Besan methi papdi

These besan methi papdi are a quick a tasty snack you can make! As you know, I love Indian snacks - but they often require deep frying which is something I am not so keen on. This is true for snacks like papdi (type of cracker), mathri, namak pare and many others. This is why I like to see if it is possible to bake these kind of snacks instead of deep frying them. 

These papdi are made from besan (chickpea flour) and wholewheat flour. They are flavoured with fenugreek (methi) and ajwain (carom seeds), alongside the usual Indian spices! They are delicious to munch on if you are feeling peckish and you don't need to feel guilty about having them either. They keep well for 2 weeks in an airtight container - but they probably won't last that long!

Ingredients 
1 cup / 125g besan (chickpea flour) 
1 cup / 125g wholewheat flour 
1 tbsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek) 
1 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp chilli powder 
1 tsp ajwain seeds 

1 tsp cumin seeds 
1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds 

Salt to taste
1/3 cup / 75 ml sunflower oil or olive oil
Water as required 

Method 

• Preheat your oven to 200 degrees/180 degeees fan. 
  
  
• In a bowl add the besan (chickpea flour) and wholewheat flour. 
  
  
• Add the kasoori methi (dried fenugreek), turmeric, chilli powder, ajwain seeds, cumin seeds and sesame seeds. Mix well to distribute all the spices in the flours. 
  
  
• Add around 75 ml sunflower / olive oil and rub into the dough. It will start to look like fine breadcrumbs. 
  
  
• Now add water, a little at a time to form a smooth dough. I added around 1/2 cup (125ml). 
  
  
• Knead for a few minutes until it comes together. Don’t over-knead as they will become chewy! 
  
  
• Set the dough aside and leave to rest for 10 mins. 
  
  
• To bake, roll the dough to a uniform thickness (around 0,5 cm) on a liightly floured or oiled surface. Alternatiely you can roll them inbetween two baking sheets. 
  
  
•  Cut into circle or squares using a cookie or biscuit cutter. Make sure to use up every last piece of dough!
  
  
• Bake on a tray lined with parchment paper for 20 minutes until crisp. Let them cool and enjoy with tea or coffee!

Recipe notes 

• You can easily double this recipe - just remember the ratio of 1 part besan (chickpea flour) to 1 part wholewheat flour. 
  
  
• You can adjust the spices according to your preference - you can simply just flavour them with ajwain and methi if you like. But I always prefer to add a bit of chilli powder for that slight kick.