Khandvi

Why will my khandvi not roll?

Because the paste was undercooked, nine times out of ten. Gram flour needs enough time on the heat for its starch to gelatinise fully, and until that happens the spread layer stays tacky and tears rather than lifting as a sheet. The other possibility is that the layer was spread too thick, in which case it lifts but cracks along the roll. Both are caught by testing before you commit the whole panful. A khandvi that will not roll is not wasted: scrape it up, roll it into small balls, temper them, and serve it as a different snack entirely.

How does the plate test tell you it is ready?

It replicates the finished dish in miniature. A teaspoon of paste on a greased plate cools and sets in about thirty seconds, which is exactly what the full layer will do, so lifting an edge tells you now what would otherwise only become clear ten minutes later with a whole batch on the worktop. If the smear peels away as one piece, the starch has set. If it tears, drags or leaves a film behind, it needs more cooking. Test as often as you like, since each test costs a teaspoon and the alternative is guessing.

Can curd be used instead of buttermilk?

Yes, and most households do exactly that, since thin buttermilk of the right sourness is not always to hand. One cup of curd whisked with one cup of water gives the right consistency and acidity. Slightly sour curd is better than fresh, because the acid helps the paste set and gives khandvi its faint tang. What matters is the ratio: one part gram flour to two parts liquid by volume. Thicker than that and it sets before it can be spread; thinner and it never sets at all. This is the same balance that decides whether Gujarati kadhi is silky or watery.

Why does the batter go lumpy?

Gram flour clumps on contact with liquid because the outside of each clump hydrates and seals the dry flour inside. Sift the flour first, add the buttermilk gradually while whisking rather than tipping it all in, and strain the mixture before it goes on the heat. A lump that survives into the pan will not disappear with stirring; it cooks into a hard nugget that shows up in the spread sheet and stops it rolling cleanly. Thirty seconds with a sieve saves the batch.

How thin does the layer actually need to be?

Thin enough to see the plate faintly through it. That is roughly a millimetre, and it is thinner than most people spread on a first attempt. A thick layer gives a heavy, doughy roll that tastes of raw flour even when properly cooked, and it cracks as it curls. Spreading has to be quick because the paste sets as it cools, so work in long strokes with a flat spatula and do not go back over ground you have covered. Two people and two plates makes it considerably easier.

Khandvi, dhokla and patra are not interchangeable

All three are Gujarati, steamed or cooked rather than fried, and made largely from gram flour, which is where the similarity ends. Dhokla is a leavened, aerated cake that relies on fermentation or fruit salt for its sponge. Patra is colocasia leaf spread with a besan paste, rolled and steamed. Khandvi has no leavening at all and is defined by being a thin set sheet. The protein content across all three is good for a snack, which is one reason gram flour gets so much attention in the plant-based nutrition course and in our list of vegetarian protein sources. Khandvi keeps two days refrigerated but hardens; let it come to room temperature before serving.