Lauki Thepla

Ingredients

• ¾ to 1 cup lauki – grated, (dudhi, opo squash, calabash, bottle gourd)
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
• 2 tablespoons curd (yogurt) – add 1 or 2 tablespoons more, if required while kneading
• 1 small green chili – crushed to a paste in mortar pestle
• 1 inch ginger – peeled, crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt or add as required
• oil as required, for roasting

Steps

Kneading dough

1. Rinse and peel the lauki. Before grating, taste it and throw it away if bitter. Grate about ¾ to 1 cup into a bowl, tray, or large plate.
2. Add ginger-green chili paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
3. Mix the spices and salt thoroughly with the grated lauki, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes while it releases juices.
4. Mix in whole wheat flour and besan or gram flour. If gram flour is unavailable, omit it, use chickpea flour, or make the thepla entirely with whole wheat flour.
5. Put in curd (yogurt) and oil.
6. Mix, then knead into a smooth, soft dough.

Rolling

1. Portion the dough into medium-sized balls.
2. Place each ball on a dusted rolling board and start rolling.
3. Dust with more whole wheat flour during rolling if needed.
4. Roll each into a round about 5 to 6 inches across.

Roasting

1. Put the rolled dough on a hot tawa or griddle over medium or medium-high heat.
2. Turn it over when air pockets appear.
3. Spread oil all over and flip again.
4. Spread some oil on the newly flipped side too.
5. Flip once or twice more, until well roasted.
6. Roll and roast in batches, keeping the finished flatbreads warm in a roti container or casserole/hot pot.
7. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with mango pickle or curd/yogurt.