Lauki Thepla

Have you noticed, like me, that your kids are running away from greens? That they have been avoiding broccoli and fenugreek? Well, that is what they do everywhere. They avoid the vegetables, the greens that are actually beneficial to them and chase after the sweet things. Good news! A lauki thepla is what you need to make them.

Lauki thepla is a Gujarati dish. Theplas are basically flat breads. Lauki thepla is made from a combination of whole wheat flour and gram flour, bottle gourd and of course, spices. Theplas can be served as a whole meal on its own or as an alternative to a snack.

There is no hard and strict recipe for making this dish as each household and family can have their own special recipe. Some households use a mixture of flour like millet flour, gram flour or like me, whole wheat flour. This recipe makes 4 theplas.

Health Benefits

Bottle gourds contain absolutely no fat and like most melons, contain plenty of water and electrolytes, which comprise salts of potassium and magnesium; it is an ideal food for people on weight-loss plans. Bottle gourds are also rich in folates and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Bottle gourds are also effective galactagogues. Galactagogues are foods that boost milk production in lactating mothers.

Ingredients

grated bottle gourd: ½ cup

gram flour: 1½ tbsp

minced ginger: 1 tsp

whole wheat flour: 3/4 cup

red chilli powder: ¼ tsp

Sesame seeds: ½ tsp

oil—for kneading and greasing the dough: 2 tsp

green chili--minced: ½ piece

turmeric: 1/8 tsp

carom seeds: ¼ tsp

curd or yogurt: 1 tbsp

Water for kneading the dough

salt to taste

oil for roasting

How To Make Lauki Thepla

1. Combine wheat flour, gram flour, carom seeds, chili powder, sesame seeds and turmeric in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add bottle gourd, chili, ginger, sesame seeds, carrom seeds, turmeric, red chili powder, and curd and mix well.
3. Add water in batches and knead dough to smooth.
4. Coat the dough with oil, cover with a cloth, and let sit for 15 minutes.
5. Split the dough into 4 even-sized balls.
6. Flatten a ball with your palm, dust with flour, and roll thin.
7. Heat a tawa over medium flame. When the smoke gives out, place the rolled dough.
8. When spots begin to appear, flip the dough and add some oil along the edges, and press the flatbread gently. Flip to roast the other side.
9. Serve theplas with pickle, curds, or curries on the side. 

You have a balanced meal or snack ready for your kids to eat in school during lunch breaks or at picnics. Packlaukitheplas in a TyyfyKyds lunchbox from Vaya. When it is time to for your kids to have lunch, the theplas will still be hot and fresh! 

Trivia

The bottle gourd was initially cultivated to serve as a container and not a vegetable!

Wild bottle gourd grown in African countries and in the Caribbean region can be molded into water carriers, bowls, utensils, basins, and even shoulder bags!