Diwali is around the corner. All are busy in preparations and its excitement!! We, Indians, celebrate it in a grand and pompous way. We usually start preparations with cooking and end up dressing gaudily, decorating homes and burning crackers !! 😀 I started with some easy recipes to begin with.

The idea of making Bhakarwadi goes to that day, when one of my husband’s guests came home unexpectedly and we serve him tea with Dhokla and store-bought Bhakarwadis. In awe of my Dhokla and tea, he thought the bhakarwadis are too home-made. 😉

It was then I decided, that I would make them one fine day. 🙂 On learning its recipe , I found why I waited for so long to make them. They are easy , crispy and healthy savory snack item which really don’t need much of your patience and time. I baked them to make hassle-free snacks and have them guilt-free. 🙂

Bhakarwadis is a Gujarati snack which is made of Chickpea flour(besan), Wheat flour (atta or maida) and poppy seeds (khuskhus) mainly. I have fond memories of growing up with them, since they were easily available just outside our home in Mumbai. They are found in every big or small store in the western hemisphere of India. With this recipe ,I got a chance of reliving those moments of childhood again. Hope you find yours too.

INGREDIENTS:
For covering:
1. All purpose flour (Maida) – ¹⁄₂ cup
2. Chickpea flour (Besan) – 2 cups
3. Whole wheat flour/Multigrain flour (atta) – ¹⁄₂ cup
4. Salt – 1 tbsp
5. Asafoetida (Hing) – a pinch
6. Cooking Oil – 4 tbsp
7. Chilly powder (lal mirch) – 1 tsp
8. Baking powder – ¹⁄₂ tsp
9. Water (for kneading dough) – ³⁄₄ to 1 cup
10. Turmeric (haldi) – ¹⁄₂ tsp (optional)

For filling :
1. Poppy seeds (khus-khus/ poshak) – ¹⁄₄ cup (roasted )
2. Coriander seeds (sabut dhania) – 1 tbsp
3. Peppercorns ( sabut kali mirch) – 1 tsp
4. Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp
5. Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tsp
6. Dry or fresh coconut powder (nariyal chura) – 1 cup
7. Fresh grated ginger (adrak) – 1 tsp
8. Fresh chopped green chillies( hari mirch) – 1 tsp
9. Date-tamarind dip or tamarind pulp (meethi chutney) or amchur – ¹⁄₃ tbsp
10. Fresh cilantro (dhaniya patte ) – ¹⁄₄ cup
11. Brown sugar or white sugar – 1 tsp
12. salt – 1 tsp or to taste

METHOD:
| Preparation time : 25 mins | Baking time : 20 mins | Makes 35-40 pieces |

1. Lets start with preparing the dough or the outer covering. The dough should be kneaded stiff and tight. So take a tureen (paraat) and add the besan, maida,atta, salt, chilly powder, hing,baking powder,haldi and oil in it. Mix all together well.
   

2. Before kneading the dough , leave this mixture on the counter and start preparing the filling.
   

For filling>>
3. For the filling , dry roast the khus-khus in a wok (kadhai) for few minutes till you smell the aroma of poshak. When it is about to roast, add the peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds in it and roast them together. I roasted them, since this helps in grinding and gives a nice flavor to the bhakarwadis.

1. Next add them in a grinder with cilantro, coconut powder, tamarind pulp/amchur powder , ginger, chillies and grind them to a moist-dry mixture.
   
   

For covering>>
5. Now add 1-2 tbsp of flour mix prepared in step 2 in this filling. This helps in binding the filling in them. Hence we didn’t kneaded the dough above. So if you wish to fry them , you don’t need to worry about the filling spreading in wok(kadhai). I tried both ways, and found that baking is comparatively a relaxed ,easy and healthy way to make them. They turn out crispy and crunchy. Also I didn’t find any significant difference in taste between the non-fried and fried ones.

1. For making dough, gradually add water little by little to form a stiff dough. A soft dough would not give the desired texture to them. Cover it and let it rest for 20 mins. This helps the dough to set. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
   

2. Now pinch a big roundel from the dough and either use the counter-top or a cutting board and a rolling pin(belan) to roll out any shape in a thickness of 1 cm. I kept the layer thinner than the store bought , but you may keep it thicker too.
   

3. You may cut out the uneven edges to form a regular rectangle shape or leave it as it is.
   

4. Apply the tamarind dip (if you have) , all over the rolled surface. Its optional though.
   

5. Sprinkle the mixture in a thin layer all over the rolled surface. I applied quite generously since, I was baking them. If you are frying them apply a very thin layer , and make sure that your filling is dry ( it should not have dip,cilantro, chilly, ginger paste ) . Leave the edges uncovered to help rolling.
   

6. For rolling circle shapes , start rolling lengthwise in a very thin fold. While rolling be firm and don’t allow the filling to come out from either ends. When you reach the other end, apply water on that edge and seal it firmly with the roll. Now roll this cylinder tightly in one direction to tighten the loose filling.
   

7. For rolling elliptical shapes, leave a wide margin on both sides uncovered without filling. Start by keeping one edge over the filling and then rolling till the end to form an elliptical shape.
   

8. Take a sharp knife and trim the edges without filling . Add these edges back in the dough. Cut out circles or ellipses from the roll. Leave these cut wadis on the counter for 2-3 mins to help them dry out.
   

9. Line your baking tray with parchment paper or wax paper if required. Keep the cut bhakarwadis in the tray straight so that they are baked evenly on all sides. You may flip them once or twice in between after 10 mins of baking. Bake them at 375 degree F for 20 mins or till they are browned evenly on all sides.
   

10. Take them out after baked well, let them cool for a while. This helps in drying and hardening them.Similarly roll out all the portions of dough, fill, cut and bake them.
    

For Frying :
1. Roll a thick layer of dough. Keep the filling dry and spread in a thin layer tightly. The filling should be even and not crumbly or moist for frying.

1. Cut even shapes so that they take almost same time to fry .
   

2. Deep fry them at medium temperature or they will get burnt or at very less temperature they will open up and the filling will scatter in the oil. The oil should be as hot as when you add them it bubbles but the wadis don’t come up instantly. Each roll should take around 10 mins or more to fry or they will get soggy or soften after some time.
   

3. Mix some flour with oil in the filling to avoid scattering of filling in the oil.

Enjoy them on any occasion . I made them to please my guests for a party, and they all loved it !
Happy Diwali to u all!!
Till then keep cooking and sharing….
🙂