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LoginThe Sweet, Sour, and Spicy World of Gujarati Dhokla and Khakhra
7 min
29/12/2025
Quick Summary
From the softness of dhokla and khandvi to the crispiness of patra and fafda, Gujarat has it all. What makes these snacks so special and so loved is their texture and flavour, with some having years of history behind them. Generations have been behind the refining of these recipes, with simple ingredients being transformed with skill, patience, and the right spices.
Deep Dive
Simplicity drives Gujarati food, and its snacks are no exception. Dhokla, patra and even bhakarwadi use minimal ingredients from besan, dal, to rice with a simple tempering that defines their local dishes. Gujarat calls their snacks farsan, which ranges from sweet and spicy flavours, with their textures ranging from crispy to soft. There's one for everyone who is quite particular with their snacks and fixated on what they love. Below is a collection of well-known snacks, their origins, interesting variations, and helpful tips to enjoy them at their best.
Dhokla
Dhokla is a savoury cake, made with a fermented batter of chickpea flour (besan) and rice, which is quite healthy because it is steamed. Because dhokla uses a fermented batter, it tends to be tangy. Dhokla is usually garnished with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli, and coriander. There are many varieties of this steamed cake – khatta (sour), rava (semolina), toor-dal, cheese, sandwich-style, and more. When making it at home and with less time on hand for fermentation, use fruit salt right before steaming to make the batter more aerated. Doing it too early will kill the fizz.
Khandvi
Also called patuli, dahivadi, or suralichi vadi in Maharashtra, khandvi is a soft and silky roll-like snack. It is a steamed snack, made with a batter of gram flour and yoghurt. Rolling is where the real fun begins as the batter is spread thin and rolled into bite-sized pieces. Like dhokla, khandvi also gets the tempering treatment of mustard seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Then it gets a garnishing of fresh coriander and shredded coconut. Timing is key for khandvi, as once the batter is cooked, you must quickly spread it out on a flat surface before it cools and lumps, or else rolling becomes difficult.
Patra
Colocasia leaf rolls are called patra in Gujarat, alu vadi in Maharashtra, and patrode in Karnataka. When making patra at home, remove the dark-stemmed leaves, the central vein, and roll firmly so the spirals hold when sliced. Use fresh leaves and make sure that you steam them just enough to get consistency. You need a minimum of 4-5 large leaves stacked to get thick rolls, which are smeared with a flavoured besan paste, after which it is steamed for 20-25 minutes. The rolls are then sliced into pinwheels and then tempered or fried. After steaming, slices can be eaten as-is or shallow-fried for a crunchy snack.
Khakra
Khakra was born from the practice of preserving leftover rotis, which are pressed and cooked until bone-dry for extended shelf life. Traditional varieties include methi, jeera, and masala seasoning; modern versions use ragi, barley, or multigrain flours. The secret lies in rolling the thinnest possible roti and cooking on low heat while continuously pressing with a wooden press or a folded cloth. Cook on very low heat until fully dry, for the slow flame helps khakhra become truly brittle without burning. Make sure to also cool the khakras completely before storing. If khakhras are not cooled entirely, trapped moisture can make them soggy when stored.
Dabeli
Invented by Keshavji Gabha Chudasama (Kesha Malam) in Mandvi, Kutch, during the 1960s, dabeli consists of spicy-sweet potato masala stuffed inside a ladi pav (Gujarati bun), topped with pomegranate seeds, roasted peanuts, sev, and chutneys (tamarind, garlic). The name,dabeli, means ‘pressed’ in Gujarati because the pav is squashed before serving. The Kutchi dabeli masala, with its red chilli base, is the signature element. Modern dabelis include cheese dabeli, paneer dabeli, Mexican dabeli with black beans and corn, and Schezwan dabeli.
Bhakarwadi
Already famous before 1960, Maharashtra's version is thicker, larger, with a spicy filling; Gujarat's is smaller, delicate, with a sweet-spicy taste. When making bhakarwadi, rest the dough for 30 minutes; this helps develop elasticity and makes rolling easier. The bhakarwadi filling is made with coconut, poppy seeds, sesame, along with tamarind pulp (imli) or dried mango powder (amchur), along with spices like red chilli powder, garam masala, asafoetida, and sugar. The gram flour and maida dough is rolled with the filling, rolled tightly into spirals, and deep-fried until crisp.
Fafda
A type of papad, part of the famed Gujarati farsan, it became famous because of Dussehra. It was Chandravilas in Ahmedabad, who popularised the fafda-jalebi pairing around 1915. It’s made with gram flour dough with carom seeds and black pepper, stretched by hand into long, thin strips, and immediately deep-fried until crisp. A fafda-wala's skill is judged by how thin and long they can make strips by hand. Served with fried green chillies and raw papaya sambharo.
From Batter to Flatter
Each farsan has its quirks, from khakhra that snaps like a well-timed comeback, to dhokla that rises with more optimism than a Gujarati morning, and bhakarwadi that hides chaos inside a perfect spiral. These aren’t just snacks; they are an emotion for the Gujarati folks. These snacks are living proof of a culture that can stretch a handful of besan into a festive delight or otherwise.