Khichu from Rajasthan

Contributed by Swati Pandya Lodha

Khichu in Gujarati is actually a dough from which traditional papads are prepared. However, this dough alone is so delicious when cooked with groundnut oil that it is eaten as a snack. Khichu can be prepared from various types of flours like rice flour, wheat flour, bajri flour, nachani flour, jowar flour etc making it very healthy.

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour 200 gms
2. Hot water 400 ml
3. Green chilly-ginger paste 1 tbsp
4. Red chilly powder 1 tsp
5. Jeera 1tsp
6. Dhania seeds 1 tsp
7. Papad Khara 5 grms (a type of soda which is used to make Papad)

Procedure

1. Keep water to boil. In a dry bowl mix atta, all spices and Papad khara.
2. Add hot water bit by bit to the mixture while stirring either with belan or chopsticks. Mix well to ensure no lumps are present.
3. It should be a loose batter, almost of a consistency of thick idli batter.
4. Now a steamer with a steel strainer should be made ready, coat the strainer with oil.
5. Put the batter in the strainer with a spoon (kind of big or small lumps).
6. Time it for 12- 15 minutes on high flame.
7. Once done, place khariya on a plate and drizzle with raw groundnut oil and serve with Pickle mix or Red chilly powder.