If you’ve ever eaten Indian food at any point in your life, then you know that there are many dishes to choose from.
But one particular dish stands out above all others – khandvi.
This traditional Gujarati dish features chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), which have been soaked overnight, blended into a paste, combined with yogurt, and cooked until thickened into an extremely delicious curry.
Khandvi has become increasingly popular since it was first introduced to the United States by Gujaratis who immigrated here in the 1980s.
If you haven’t tried this dish yet, you should definitely give it a try!
What Is Khandvi?
As we mentioned earlier, khandvi is a traditional Indian dish made of chickpea flour, flavored with yogurt, and spiced with cumin, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper.
The base for this dish is chickpea batter, or kheema pulao, which is essentially just boiled chickpeas mixed with water.
This mixture can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated so that it does not turn mushy over time.
Once the batter is ready, it is added to a frying pan along with other flavorings like fresh herbs, sliced onions, sautéed vegetables, and spices.
After cooking on low heat for 30 minutes, the whole thing gets stirred together and allowed to simmer for another 15-20 minutes before being ladled onto plates and topped off with chopped green chilies and shredded coconut.
The end result is a very flavorful, creamy, and hearty meal that comes together easily enough, but offers quite a bit of complexity when it comes to flavors.
And while it may seem like a lot of steps to prepare a single plate of khandvi, the entire process takes less than an hour in total.
What Are The Ingredients In A Khandvi Recipe?
Khandvi recipes include chickpeas (or garbanzos) or lentils, onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, salt, turmeric, chili powder, red pepper flakes, green chilies, and mustard seeds.
This dish also contains other seasonings such as fenugreek leaves, tamarind, sugar, and black cardamom pods.
The best way to prepare this dish is to soak the chickpeas over night before making the sauce.
A good rule of thumb for preparing khandvi is to use 1 cup of chickpeas per person.
You can start off by cooking half of a cup of dried chickpeas on low heat until they begin to soften.
Then add the rest of the ingredients together in a blender and blend them until smooth.
Continue blending until the mixture becomes very thick, like mashed potatoes.
After adding the oil, the mixture will be ready to serve.
When serving the khandvi, you can roll it up like a burrito using two pieces of bread folded around the filling.
Alternatively, you can cut the khandvi into small squares and place them flat onto a plate.
Garnish each square with some chopped onions, cilantro, grated cheese, or even crushed peanuts.
These toppings can also be used when rolling the khandvi up so that it looks nice when served.
How Do You Make Khandvi?
Khandvi is traditionally prepared using a pressure cooker or a slow-cooker, but if you don’t own either piece of equipment, you can also cook this tasty dish on the stovetop.
The key ingredients for making khandvi are chickpea flour (besan) and yogurt.
- Chickpea flour (besan): This ingredient is usually found in grocery stores near other legumes such as lentils, peas, and peanuts. You can use regular white whole wheat flour instead of besan, but it won’t taste quite right because it lacks the authentic flavor of this spice-rich dish.
- Yogurt: This tangy dairy product is a must-have ingredient in a khandvi recipe. To get the most out of your yogurt, drain off some of the liquid before adding it to the dish. Don’t be afraid to add more water next time you make this dish. Also, when choosing yogurt, avoid lowfat varieties because they tend to curdle during cooking.
- Garlic powder: Garlic powder isn’t just used as a seasoning for Italian cuisine. In fact, garlic powder is often added to khandvi recipes as well, although not everyone agrees about whether or not this step really adds anything to the final result.
- Coriander seeds: These tiny little red seeds contain essential oils that impart a distinct peppery flavor to the finished dish. Coriander seeds can be purchased online or in specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods Market. Just keep in mind that these seeds will likely need to be ground down before being used in the recipe.
- Green chilies: Although you could leave them out entirely, green chilies are vital components of this spicy dish. They provide heat, texture, and color. Look for small dried chiles that aren’t too hot so you can control how much spice your khandvi contains.
- Oil: Cooking oil is another necessary component of this flavorful meal. Choose olive oil or vegetable oil, depending on what type of utensil you plan to use.
