Thank God for Cassava flour. Cassava parathas / tortillas are what makes me stick to my grain free diet. Because I cannot imagine life without curry. And these parathas help me stay sane. Being a ‘pro’ at making rotis since a young age, rolling these flatbreads is not at all daunting to me fortunately 🙂 In fact, I can make these at the drop of a hat – like 6 of these in flat 15 mins! He He Sorry didn’t mean to brag 🙂 Actually to tell you a secret, I use hot water to make the dough and that makes it not only easier to roll it but also gives the parathas a better texture.
Now that I had perfected the basic cassava parathas (or rotis or tortillas …you can call them by any name!), I needed to attempt to make some specialty ones like the ones we have in India. And one common one that I usually make for my family is the ‘Methi Paratha’, which is whole wheat paratha in which fresh fenugreek leaves and some spices have been added. These parathas are also called as ‘Theplas’ and are a great travel option as they are light on the stomach as well as stay fresh for a few days without perishing. Growing up, my mom used to pack theplas with pickles for all of us whenever we traveled long distance as a family and I have such wonderful memories associated with these 🙂
So I tried making the same thepla using cassava flour and was pleased to be successful in my first try itself. The texture of the cassava ones are a little softer than the whole wheat parathas but they taste pretty good! And I love to eat it with my homemade apple chutney / jam.
A few things about this recipe:
- Fresh or frozen fenugreek leaves is what gives this paratha its unique taste. If you cannot find these, you could use some other greens like spinach (finely chopped) as a substitute and add dried fenugreek leaves for the flavor.
- If using fresh fenugreek leaves, the amount of water you need for making dough might be a little more than what I state in my recipe since I have used frozen fenugreek leaves which have some water content of its own.
- If your dough does get sticky, just add more cassava flour and a bit more olive oil and knead the dough to make it smooth.
I made a video of this recipe too for you. Check it out!
- 1 cup cassava flour
- ½ cup packed fresh or frozen fenugreek leaves (If using frozen, thaw beforehand and remove as much moisture as possible using paper towels) ; See Notes for substitutions
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder (omit for AIP)
- ½ tsp cumin seeds (omit for AIP)
- ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) (omit for AIP)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup plus about ¼ cup hot water
- extra 1 - 2 tsp olive oil as needed
- Extra Virgin Olive oil or ghee for topping
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cassava flour, the fenugreek leaves and all the spices. Then add the 1 tbsp oil. Then add ½ cup of hot water (that had been boiling) and stir using a spatula to mix well. Then slowly add more hot water (about ¼ cup) until all the flour is wet. Wait for a couple mins for the dough to cool sufficiently enough to handle. Then using your hands knead to form a smooth dough. Add the extra olive oil and make dough soft and smooth. Divide dough into 8 balls and keep them covered.
- Heat a frying pan and start rolling the dough balls one at a time using parchment paper to prevent them from sticking to the rolling pin. Dust with cassava flour as needed.
- Cook the parathas for two mins on each side until brown spots appear on them and brush lightly with olive oil or ghee. Cover with foil until ready to serve.
If you are using fresh fenugreek leaves, you may need a little bit more quantity of water than stated in the recipe since frozen methi has some water content of its own.So you may need to add a few more tablespoons of water than stated in the recipe.
Sharing this recipe at the weekly Paleo/AIP Recipe Roundtable hosted by Phoenix Helix.
Love LOVE this recipe. I’ve made it several times now. Super easy to adapt as well based on what ingredients you have on hand. I had some leftover veggies that weren’t going to be enough for a meal so I chopped them all up (kale, mushrooms, onions, cilantro) and sautéed them enough to get soft and added them to the dough. And the recipe still came out perfect! This is definitely on regular rotation in our house. So grateful to you, Indira. You have brought so much joy into my kitchen & allowed me to enjoy some of my favorite flavors while still being able to heal my body.
thanks so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! And I am so happy to hear that you love my recipes…aww:) I love your addition of different veggies. Were you able to roll the paratha easily? Btw, would love it if you could rate the recipe too! Thanks so much!
looks delicious, I can’t wait to try making these. I love authentic Indian food and appreciate your sharing your wisdom.
thank you. I am so glad you like this recipe. Lmk how it comes out for you!