Savoury crispy rolls (bhakharwadi)

This is a delicious Gujarati snack made with various fillings, such as dry masala, coconut or potato. Although it can be served anytime, it's most commonly served during weddings and festivals.

Bhakharwadi Credit: Alan Benson

• makes

  15

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• ½ cup (70 g) besan (see Note) (chickpea flour), sifted
• ¼ cup (35 g) plain flour
• salt, to taste
• ½ tsp asafoetida (see Note)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric

Filling

• ¼ cup grated fresh coconut (see Note)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp finely chopped long red chilli
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
• salt, to taste
• ½ tsp asafoetida
• ½ tsp ground cloves (optional, can be added to make it spicier)
• oil, for deep frying

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Resting time 10 minutes

Instructions

Mix together chickpea flour and plain flour. Add salt, asafoetida, turmeric powder. Add 50 ml (2-2 ½ tbsp) water to make a stiff dough. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. If you prefer it very crispy, add a few drops of lemon juice when making the dough.

In a blender, add grated coconut, sesame seeds and poppy seeds, and grind to a powder. Place the coconut mixture into a bowl and add remaining filling ingredients except for the oil.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until you have a 22 cm x 28 cm rectangle. Spread the filling all over, leaving a 2-cm border at the far long side to seal. Roll up the dough from the close long side into a tight cylindrical shape, brushing the far edge of dough lightly with water to seal.

Cut into 4 sections and place into a lightly oiled steamer, or onto a lightly oiled plate in a steamer, and steam for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool and cut into 1 ½ cm-wide slices.

Heat deep-frying oil to 160ºC. Add bhakarwadi in small batches and fry until till brown and crispy (3-5 mins). Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Notes

• Besan (or chickpea flour) is available from selected delicatessens and Indian food stores.

• Asafoetida is available from Herbie's Spices, or Indian food stores.

• When selecting a coconut, choose one that isn’t cracked at all and, when shaken, still has plenty of coconut water inside. To crack open a fresh coconut, hit it with the back (blunt edge) of a cleaver around the circumference, over a bowl, rotating and hitting until it cracks. Separate the halves, then crack halves into quarters. Remove white flesh with a knife.

Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.