- Water: Adding enough water to the pan ensures that the mixture cooks evenly. Add only enough water to cover the chickpea batter without leaving any dry spots.
- Salt: Salt enhances the overall flavor of almost every dish. While we recommend saltiness over blandness, please note that too much salt can ruin the delicate balance between flavors in the khandvi.
- A few minutes before serving: Once the chickpea batter is cooked through, stir in the remaining ingredients including fresh cilantro, lemon juice, and chopped onion. Serve immediately after removing the pot from the heat.
The History of Khandvi
Although people living in India today may never actually have tasted khandvi, its origins date back thousands of years ago.
According to legend, the dish originated in ancient Persia where it was called “chapatti khichri” and consisted of mashed potato mixed with milk and spices.
Eventually, the dish migrated across Asia to China, where it became known as “mantou,” and eventually spread throughout Europe and North America via immigrants from those countries.
In modern times, khandvi remains popular among South Asian communities in North America as well as in India itself.
However, the recipe is still evolving, which means that each family tends to tweak their version slightly based on personal preferences.
What Is The History Of Khandvi?
Khandvi is a classic example of how immigrants adapted their recipes to suit American tastes.
The original version of the dish featured chickpeas, but these days it often calls for lentils instead, and it can be prepared using either whole or split peas.
The word “khandvi” comes from the Hindi language.
In India, it refers to a kind of flatbread made from wheat dough.
However, when it came time to adapt the dish for America, the name changed to reflect its other meaning.
In fact, khandvi is sometimes also referred to as “chawal dal” because it contains both chickpeas and lentils.
This makes sense if you think about it – the ingredients would blend together naturally in a single dish if they were used separately.
Gujaratis originally brought the dish over to the US in the 1980s.
By the 1990s, restaurants started advertising it on menus across New York City, and soon after, it became popular throughout the entire country.
Nowadays, people eat khandvi for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even dessert.
What does khandvi taste like?
Since khandvi is usually served warm, most diners assume that it will be spicy.
And while it certainly isn’t lacking in heat, it’s not particularly fiery.
Instead, it tends to feature mild flavors such as cardamom, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon.
It’s important to note that khandvi doesn’t contain meat.
That means it’s completely vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
Many people prefer eating khandvi without any added fat, so some chefs use less oil than usual when preparing it.
Another reason why khandvi is so popular is that it’s relatively easy to prepare.
You simply need to soak lentils overnight, drain them, rinse them thoroughly, combine them with chickpeas, add water, and cook everything together until thickened.
Then, you just let it cool down before serving.
What Are The Different Types Of Khandvi?
Khandvi can be prepared in several ways depending on what region you live in or where you get your ingredients.
The most common type of khandvi is called “mixed vegetable khandvi,” which contains vegetables like carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, peas, brinjal, and eggplant.
You may also come across other varieties such as “chicken khandvi,” which includes chicken meat along with vegetables.
You can find both kinds of khandvi recipes online, but if you want something more authentic, you might consider visiting an Indian restaurant or grocery store.
There, you will likely see two different types of khandvi sitting side-by-side — one is mixed vegetable khandvi, while the other kind is simply labeled “khandvi.”
This latter option tends to be cheaper because it doesn’t contain any vegetables, so it’s often used for those who don’t eat meat.
How Do You Serve Khandvi?
Khandvi can be served hot or cold.
However, most people prefer it when it’s still warm because the flavors are more pronounced.
You can eat khandvi on its own, but it’s always best when mixed together with rice and accompanied by some chutney.
Here are some common ways to enjoy khandvi:
- Mix khandvi with basmati rice for a hearty meal.
- Serve khandvi alongside other curries like dal makhani, masala fish, chicken tikka, and lamb rogan josh.
- Add khandvi to paratha bread rolls for breakfast.
- Make khandvi pancakes using chickpea batter and fry them in oil.
What Are Some Popular Khandvi Recipes?
Khandvi can be prepared using several different ingredients, including but not limited to:
- Chickpeas
- Yogurt
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Coriander leaves
- Ginger root
- Garlic cloves
- Green chilies
- Salt
- Rice flour or besan
- Wheat flour
- Poppy seeds
- Lemon juice
The most common way of serving khandvi is to roll it up and eat it like a burrito.
