papdi no lot (steamed rice flour dough)/khichu

A tribute to my bhabhi

Sonal bhabhi, my late sister in law immediately took me under her wing from the first day I met her. Always smiling, friendly and motherly she taught and advised me whenever I needed her help. Whenever we visited Nairobi, meals were not an elaborate affair at her place. Simple but tasty dishes were prepared in no time to feed us and her family. What I learnt from her was a foolproof recipe to make the perfect papdi no lot(steamed rice flour dough). If you follow the measurements and tips given below, then papdi no lot or khichu turns out not too hard and not too soft. I have tried out this recipe with rice flour from India, Kenya , UK and the end result is the same. Of course feel free to vary the amount of green chillis you use.

What is papdi no lot or khichu?

Papdi no lot or khichu is a very popular Gujarati snack, more so in some communities than others. It is prepared on a regular basis in most Patel homes. Prepare it for brunch, light lunch, for guests at teatime or dinner,most Gujaratis love it. Usually papdi no lot is steamed to make papdi or rice crackers/papad. Papdi is rolled out into a thin circle of 5-6 inches in diameter. It is then dried in the sun and stored. The dry papdi or rice cracker is then roasted over open fire, charcoal one being the most ideal or its fried. Papdi is usually served with khichdi.

Whenever families made papdi from papdi no lot, it was like a whole day affair as it was made in huge quantities during summer. Papdis can be stored throughout the year. Part of the papdi making ritual was also to enjoy hot steaming papdi no lot.

How is papdi no lot or khichu made?

PAPDI NO LOT (STEAMED RICE FLOUR DOUGH) / KHICHU
Makes 10 – 12 small pieces

2 cups rice flour
4 – 4½ cups water
2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tsp sesame seeds (tal) 
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain,ajmo)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp green chilli paste
12 peppercorns
½ inch cinnamon stick
6 -8 cloves
4 tsp oil
½ tsp soda bicarbonate
¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)

1. Crush the peppercorns lightly. Do not make it into a powder.
2. Cut the cloves into 2 with a sharp knife.
3. Cut the cinnamon into smaller pieces.
4. Sieve the flour. Add  the peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and hing.
5. Put the water to boil in a saucepan. When it begins to boil, add the cumin, carom and sesame seeds. Let it boil till the water becomes a pale yellowy green colour.
6. Add the salt, oil, chilli and the soda bicarbonate and immediately add the flour.
7. Stir using a wooden spoon till all the flour and water is mixed. It may appear lumpy but thats fine.
8. Take it off the heat and let the dough cool down enough so that you can handle it. 
9. Take the dough out of the pan into a wide vessel like a large tray or plate. Smear your hands with some oil and knead the dough with the palm of your hand till its quite smooth.
10. Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces, depending on the size you want. Keep on greasing the palm if the dough sticks. Roll out the dough into a ball and flatten it slightly. Make a hole in the middle with your finger. It should look like a doughnut.
11. Put water in a steamer over medium heat. Let the water boil.
12.  When the water is hot place the dough on the steamer tray. Cover with a cotton cloth. Cover the pan with a lid.
13. Steam the dough for 30 minutes on medium heat. If your steamer is small, steam the dough in small batches.
14. Serve piping hot with oil and garlic chutney, ready pickle masala or red chilli powder.