Bajri na Dhebra

Pearl Millet Flour

Bajri na dhebra are made using pearl millet or bajri flour. This flour is slightly greyish in colour and has a nutty flavour. The flour doesn’t have a long shelf life so its best to buy in small quantities. If you do buy a large quantity best to store the flour in an airtight container in the fridge.

Some Recipes Using Pearl Millet/ Pearl Millet Flour

THE GROUP FOODIES _ REDOING OLD POSTS 

The Group Foodies_Redoing Old Posts, started by Renu helps the members to make an effort to update old posts. This is the 55TH  redoing old posts event. This group helps me to stay focused and update old posts not only with better photos but also trying to make each post more SEO friendly. Some of them I’m also trying to add videos. Check out my You Tube Channel MAYURI’S JIKONI

This week decided to redo BAJRI NA DHEBRA as many people wanted to see how I pat out the flatbread on a wet piece of cloth. So please don’t forget to watch the video. The recipe remains the same. However, have written the post in a more structured manner with new photos.

First Published on 18/04/2013 Updated on 23/07/2021

Ingredients required for Bajri na Dhebra/ Millet Fenugreek Flatbread

• Pearl Millet Flour – bajri flour
• Fresh Fenugreek – methi. Chopped and washed to remove sand particles. Drain out excess water by leaving the washed fenugreek or methi in a sieve for 15-20 minutes.
• Oat flour – I use oat flour for gluten free bajri na dhebra. However, you can replace it with wheat flour.(atta)
• Oil – required to add in the dough and also for roasting the flatbread or dhebra.
• Salt
• Carom Seeds – ajwain, ajmo
• Sesame Seeds – til, tal. Use the white one.
• Turmeric Powder – haldi
• Fresh Ginger – minced or paste
• Green Chillis – paste
• Garlic – minced or paste
• Jaggery Powder – gur in powder form or grated. Can replace it with white sugar or brown sugar.
• Plain Yogurt – dahi. Preferably one that is a bit sour

A bit more about bajri na dhebra

Bajri na Dhebra are usually called bajri thepla by non Gujaratis. However, bajri na dhebra are a bit different from thepla. First, the dough is very soft and cannot be rolled with a rolling pin. Generally the dough is patted into a circular shape using a plastic sheet or a wet cotton cloth. I prefer using the latter. Theplas dough is a bit stiff and rolled. Secondly,  we add a lot of freshly chopped fenugreek, the flour is just used to bind it. When I first started making dhebra, mine were shapeless, but with practice they turn out fairly good now.

When you make them for the first time, make the dough a bit stiff. The roll it out in between two plastic or cling film sheets. As you gain confidence, you can make it softer and pat it into shape.

Using a wet cloth (the size of a handkerchief) is easier to transfer the patted flat dough onto the hot tawa or griddle. Lift the upper two corners of the handkerchief and layer it onto the tawa or griddle with the dough side on the tawa. Peel the cloth away slowly.

WATCH THE YOU TUBE VIDEO FOR THE FULL METHOD:

The video link is below…just scroll down

Don’t roast them over high heat as they will get burnt easily and remain raw. Best to cook them over medium to low heat. I prefer to dry roast both sides first and then brush with oil on both sides and cook further till done.

Generally bajri na dhebra taste best if they are sour and sweet with a bit more chillis. However, if you want, you can reduce the amount of jaggery or sugar used.

Dietary Tips:

• Gluten Free
• Vegetarian
• Ideal for Diabetics
• For Vegan version replace dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt or with tamarind pulp.

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

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BAJRI NA DHEBRA/ MILLET FENUGREEK FLATBREAD

Bajri na Dhebra/ Millet Fenugreek Flatbread is a famous Gujarati Flatbread prepared from pearl millet flour and loads of fresh fenugreek. Generally enjoyed hot for breakfast or as a snack with masala tea, pickle or yogurt.

Course Breakfast, Snack, Travel Food

Cuisine Gujarati

Keyword Bajri na Dhebra Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 PIECES

Author mayurisjikoni

Ingredients

• 4 cups Fresh Fenugreek finely chopped
• 1½ cups pearl millet flour
• ½ cup oats flour
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp carom seeds
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1¼ to 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp green chilli paste
• 2 tbsp jaggery powder
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• ½ to ¾ cup sour yogurt
• extra oil for shallow frying
• some water in a big bowl

Instructions

• Sieve the flours together into a big bowl. Add oil, jaggery, salt, turmeric powder, carom seeds, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic and chilli paste to it. Mix well with your fingers.
• Add the finely chopped fenugreek.
• Using the yogurt, form the flour mixture into a soft dough.
• Cover the dough with a lid or cling film and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Put the tawa or frying pan on low heat.
• Take a chopping board or the one you use for rolling parathas.
• Take a small clean cotton cloth ( I use a ladies handkerchief) and rinse it under a tap. Squeeze out the water. Dampen the board with little water and lay the cloth over the board.
• Wet your hands in the bowl of water. Take a golf ball size of the dough, roll it into a ball and place it on the damp cloth.
• Wet your fingers again, and start patting the dough till you have a circle of nearly 6 to 7 inches in diameter. In between you may need to wet your fingers so that the dough does not stick to your fingers.
• Take a teaspoon full of oil and smear it over the hot tawa. I usually like to rub the oil all over the tawa with a kitchen towel.
• Take the two corners (the ones away from you) of the cloth and quickly place it on the tawa with the dough side down.
• Peel the cloth away.
• Let the dhebra cook on the underside for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Flip it over and let it cook for a minute or so.
• Brush oil on top and bottom of the flatbread. Cook both sides till brown specks appear.
• Place the debhra on a wire rack to cool.
• Dampen the cloth again and repeat the steps again till the dough is finished.
• Serve dhebras with pickle, plain yogurt or masala tea.

Notes

• If you feel working with the cloth will be difficult then form the dough using ¼ cup yogurt. The dough will be slightly stiff. Oil 2 cling film pieces. Place on on the oiled board and place the dough on it. Cover with the other cling film. Roll gently using a rolling pin. Peel away the top cling film.Wet your hand. Place your hand wide open over the rolled dough. Flip it over onto your hand, peel away the cling film and place the rolled dough on the tawa.
• Work with smaller size rolled debhras initially.
• My first debhra tends to stick to the tawa. Make a small wheat flour paratha or fry a bread slice on the tawa before you start making dhebras on it.
• Can replace the yogurt with tamarind pulp. Take about 2-3 tbsp and make up the required amount of liquid by adding water. That is, 2-3 tbsp of pulp and add water to make ½ or ¾ cup. Use this tamarind water to form the dough.
• Do not use high heat as the dhebra will get burnt. If the tawa becomes cool just let it become hot over low heat again.

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