Baked Papdi Recipe

This is the first time I made the healthier snack by baking them. I was not expecting much from baked goods because it cannot beat the texture of deep-fried one. But it was beyond my expectation. The texture and taste were just fantastic. The texture is crispy yet flaky. It was not dry at all. I have used these baked papdi in making papdi chaat recipe (coming up next). I have made two plates, one using baked papdi and second using the fried papdi. I just want to make the comparison. Hubby tried each from both plates, he could not recognize the difference. yes, it was that good and guilt-free eating. My experiment got a huge success. Do give this a try, I am sure you will also like it. Check out other healthy snacks Baked samosa  //  oats chaat  //  Oats upma

Step By Step Photo Instructions:

1. Take all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and ajwain in a bowl. Also, add oil.
2. rub the oil and flour using your fingertips. Do it till everything is mixed and incorporated well.
3. You will get a crumbly texture. It will be like bread crumbs.
4. Start kneading the dough by adding water little at a time. Make the smooth, tight and firm dough. I used about 1/4 cup of water. The water quantity may vary depends on the freshness of the flour. Cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C for at least 10 minutes.
6. After 15 minutes, knead the dough once again to make it smooth. Divide it into two equal portions. Make smooth balls out of it. Flatten it between your palm and make a disk. Now take one disk and start rolling it. Roll it into a big circle. It should not be too thick or too thin. It should have a medium thickness. I made about 10-11 inch diameter circle.
7. Now prick the entire surface using a fork. Make the holes very near. Not like a few holes here and there. This pricking will prevent papdi from puffing.
8. Now using a cookie cutter or small katori or small lid, cut into small bite-size circles. It is about 1 ½ inch diameter circles.
9. Arrange the papdi on a baking sheet.
10. Bake into the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then flip the papdis, bake again for 5 minutes.
11. Let it cool completely and it is ready to serve. Once cooled completely, store in airtight dabba or jar. Serving suggestion: Serve the papdi with a cup of tea as a snack. It can be used in chaat recipes like sev puri, papdi chaat, sukha bhel or bhel puri.

Expert Tips:

Instead of all purpose flour, you can use half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour.It is important to make tight and firm dough for baked papadi.Instead of ajwain seeds, you can try with cumin seeds for a different flavor.