High-Protein Tofu Thepla
A nutritious, high-protein spin on classic Gujarati theplas using tofu, Greek yogurt, whole wheat and chickpea flours, and warm Indian spices. Perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or travel
Servings: 8
Calories: 199kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup chickpea flour sattu or besan
- 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon heeng or asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 cup frozen methi leaves
- 2 teaspoon ginger and garlic or ginger garlic paste
- 1 green chili chopped fine, optional
- 1.5 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon olive oil plus more for cooking theplas
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 4 oz extra firm tofu grated
- Water as needed to make the dough
Instructions
- Add the 2 cups whole wheat flour, ½ cup chickpea flour (sattu or besan), 2 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon heeng or asafoetida, 1 teaspoon cumin powderr, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon red chili powder to the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add 2 tablespoon olive oil, ginger garlic paste (2 teaspoon ginger and garlic), ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1.5 teaspoon white sesame seeds, 1 cup frozen methi leaves, and 1 green chili (chopped).
- Add the grated 4 oz extra firm tofu.
- Attach the bowl to your stand mixer and mix on low for 10-15 seconds. Then gradually increase the speed. There should be enough moisture to bring the dough together, but if not, add Water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. I ended up adding ¼ cup of water, and it took me less than 2 minutes to get the dough together.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide the dough and form into hockey puck sized dough balls. This recipe will make 15.
- Set a cast iron skillet or tava on medium-high heat on a stovetop. Set up your thepla rolling station on your kitchen counter, or you can use a traditional chakla or rolling surface. You will also need some flour for dusting and a rolling pin. Take a dough ball and dust it with flour.
- Sprinkle some flour on your rolling surface to make rolling theplas easier. Roll the dough ball out into a thin disc approximately 7-8 inches in diameter.
- Place the rolled thepla on the hot cast iron skillet. Cook on medium heat until the surface is half cooked or you see bubbles. Flip it over and cook until golden-brown spots appear on both sides.
- Drizzle a couple of drops of oil on the surface and spread it with a spoon. Turn the thepla over and continue cooking. Apply oil to the side up and continue cooking until the thepla is evenly golden brown on both sides., You can press the thepla with a spatula for more browning.
- Repeat until all the dough is used up. Stack the theplas as you cook them and enjoy with tomato chutney, pickle or yogurt.
Notes
If you do not have a stand mixer or prefer to knead the dough by hand, add these ingredients to a shallow, wide mixing bowl or paraath.
The amount of water and time needed may vary depending on your kitchen conditions and the moisture level of your fenugreek and tofu. Tofu contains natural moisture, so knead the dough thoroughly before adding any water. You may only need 1 to 2 tablespoons of water total.
If kneading the thepla dough by hand, start by mixing the ingredients and folding, only sprinkling few drops of water at a time if needed.
I recommend using a box grater for the tofu. Mashing with a fork creates uneven chunks that can make the dough hard to roll.
Cook theplas quickly on medium-high heat. Cooking them too slowly on low heat evaporates their moisture and turns them hard and brittle. Theplas might burn if you cook at very high heat.
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 3mg
