I love making old classics from scratch, but sometimes they don’t go as planned. I tried my hand at Khandvi a while ago, which is a typical Gujarati rolled snack made with gram flour, yoghurt and green chilli paste. It’s so addictive as the rolls melt in your mouth so beautifully, coating your palate with its unique earthy and fresh flavours. The first time I tried making Khandvi resulted in a structural disaster, which I later found out was because the consistency was too thin while cooking it. It made the batter too loose and sticky, and didn’t dry up enough to form beautiful rolls.
Though I gave up on it then, I was curious to make it again, and boy was it such a success! Not only did the rolls take shape just as expected, the shape also enriched the eating process as it held the freshly grated coconut filling I added in its layers.
The flavour profile of Khandvi is tough to describe if you’re not familiar with Gujarati cuisine, but seriously you should definitely take up the challenge and make it for yourself.
Let me know how it goes - whether you master the shape, the flavour or both - tag me in your pictures!💛
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOKING TIME: 20 minutes
PASSIVE TIME: 15 minutes MAKES: 40-50 rolls
INGREDIENTS
For batter:
1 cup besan/gram flour
1 cup yogurt, room temperature
2 cups water
3/4 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp green chilli paste
1 tsp ginger paste
For garnishing :
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp oil
4-5 green chillies, split in half lengthwise
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp sesame seeds
Pinch of asafoetida
2 tbsp coconut, freshly grated
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
METHOD
In a small grinder, add ginger and green chillies along with 1 tbsp of water and blend into a paste.
In a bowl, sift besan, add yogurt and little water. Mix together with a whisk to make the paste. Now add salt, turmeric, green chilli and ginger paste. Gradually adding water, whisk to make a lump-free smooth batter.
Transfer the batter in a non-stick pan, cook on low heat stirring constantly until it is thick enough to a spreading consistency. It should not be too thick or too loose. Check cook's notes.
Immediately on clean kitchen bench top, spread the batter very thinly with the offset spatula or knife. Let it cool completely, about 10-15 minutes.
Sprinkle, freshly grated coconut and coriander.
Remove the uneven edges by running a knife around the cooled spread batter. Cut it into strips about 6 x 3 inch long. Roll up the strips by gently lifting from one end. Repeat with other strips and arrange the khandvi rolls on a platter.
Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, let them splat. Add curry leaves, asafoetida, green chillis and sesame seeds..toss it for few seconds, pour over the khandvi. Serve with mint and coriander green chutney.
COOK'S NOTES
Its really important to make the perfect consistency of the batter. It should not be too thick or too loose. To check the right consistency, when you drop the batter with spoon it should drop in gradual intervals. If it drops quickly then your batter is too thin. If it stays on spoon, it is too thick.
It can be prepared ahead of time and can be served later with fresh garnishing.
