Papdi No Lot

Papdi No Lot is the classic Gujarati comfort food. It is often referred to as khichu or khichu papdi and could even be thought of as a savory rice steamed doughnut. If you're looking for that firm, chewy texture, this is not your recipe. This is for those who love that soft, gooey, melt in your mouth texture, even when eaten several hours later. Here’s an heirloom recipe from Kusum’s kitchen for the “ultimate” papdi no lot.

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45-50 minutes

Yield: 8-12 pieces, depending on size

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice flour (using flour that been purchased recently yields better results, aged flour will require a little more water than the recipe calls for)

• 3 cups water

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon sanchoro

• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon white pepper (based on desired level of spiciness)

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

• 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajmo/ajwain)

• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (jiru/jeera)

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin powder

Coating

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon oil

• Topping:

• white sesame seeds

• black sesame seeds

• oil

Instructions:

In a small pot, add water, salt, sanchoro and cumin seeds (both whole and ground) and bring to a boil.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine rice flour, carom seeds, sesame seeds, and white pepper.

Once the water reaches a boil, add 1/3 of the water to the rice flour mixture.

Mix well with a spatula, add another 1/3 water, mix, and repeat until the water and flour is mixed to form the dough.

In a separate small bowl, combine the oil and water for the coating.

Allow the dough to cool and knead with your hands to form a smooth consistent texture.

Form baseball size dough balls.

Flatten and poke a hole in the center, similar to a doughnut.

Set aside.

When complete, place each piece in a small bowl with the water and oil.

Coat each piece and place in a steamer. Set steamer on high for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy as is or lightly drizzle your favorite oil and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. It can also be topped with chili oil, garlic chutney, or sambhar masala if you enjoy those.

Happy Eating!