Lili Tuvar Ni Thepli, also known as Tuvar Na Dhekhra or Tuvar Na Vada, is a popular traditional Gujarati snack, especially loved in South Gujarat. This winter-special dish is known for its perfect texture—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
It is made using fresh green pigeon peas (lili tuvar dana), which are at their best during the winter season and give the dish a mild, nutty sweetness. Along with the pigeon peas, a mix of different flours and simple spices is used to enhance the flavour and texture.The preparation method is similar to Gujarati khichu, where the flour mixture is steam-cooked with spices to form a soft dough. The dough is then shaped into small vadas or theplas and deep-fried until golden and crispy, resulting in a crunchy exterior and soft centre. It tastes delicious when served with chutney or curd.
In this recipe, I have shared the perfect ingredient ratios and a few no-fail tips to help you make crispy lili tuvar na dhekra on your first attempt. Do try this recipe and enjoy an authentic taste of Gujarati winter cuisine!
Key Tips for Making tuvar ni thepli or tuvar na dhekra
- Firstly, I prepared the thepli mixture using fresh green tuvar dana. I added extra green peas to enhance the taste. The addition of green chilli–ginger paste and green garlic makes the vadas extra flavourful.
- The vada dough is made using the steam-cooking method, where the water and flour should be in equal proportion. I used rice flour and coarse wheat flour. Instead of coarse wheat flour, you can use rava or regular wheat flour. Cook the flour mixture until all the water is completely absorbed and the dough becomes dry and well bound. Do not make a soft dough for the thepli.
- Lastly, fry the tuvar ni thepli on a medium flame until it turns crisp. You can also shallow-fry it in a pan. Choose the method you prefer while making it.
Please do visit my other related recipe collection like
Recipe video
Lili tuvar ni thepli recipe | lili tuvar na dhekra | tuvar na vada
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh tuvar dana - pigeon peas
- ¼ cup green peas
- 4-5 spicy green chilli
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 cup water
- 2 tbsp jaggery
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 cup coarse wheat flour
- 2 tbsp besan
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp red chilli flakes
- Pinch of hing
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- ¼ cup green garlic
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a pan, add 2 cups of water and 2 tbsp jaggery. Mix well and let the jaggery melt completely.
- Meanwhile, in a mixer jar, add 1 cup tuvar dana, ¼ cup green peas, 4–5 spicy green chillies, and 1 inch ginger. Grind coarsely without adding water.
- Add the ground dana mixture to the boiling water. Then add ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, ½ tsp red chilli flakes, a pinch of hing, 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, ¼ cup green garlic, ¼ cup coriander leaves, 1 tbsp oil, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix well.
- Once the mixture starts boiling, add 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup coarse wheat flour, and 2 tbsp besan. Mix well using a rolling pin to avoid lumps.
- Cover and cook the mixture on a low flame for 5 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the mixture binds together.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. When it is slightly hot, grease your hands with oil and smooth the dough. The dough should be medium-soft. If it feels too soft, add a little coarse wheat flour and adjust the consistency.
- Grease your hands again, take small portions of the dough, and flatten them between your palms to make medium-thick theplas. Prepare all the theplas in the same way.
- Heat oil and fry the theplas on a medium flame until they turn crispy on both sides.
- Serve tuvar dana thepli hot with chutney or curd.
Notes
- Traditionally, lili tuvar ni thepli is made using sugarcane juice, but at home you can use jaggery as a substitute.
- Adding a little green peas enhances the taste of the thepli.
- Grind the dana coarsely so it requires very little time to cook.
- The proportion of flour and water should be equal. Do not add excess water to the mixture.
- You can use wheat flour and rava instead of coarse wheat flour.
- Cook the mixture until all the water is absorbed and it becomes dry with proper binding.
- Make medium-thick theplis; do not roll them too thin.
- Fry the theplis on a medium flame until they are crispy and golden brown on the outside.