Bakarwadi Recipe | Crispy Savory Rolls with Spicy Filling

Can you relate to days when you cook something for the first time and it turns out SO good that you can’t wait for your husband to get home in the evening so he can taste it too?  That is how I felt when I made this popular Maharashtrian snack Bhakarwadi, which generally appears too complicated to make at home.  But it is not.  I can especially vouch for this after having made plenty of times at home.

Spusht | Bhakarwadi Tea Time Snack recipe
Bhakarwadi - Tea Time Snack recipe

Bakarwadi is a fried savory snack that has a spicy stuffing rolled into a dough and sliced into small pieces that look like pinwheel cookies.  Bhakarwadi has a good shelf life, can be stored at room temperatures for  weeks, these savory bhakarwadi rolls are good travel companion to munch on, and go well with Indian tea (chai).  Yes, just like the humble mathri.

Spusht | Indian snack bhakarwadi
Indian snack - bhakarwadi 

Bakarwadi Recipe
Adapted from Swad Sugandh
Yields: 25-35 pieces

Ingredients for Bakarwadi
For dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour (or ½ cup all-purpose flour + ½ cup whole wheat flour)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 pinch baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil for dough
Water for kneading dough
Oil for deep frying

Spusht | Bakarwadi ingredients
Bakarwadi stuffing ingredients

For stuffing:
½ cup thin sev [baareek sev, NOT bhujiya]
2 Tbsp grated dry coconut (or use desiccated coconut)
2 tsp poppy seeds [khus khus]
2 tsp sesame seeds [til]
1 tsp fennel seed powder [saunf powder]
1 tsp red chili powder [lal mirch powder]
2 tsp coriander-cumin powder [dhania-jeera powder]
¼ tsp garam masala (optional)
1 tsp green chili paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp tamarind chutney (depends, explained below)
Salt to taste (depends, explained below)

How to make Bhakarwadi
1. For dough: Combine flour + cornstarch + baking soda + salt + oil and mix well.  Add water by a tablespoon in each interval until you make a little firm dough.  Keep covered for 15 minutes until you work on the stuffing.
Keep in mind: Do not add excess baking soda, otherwise your bhakarwadi will scatter in oil.  Do not add excess water, otherwise your soft dough will not shape well nor hold the stuffing.

Spusht | Make Bhakarwadi at home
Make Bhakarwadi at home - dough, stuffing, rolling, slicing, frying - that's it! 

2. For stuffing: Combine all dry ingredients for stuffing, add the pastes, and then add the tamarind chutney by a teaspoon just until it brings the mixture together.
Keep in mind: If your ginger/garlic/green chili paste or tamarind chutney already have salt, taste your stuffing before adding any excess salt. Also, remember that stuffing should neither be very moist nor too dry, so adjust the quantity of tamarind chutney for the stuffing to bind together.

Spusht | How to make bhakarwadi
How to make bhakarwadi - stuffing and rolling

3. Divide the dough into two balls.  Divide the stuffing into two parts.  Roll out each dough into a thin round large roti, and spread the stuffing over each roti.  Press the stuffing over roti lightly with your palms or rolling pin so it forms a thin layer.  Now fold ½ inch of left + right edges of each roti over the stuffing and roll each roti tightly.  Cover these rolled rotis with a moist cloth and keep aside 15-20 mins.
Keep in mind: Do not roll the roti too thin or the stuffing will break out from the dough.  If you want to work on one roti at a time, keep the other dough covered so it does not dry out.  You can also refrigerate the rolls so slicing becomes easier.

Spusht | Spicy bakarwadi snack from Maharashtra
Spicy bakarwadi snack from Maharashtra - in process of frying 

4. Heat sufficient oil on medium heat in a pan or wok.  Cut about 1 inch pieces of the prepared rolls and press them gently between palms.  Here's why this recipe yields between 25-35 pieces of bhakarwadi - depending on how much you have flatted the roti, how you have rolled with the stuffing, and how small you cut the pieces.  To avoid the filling from coming out while frying, you can apply a thin layer of cornstarch + water mixture over the cut edges of the bakarwadi.  When the oil is hot, deep fry the bhakarwadi over medium-low flame till crispy and golden brown – could take about 8 minutes for each batch.  Drain on paper towel, store in an airtight container only after completely cooled down.
Keep in mind: Use a wide pan or wok so that you can fry about 10-15 pieces at a time while also having enough space to turn them around.  If you fry bhakarwadi on high flame, they will not be crisp the next day.

Spusht | Savory bhakarwadi rolls with spicy filling
Savory bhakarwadi rolls with spicy filling

All the 'keep in mind' above have appeared here after the numerous times I have made these awesome spicy bhakarwadis.  Trust me with this foolproof recipe.  You have got to try making them.

Spusht | Recipe for Bhakarwadi | Popular snack from Maharashtra
Recipe for Bhakarwadi | Popular snack from Maharashtra

Do you have to take some snacks for potluck and cannot decide what to make?  If you are looking for dry potluck snack ideas, Bhakarwadi is a good option.  Do you want to make bite-size appetizers for your party?  Make mini Bhakarwadi and stack it up (for presentation), and let guests at your party easily grab one.


Spusht | Crispy savory spicy snack bakarwadi Roll
Crispy savory spicy snack bakarwadi roll

Enjoy.
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14 comments:

  1. Looks perfect Nisha, Love to try it, once I tried and failed miserably. Sure I am going to try your version.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Swathi, let me know when you give this one a try!

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  2. perfectly made, so authentic and delicious as well!

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  3. So yummy! My mom used to make this when I was little, I think I called them pillows. LOL! I would insist on cutting them up. Loved the flavor, so smoky! Nice job with the photos, Nisha.

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  4. Your snacks look SO pretty! I'm not Indian but love the food and have bought bhakarwadi snacks in foreign food section of grocery store. But I wanted to make my own so looked for recipe. I've seen recipes for this baked so will try baking them as I want to keep my weight down. (I can eat these all day!) Thank you very much for the recipe and lovely photos!! BTW, I've been making Indian food (very good rotis too) for 37 years so eager to try these.

    Jude

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Isom. Apologies for my late reply. Hope you tried the baked version of Bakarwadi by now!?
      After learning about you making good rotis for over 30 years, I'm sure you'd do a great job at these!

      Delete
    2. My reply is even later than yours was as I forgot to click the notification button.
      Yes, I have made baked bhakarwadi and it was pretty good. My son and I didn't take long to eat them all! :) But I'm still tweaking the recipe to find the flavour I like best.I bought fennel seeds as it lacked something. I didn't have them before but fennel is needed to make good flavoured pizza too so they'll be used. Just about to make another batch of bhakarwadi as I love to nibble on something with teat before bedtime. Helps me sleep better. When I get my recipe fully tweaked, I'll tell you what I put in. I'm leaving out cilantro even though I LOVE it but my son hates it. It's a compromise.

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    3. Oops!! ...with TEA, not teat.

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  5. This is my favorite snack, but I've only eaten the store-bought kind. Should try making it at home.

    I love how you've arranged the stuffing ingredients in the picture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please let me know when you try making these at home! Thanks for your comment, dear :-)

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  6. hi, these look so wonderful.. just one quick question.. can I completely use what flour in here instead of 1/2-1/2 all purpose flour and wheat flour?

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  7. Amazingly explained recipe!
    It's my first time here and I can already see myself coming here again :)
    Beautiful n creative pics.
    BTW I could totally relate to that hubby thingy ;)
    Best regards.

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  8. Great Recipe Nisha,. So nicely explained. your photos motivated me to try these at home. I have posted on my blog. Do take a look. Thanks for the recipe :-)

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