Maida Papdi are crisp Indian Crackers spiced with toasted cumin seeds. bake or fry and serve with chutneys or choice. Vegan Indian Holi Recipe, Palm oil free
Happy holi everyone! It is that time of the year again to play around with colors!
The festival also involves food like most festivals. Sweets and more sweets and snacks. Indian Snacks are known for being fried. Most Everything is fried. Fried chickpea noodles(sev), samosa, kachoris, Mathri Crackers, Papdi crackers, Shakkar para, Chakhli wheels, farsan. I think it is because fried food has longer shelf life without needing refrigeration and frying doesn’t need special equipment like baking. You just need a deep pan and oil and you can fry anything anywhere.
I have stepped away from frying over the years for several reasons. All the standing near the heat to fry small batches of things, all that hot oil splashing activity, all the oil in the food. :). so I bake, and most of the time things taste almost the same!
These Maida Papdi would be made in bulk for snacking around the festival season. Mom would make them at home, try to get us kids to do some rolling of the dough, give up and do it herself. Seasoned with just cumin or carom seeds and black pepper, these crackers were an addictive snack. You can bake them as I do or fry them.
This Padpi also makes excellent chaat. Load it up with mashed potato, chutneys and chaat masala and done!
Try some Holi Sweets and Snacks
- KESAR PEDA – SAFFRON INFUSED MITHAI SWEET
- FUDGY COCONUT LADOO
- RAJGIRA BURFI – AMARANTH COCONUT FUDGE
- VEGAN & GLUTENFREE GULAB JAMUNS.
- VERMICELLI PUDDING – SEVIYAN KHEER
- BAKED NAMAK PAARE-Gluten-freePotato Rice Crackers.
- My Holi Round up from last year with Thandai and Samosas.
Steps:
Knead the dough and let it sit for half an hour. Divide it into small balls and roll them out. Then fold halfway to make a semi circle and and fold once again. roll it out to make a thinner cracker. Bake or fry.
Crunchy goodness! Serve as is or with chutneys or sauces. or Make Papri Chaat.
Recipe Card
Maida Papdi - Cumin Spiced Crackers
Ingredients
- 1/3 to 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cups (250 g) unbleached white flour
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) carom seeds ajwain
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) baking soda
- 3 tablespoons of neutral oil or melted vegan butter
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup (125 ml) water
Instructions
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes or until they change color and get fragrant. this is especially helpful to release the cumin flavor for baked crackers. Add to a large bowl. Add flour, carom seeds, salt, pepper and baking soda and whisk well. Add oil and mix with hands or a spoon to make breadcrumbs. 2 minutes.
- Add water a few tablespoons at a time and knead into a smooth dough. Not too stiff and not too sticky soft. Cover and let sit for half an hour.
- Knead the dough again for half a minute then divide into golf-ball size balls. Roll out each ball into a 4 inch circle. Fold to a half circle. then fold again to make an uneven triangle(see picture). Roll it out a bit to flatten a bit. Place on parchment lined sheet. Repeat for all the balls.
- Alternatively, roll out a larger ball of dough into a thin 8 inch circle. spray oil on the circle. Fold into half and roll it out until 2 mm thick. Using a pizza cutter or cookie cutter, cut into desired shape. Use an inch or 1.5 inch cookie cutter to make circle papri for papri chaat. Sprinkle some fine sea salt if desired and press in.
- Bake in pre-heated 350 degree F / 180ºc for 12 minutes. Move the crackers around, inside out and bake for another 4 minutes. Flip the crackers and move and bake for another 2 minutes or so. The triangle crackers will need a few minutes more to crisp up, while smaller crackers will be done sooner. Bake only until the crackers are just lightly golden on the edges. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
I remember loving Holi as a kid. Getting together with all the kids of the community and applying dry and wet color on everyone. Then after a few years, things changed. All the girls were advised to play holi with just the girls and relatives and always be out with a group of people or take our brothers along and sometimes not allowed to go too far from home. We grew up and had to learn the gender differences.
This documentary below on the 2012 Nirbhaya Rape is creating multitudes of debates across the country. People asking for bans, people supporting it, people questioning the message. However the documentary was made, this documentary should be watched. It is not about shock or blame or just some awful men, it begs us to question what and how this happened to our culture. What can We do to change it.
Tina
This sounds really good and looks good too, have to try making this some time. I love that it’s got ingredients that I normally have in my pantry.
chrysta@noshed
I love these fun little crackers. Plus the toasted cumin sounds divine. I have such a tendency to just graze on crunchy things all day. Ha! Im such a snacker…
IR
Happy Holi! Thank you for raising awareness on gender differences & the documentary. God bless you =)
Elsje
Richa – I love your recipes – youre an inspiration. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Is it possible to use it as a pizza base ???
Can I use it with other flours that are not gluten – any suggestions??
Thanks dear
Elsje from South Africa
Richa
This makes really crisp crackers. You can use my other Pizza base recipes to make a pizza crust. https://www.veganricha.com/category/pizza For gluten-free breads to use as pizza base see here https://www.veganricha.com/category/gluten-free-bread
Archena
Happy Holi!!!
Mary
The video, about India’s daughter brought me to tears; I ‘m sorry to say that I was ignorant of the prevailing attitude by many men towards the rape and violence of women in India. I will be praying for Jyoti Singh’s parents they have suffered beyond measure. Jyoti rest in peace!
Cassie
Wonder if these would work with cinnamon to make sweet crackers?
Richa
they should work. use the lesser amount of salt and no cumin or carom seeds. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the rolled out dough, cut and bake.
Shirley
Richa;
Have you tried making these gluten free, or is it too difficult?
Richa
i have similar crackers that are gluten-free. https://www.veganricha.com/2012/11/baked-namak-paare-savory-potato-rice.html Use toasted cumin seeds in those.