flatbreads that are perfect for travel.

The Recipe Details

Making bajra methi dhebra is all about balance. You want to knead a soft yet pliable dough with millet flour, fresh fenugreek leaves, spices, and a touch of jaggery for flavour and colour. More on the full list of ingredients below.

The dough is then rolled into discs and pan-fried until golden brown. Gujaratis have a special technique to achieve the signature brown pattern, known as "bhaat padvi". Unlike the black spots you might see on regular parathas, these beautiful brown patches form when the natural sugars in the dough caramelise as the dhebra cooks.

To get this effect, use a jaro (flat metal press) instead of a spatula and press the dhebra evenly as it cooks on the hot tawa. This helps the surface cook uniformly and brings out that characteristic bhaat padvi look and flavour. The result is crisp and perfectly rustic dhebra.

My favourite way to enjoy these is with a cup of masala chai and some keri no chundo or plain yogurt. To make them a meal, they'll go great with sukhi bhaji.

Once they're cold, spread over some ghee and enjoy as they are. You can thank me later.

Two cups of masala chai served with piping hot bajri methi thepla.

Notes on Ingredients

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

Methi leaves - I use fresh fenugreek leaves ONLY for this recipe. Do not sub in kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) because they are totally different.

Flours – dhebra recipes require more than one flour. I have used a mix of bajra (grey millet flour), besan (gram flour) and chapati aata (wholewheat flour). These flours combine give the unique texture and flavour of dhebra. The besan in particular, helps give a little softness.

Yogurt - any type of plain yogurt works, which helps give softness and tang to the dough. Don't add more than the recipe suggests as it will make the dough too soft and can cause the dhebra to stick to the pan. If you're vegan/dairy free, use a plant-based yogurt.

Spices– I've used red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin and coriander, garam masala and also black pepper.

Herbs & aromatics - the authentic recipe includes fresh green chillies, ginger and garlic. We also add green garlic in our family recipe. A decent about of freshly chopped coriander is a must.

Seeds - sesame seeds & carom seeds are common in authentic dhebra as they are commonly made in the winter months.

Jaggery – in true kathiyawadi style, this recipe uses jaggery to give sweetness. It works brilliantly with the spices and garlic. Make sure you grate the jaggery before adding or use jaggery powder as it's hard to mix large chunks of jaggery into the dough and they will burn on the tawa.

Oil - a little oil goes into the dough and you also need it for cooking the dhebra. To give these a food shelf life, you have to be quite generous with the oil when frying on the tawa.

Step by Step Method & Tips

The first step is to prepare the dough. Start by mixing together the fresh methi, aromatics, spice powders, seeds, herbs and yogurt. Season with salt and add oil. You will see the mixture release just a little moisture which will help with binding the dough.

Now add the flours and bring it all together to form a soft plaible dough. You may or may not need extra water to form the dough depending how wet your mixture was.

Divide into equal parts and form balls before rolling out into discs.

Flours and spices in a big plate to make bajra methi dhebra.

Kneaded dough of indian flatbread in a plate.

To cook the dhebra, heat a tawa on medium heat. Place the rolled out dhebra and cook on one side for approximately 20-30 seconds. Then flip over and spread oil onto the top side. Flip again and again spread oil, flip to cook on the other side. Use the jaaro to gently press down on the dhebra, it'll help bring out the golden brown spots.

One rolled indian flatbread on a round marble board.

Indian flatbread being cooked on a hot griddle.

One indian flatbread folded and placed on top of the stack of indian flatbreads on a plate.

Storage

These Bajra Methi Dhebra can stay fresh for 3–4 days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container, making them ideal for travel. In the refrigerator, they keep well for up to 5–6 days. Simply reheat on a hot griddle before serving.

For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to a month. Lightly roast the rolled dhebra on a griddle without oil, cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper between each and store in a freezer-safe airtight container. To reheat, place the frozen dhebra directly on the tawa and cook thoroughly with a little oil. Do not thaw before cooking.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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