Dudhi na Thepla are a Gujarati flatbread made with grated bottle gourd, whole wheat flour and basic spices.
Plain thepla are a staple in Gujarati cuisine and are much loved due to their versatility. Thepla can be served with a cup of tea for breakfast, with a shaak for lunch or dinner and are even easy to transport as they keep well.
There are many flavour variations too such as methi na thepla and oats jowar methi thepla.
In my family we enjoy theplas with either masala chai or adarak wali chai.
My Mum prepares these dudhi thepla in the summer when dudhi is in season. Grated dudhi adds a delicious flavour, texture and moistness to thepla.
Other dudhi recipes we make are dudhi muthiya,dudhi bateta nu shaak, dudhi khichdi and dudhi halwa.
Ingredients
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
- Whole wheat atta aka chapati flour. You can also use this multigrain atta which combines 6 different grains.
- Dudhi - grated. Alternatively use grated courgette.
- Yogurt - any plain yogurt will work.
- Green chilli and ginger - crushed
- Spices - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ajwain, sesame seeds.
- Coriander
- Besan
- Sugar (optional)
- Salt
- Oil - needed for the dough and to shallow fry the thepla.
Farali Dudhi Thepla
To make these suitable for Hindu fasting, use farali atta instead of whole wheat atta. Farali atta is easy to purchase from Indian grocery stores. Perfect for Navratri or for any vrat days.
Serve with farali potato bhaji or farali aloo.
Recipe Tips
These are my Mum's tips for the best dudhi na thepla.
- Grate dudhi using a fine grater with small holes or extra fine food processor shredding plate. This helps to roll thepla without tearing in the middle and edges.
- We saute shredded dudhi in a pan for a couple of minutes before adding it to the flour, to remove extra moisture from it. Wilted dudhi helps to roll the dough better.
- If possible, knead the dough without water and add water as needed.
- Keep the ratio 2:1 of flour to dudhi.
- Besan helps to soak up the moisture from the lauki, and provides elasticity to the dough.
- The dough should be semi stiff and rested for at least 15 minutes before rolling.
- Thepla thickness should be on the thinner side, just a little thicker than traditional Gujarati rotli.
- Shallow fry theplas on a medium to high flame to keep them soft.
Serving Suggestion
Serve dudhi na thepla as they are with extra yogurt or cucumber raita or fruit raita on the side. Gujarati athanu such as keri no chundo or raiti gor keri athanu will also go wonderfully.
To make them a more filling meal, pair with sukhi bhaji, aloo tamatar or sev tameta nu shaak.
Storage
Store dudhi thepla in an airtight container. They will remain fresh at room temperature for 1 day but to store any longer they must be refrigerated.
Dudhi thepla can be frozen. Roll the dough into a circle then place in between layers of parchment paper. The thepla can be cooked on the tavi directly from frozen.
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📖 Recipe
Dudhi Na Thepla (Lauki Thepla)
Equipment
- grater
- Rolling Pin
- Griddle
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup bottle gourd dudhi peeled and grated
- 2 cup wheat flour + for rolling
- 3 tablespoon besan
- 1 tablespoon green chilli paste
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 3 tablespoon oil for moin
- 3 tablespoon yogurt
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- 6 teaspoon oil to shallow fry
Instructions
- In a frying pan heat ½ teaspoon oil, add grated dudhi and saute for a couple of minutes without getting brown.
- In a big mixing bowl add besan and wheat flour, mix in sauteed dudhi.
- Next add turmeric, red chilli powder, ajwain, sesame seeds, coriander, salt, 3 tablespoon oil,chilli-ginger and sugar.
- Combine everything then add yogurt, bring everything together using your hands.
- First knead the dough without using water, but if you think water is needed, add a tablespoon of water at a time.
- Knead a semi-stiff but pliable dough, cover with clean kitchen towel and rest for 15 minutes.
- Take a few drops of oil in your palms and knead the dough for 30 seconds before dividing it in equal portions. Roll them into balls.
- Heat the tawa/griddle on medium heat.
- Dip one ball in dry wheat flour and place it on the rolling board.
- Roll it using rolling pin in a circular motion. If thepla sticks on the rolling board or pin use more dry flour.
- Thepla thickness should be just a little thicker than Gujarati rotli.
- Carefully place rolled dudhi thepla on heated tavi. Keep the heat on medium flame.
- Begin cooking them on one side; once tiny air bubbles start to form and puff up, flip them to the other side.
- Brush on some oil and gently press with your spatula to cook it evenly. Flip, add more oil, and press again, cook until both sides have light brown spots.
- Once done, flip once more, remove from the griddle.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This RecipeNote – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with a new, improved recipe, new images and content. First published in May 2016 .
Hayley Dhanecha says
I first made these myslef in 2019 and seriously have been making ever since. I love that how easy they come together in no time and amazing with pickle or masala chai.