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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
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Bajra Methi Dhebra
Equipment
- Jaaro flat metal press
- tawa
Ingredients
- 2 cup methi leaves roughly torn
- ¼ cup coriander leaves chopped
- 1 cup millet flour bajri flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour roti flour
- ¼ cup gram flour besan
- ½ 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
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2-3 tablespoon grated jaggery
- ½ 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
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or wide plate add all the ingredients plus 2 tablespoon oil.
- Knead a soft dough using water little by little – the methi will release its own water.
- Divide the dough into equal size balls. Roll out the ball on a flat surface in dry flour and make a round disc.
- Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place the dhebra on the pan and cook on one side for a few seconds and then flip over. Spread oil onto the top surface, flip, and spread oil again. Flip once more. Press down using the jaaro until you get small brown spots on both sides.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
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.
Bajra Methi Dhebra
Equipment
- Jaaro flat metal press
- tawa
Ingredients
- 2 cup methi leaves roughly torn
- ¼ cup coriander leaves chopped
- 1 cup millet flour bajri flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour roti flour
- ¼ cup gram flour besan
- ½ 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
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2-3 tablespoon grated jaggery
- ½ 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
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or wide plate add all the ingredients plus 2 tablespoon oil.
- Knead a soft dough using water little by little - the methi will release its own water.
- Divide the dough into equal size balls. Roll out the ball on a flat surface in dry flour and make a round disc.
- Heat a tawa on medium heat. Place the dhebra on the pan and cook on one side for a few seconds and then flip over. Spread oil onto the top surface, flip, and spread oil again. Flip once more. Press down using the jaaro until you get small brown spots on both sides.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
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.
Palak Chaat, but not as you know it! This is my version, made with crispy palak pakora, rather than deep-frying each spinach leaf. It’s quicker to make than the original and every bit as irresistible.
Traditionally, Palak Chaat (or Palak Patta Chaat) is made by coating each spinach leaf in a light gram flour batter, deep-frying until crisp, and then layering it with chutneys, yogurt, and all those glorious chaat toppings.
But when I tried a restaurant version that used spinach pakoras instead, I was instantly hooked. The pakoras were crispy and had their own delicious flavour. I just knew I had to recreate the dish at home!
Other chaat recipes with a difference are my dhokla chaat and hash brown & pineapple chaat .
The Recipe Details
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Instead of frying each leaf separately, the spinach is chopped and mixed with gram flour, rice flour (for crispiness), and spices to form little fritters that are deep-fried until golden and crisp.
I also love that this version feels a little lighter — it’s more spinach-forward than batter-heavy, which means the flavour of the spinach really shines through. Plus, it’s much quicker to make (no standing over hot oil, frying one leaf at a time!).
I top the pakoras with sweet yogurt, tangy chutneys, a sprinkle of chaat masala, pomegranate and lots of sev. Everything a good chaat should have.
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!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Palak Pakora Chaat
Ingredients
Palak Pakora
- 1 cup spinach chopped
- ¼ cup besan
- 2 tablespoon rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon whole spices cumin, coriander, fennel and black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ajwain carom seeds
- salt
- water
- oil for deep frying
Toppings
- 1 cup sweetened yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chaat masala
- ½ cup imli chutney
- ½ cup green mint and coriander chutney
- ¼ cup red garlic chutney
- ½ cup sev
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils
- ⅓ cup coriander leaves
- ⅓ cup red onion
Instructions
Spinach Pakora
- First coarsly grind whole spices (cumin, coriander, fennel and whole black pepper) using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.
- In a big bowl add chopped spinach, ground whole spices, carom seeds, turmeric powder, besan, rice flour and salt.
- Mix it with a spoon, then add water little by little and combine everything. You do not need a runny batter – as long as the mixture sticks together, stop adding water. The batter should have more green from the spinach, rather than more besan and it will be gloopy in consistency. Check the video for details.
- Heat oil in a kadai/pan on medium heat.
- Take one tablespoon of batter with your your fingers (do not attempt to shape the batter into balls) or spoon and carefully drop in hot oil. Don’t add more than 8-10 at a time in the pan as it will overcrowd. The more irregular in shape they are, the crunchier they will become.
- Turn the heat little down a little, turn them around with slotted spoon and deep fry until crispy but not brown. It will take around 3-4 minutes. Remove using slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Assemble the Chaat
- Dollop few spoons of sweetened yogurt on a serving plate, and spread a little.
- Then arranged palak pakora on the yogurt, sprinkle chaat masala.
- Spoon remaining yogurt on pakoras, then pour over the chutneys to your liking.
- Sprinkle sev, pomegranate arils, red onions and coriander leaves.
- Serve immediately.
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.
