Baked to perfection spicy, crunchy, and oh so addictive Bhakarwadis! Enjoy these bite-sized irresistible snacks guilt-free with a good strong cuppa!!!
Bhakarwadi is a super popular Maharashtrian and Gujarati tea-time accompaniment. It's a crunchy and savory pinwheel-shaped snack with a spicy, tangy, and sweet coconut base spicy filling.
Hard to believe, but I had never heard of bhakarwadi till I came to the US. I tried it for the first time at a Maharashtrian friend's house and it was love at first bite for me and has been hooked on to it ever since. And it's not just me, but also the whole family :)))
Traditionally it's deep-fried, but today I am sharing with you the baked version. I have experimented with both and though I loved the fried version too, it's tricky and more hands-on, as the filling can easily spill into the oil if not packed right. Baking bhakarwadi is easier, mess-free, and without the added calories. The end result is perfectly baked, crunchy, addictive, and utterly delicious bhakarwadi.
Ingredients for Bhakarwadi
- Gram flour, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, carom seeds, salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, baking powder, oil, and water to make the dough. You can skip all-purpose flour altogether if you wish.
- Desiccated coconut, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, mint powder (optional), fresh cilantro, ground cumin, sugar, dry mango powder, dry ginger powder, and salt for the filling.
How to make bhakarwadi?
It's basically a four-step process -
- Make the dough
- Prepare the filling
- Roll and assemble the bhakarwadis
- Bake to perfection
The most crucial thing here is to achieve the perfect blend of spices for the filling to get that signature spicy, sweet, and tangy bhakarwadi flavors. Again that's something you can customize as per your personal preference. This recipe can be a very effective reference point for that.
Another important thing is to perfectly roll the dough and pack the filling tight to get an awesome batch.
We love these Bhakarwadi. They're :
- Vegan
- Quite easy to make and are mess-free
- A great addition to your Diwali/Holi spread
- A healthy alternative to traditional bhakarwadi
- Crispy and make a perfect tea-time snack,
- A perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and tangy snack
- Easy to store and have a long shelf life
- Loved by all ages
Do check out another healthy and delicious savory snack perfect for your festival spread!!!
Ingredients
For Dough
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
- ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 4 tablespoon hot oil
- ½ teaspoon salt or as per taste
- water as required for the dough
For Filling
- ½ cup dry grated coconut
- 3 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
- 1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder (saunth)
- 1 teaspoon mint powder (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, coriander, chopped
- 1.5 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
- 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney or as needed (or lemon juice)
- salt to taste
- water for sealing
Instructions
For dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients to make the dough. Mix thoroughly.
- Then, add hot oil. Rub the flour mix and oil between your fingers nicely. It should feel crumbly and able to hold shape when pressed between your palm. Add some more oil if needed.
- Add water gradually to knead the dough. Keep kneading until it's smooth yet tight.
- Cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes.
For filling
- Dry roast sesame seeds and poppy seeds over medium-low heat till fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove and keep them aside.
- To the same pan, add dry grated coconut and roast for about 3 minutes or till light golden. Stir in fresh cilantro and sauté for another minute or so. Remove and let it cool completely.
- In a spice grinder or mixer, combine the dry roasted stuff along with the rest of the filling ingredients except tamarind chutney and water.
- Pulse a few times to a semi-coarse powder. Keep the filling aside.
Assembling the bhakarwadi
- Knead the dough again for about a minute. Divide it into 3 equal portions and make balls.
- Roll each part into a large disc, slightly thicker than a chapati. Make sure to cover the rest of the dough while working on one portion.
- Smear the tamarind chutney evenly with a brush.
- Spread 2-3 tablespoon of filling all over leaving the sides. Gently press the masala with your hand to hold it in place.
- Apply water on the edges of the disc.
- Roll from one end to form a tight log with no space between layers, making sure that the edges are nicely sealed.
- Cut each log into about ½" thick spiral roundels or pinwheels.
- Gently press each roundel with your thumb or palm to flatten.
Baking the bhakarwadi
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Arrange all the bhakarwadi roundels on a silicone mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the wadis for about 20-25 minutes or until brown and crispy. Flip once in between for even baking.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before serving or storing.
- Enjoy these crispy and spicy little treats with adrak waali chai!!!
Recipe Notes
- Rest the dough for at least 20 minutes.
- If you prefer to deep-fry instead of baking, that's perfectly fine. Just deep-fry at medium-low till evenly golden brown.
- The baking time can vary depending on how thick they are.
- You can use lemon juice instead of tamarind chutney too.
- Feel free to adjust the spiciness as per your personal preference.
- Bhakarwadi has a long shelf-life and stays fresh in an air-tight jar for up to a month.