You may also find khandvi wrapped inside a tortilla along with other fillings such as paneer cheese, potatoes, and spinach.
Or, if you want to make a more filling meal, you can add meat or vegetables to the mix.
What Are Some Tips For Making Khandvi?
The best part about khandvi is its versatility.
You can make this recipe using different types of vegetables depending on what you find locally available.
Some people even like to use fresh herbs instead of dried ones.
Of course, if you want to make this dish healthy, you can always substitute the oil for water or vegetable broth.
Another great thing about khandvi is how easy it is to customize based on your taste preferences.
For example, if you love spicy foods, you can add more crushed red pepper flakes or even cayenne powder.
Or, if you prefer sweeter flavors, you can add sugar.
The possibilities truly are endless!
What Are Some Common Mistakes When Making Khandvi?
While khandvi might be relatively easy to prepare, it does come with its fair share of pitfalls.
Here are three common mistakes people often make while preparing khandvi.
- Chickpeas aren’t always available. While they can easily be purchased dried or canned, if you live somewhere where fresh chickpeas aren’t readily available, buying them will require a trip to an Indian grocery store. It may also take some time for them to soak fully before blending.
- Yogurt isn’t always available. If you don’t like using regular plain yogurt, you can substitute buttermilk instead, although it won’t taste quite the same. However, you shouldn’t use anything other than low-fat or non-dairy milk.
- You need to cook khandvi long enough. There are two ways to ensure that your khandvi turns out well: either add extra water so it becomes very soupy, or increase cooking time.
How Can I Make Khandvi More Interesting?
There are a few ways you can spice things up if you want to add variety to your khandvi recipes.
First of all, don’t be afraid to use different types of spices or herbs.
You can also substitute ingredients like tomatoes for a milder flavor.
Another option would be to add vegetables such as potatoes or cauliflower.
Finally, experiment with different cooking methods.
For instance, instead of frying the mixture on low heat, you could bake it in the oven.
Another way to change it up is to switch up the type of chickpeas used.
In addition to using dried chickpeas, you can also buy canned ones.
Canned chickpeas tend to be less expensive than dry ones, so they’re great for saving money while still getting the same results.
Finally, you can even make khandvi without eggs.
This will save you time because you won’t need to scramble them before adding them to the pan.
Just remember not to overcook the chickpeas.
Equipment
- Bowl
- Pan
Ingredients
For khandvi batter
- 1 Gram flour besan
- 1 sour yogurt dahi
- 3 green chilli
- 1 inch ginger
- Salt to taste
- Pinch hing
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 bowl water
- Oil for greasing
- Fresh grated coconut
For tempering
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds rai
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp white sesame seeds til
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 2 chopped green chilli
For garnish
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- ½ cup grated coconut
Instructions
- Green chile, ginger, gram flour (besan), curd, salt, hing, and turmeric powder should all be combined in a jar. Grind it into a smooth paste without the addition of water.
- Add the ground mixture to a bowl, followed by two bowls of water, and stir thoroughly. The batter for khandvi is ready.
- Then add some khandvi batter and spread it out into a thin layer in a non-stick pan that has been lightly greased with oil.
- Now preheat a larger pan on the burner. On top of it, set a khandvi batter pan.
- For 3 minutes or until the batter is cooked and transparent, cover it and cook it over high heat. (Please see video) create each khandvi in the same manner.
- Cool off and finish cooking the khandvi now.
- After that, scatter some coriander leaves and slice them with a knife into 2 inch broad pieces. Gently begin rolling from the edges and create a roll. Gently roll it.
- For the stuffed khandvi, you may also add some grated coconut and coriander leaves.
- Onto the plate, place all the rolls.
- Oil in a pan is heated to create tempering. 5–6 curry leaves, 2 chopped green chilies, 12 tsp each of mustard, cumin, and white sesame seeds, and 12 tsp white sesame seeds.
- Turn off the heat when they start to sputter. Using a spoon, evenly pour tadka over the khandvi roll.
- Add fresh coconut and coriander leaves as garnish. serve
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.