Khandvi: A Batter That Won't Wait Once It Leaves the Pan
Get everything ready before the batter finishes cooking. It has to be spread thin while still hot, and the rolling comes only after it has cooled.
Khandvi begins as a pale yellow batter of gram flour and buttermilk, stirred in a pan over low heat until it starts to pull away from the sides. From there the pace changes. The hot batter goes onto the back of an oiled thali and is spread into an even sheet. It then cools and is cut into strips, which are rolled around fresh coconut and coriander. A hot tempering of mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and white sesame goes over the top.
This article follows one recipe from start to finish: the Gujarati snack published under Sanjeev Kapoor's name. That recipe doesn't state a cup size, a yield, numeric amounts for the salt, coconut, coriander or greasing oil, a cooling time or a strip width. We have left those open rather than filling them in from other recipes, so the amounts below may look less complete than you are used to.
Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe. The amounts and order of work come from the published recipe, and the practical notes are editorial guidance rather than test results.
Ingredients for the Batter, Filling and Tempering
This recipe contains wheat (maida), milk (buttermilk), sesame and mustard, so it is not gluten-free. Compound hing can contain wheat flour or other ingredients, so read its label. Check the ingredients and allergen labeling on your buttermilk as well.
The coconut and coriander are not cooked. They are rolled into the batter after it has been cooked and cooled, and the tempering poured over the outside should not be relied on to cook or sanitize them.
Choosing and Substituting
- Besan: Choose a flour whose ingredient is chickpea. Roasted soybean flour, potato starch and wheat flour are not the same thing.
- Maida: Keep this in. It is a small amount, but it is part of the batter.
- Buttermilk: What is on sale varies by store and country, so read the label. There is no verified yogurt conversion for this recipe, so none is given here.
- Red chilli powder: Chilli type and heat vary, so taste your powder before using it.
- Green chilli paste: Bought pastes vary in salt and moisture. Finely chopped green chillies with no added salt are an editorial alternative.
- Ginger paste: Freshly grated ginger is an easy editorial alternative, though its moisture and fiber will differ.
- Oil: A mild-smelling oil is a sensible choice.
- Mustard seeds: Use whole seeds. Prepared mustard and mustard paste won't work.
- Curry leaves: Look for fresh or frozen leaves. Dried leaves smell different, so don't assume they will give the same result.
- Where to look: Try Indian grocers, import shops and online stores for besan, hing and curry leaves, searching by those general names.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk and spoon
- Nonstick kadai or deep frying pan
- Flat spatula
- Flat, heatproof metal thali or plate (the back is used for spreading)
- Brush for oiling the thali
- Wide flat scraper
- Knife and cutting board
- Coconut scraper
- Shallow nonstick pan for the tempering
- Serving plate
Method: Cook, Spread, Cool, Roll, Temper
The photos show the order of work and what each action looks like. They can't confirm amounts, temperature, cooking through or food safety.
Troubleshooting: What You Can and Can't Diagnose
This recipe hasn't been kitchen-tested, so these notes stick to what the order of work can explain. They are not tested fixes.
| What you notice | Likely point to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Lumps in the batter | The buttermilk went in too quickly, or wasn't whisked enough | Keep whisking before the batter goes on the heat, and next time add the buttermilk more gradually |
| The batter hasn't left the sides after 20 minutes | Stoves and pans differ | Keep watching for the batter to pull away from the sides. We can't say how much extra time your setup may need |
| The batter is hard to spread | It may have cooled before spreading | Next time, oil the thali ahead and move straight from the pan to the thali |
| The sheet is hard to cut or lift | It may not have cooled and set | Let it cool longer before cutting |
| The rolls don't hold, or the texture seems off | There could be several causes | Review the pull-away sign and the cooling stage. We can't offer a confident diagnosis, and changing the proportions would make it a different recipe |
Variations
These are editorial changes, so expect a result that differs from the base recipe.
- Less heat: Reduce the green chilli paste. The flavor will change along with the heat.
- Dried coconut: If fresh coconut is unavailable, dried coconut is a possible stand-in. Its texture is different, so don't treat it as a same-amount swap.
- No coriander: Leave it out if it's hard to find or you dislike it. This is an omission, and the finished dish will differ.
- Soft wheat flour for maida: Use this if maida is hard to find. The two aren't necessarily the same grade, and the swap still contains wheat.
Gujarat's Soft Gram-Flour Rolls
Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe presents khandvi as a Gujarati snack. Gujarat Tourism describes it as soft rolls of gram flour and mentions coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves in its tempering. The recipe here keeps the coconut inside the rolls, with only the cooked tempering on the outside.
Gujarat Tourism also notes a related dish in Maharashtra called Dahivadi or Suralichi Vadi. That shows the family of dishes is known by more than one name, but it doesn't mean every version shares the same proportions or method. The sources we consulted don't establish an origin date or a line of transmission between regions, so we don't offer one.
Recipes also differ. Khaana's separate khandvi recipe follows a similar pattern of cooking besan and a sour dairy ingredient, spreading the mixture thin, cooling it and rolling it. Its proportions and ingredients are its own, and we haven't mixed them in here. You can explore more of the country's dishes on our India page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is khandvi from?
Both Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe and Gujarat Tourism treat it as Gujarati. Gujarat Tourism also records the related names Dahivadi and Suralichi Vadi in Maharashtra, so we wouldn't call this style of dish exclusive to one region.
Is khandvi the same as dhokla?
No. Dhokla is made from a fermented batter that is steamed. This khandvi batter is cooked in a pan, spread thin, cut into strips and rolled, and the recipe includes no fermenting stage.
Can I replace the buttermilk with yogurt?
We have no basis for swapping the 3 cups of buttermilk for the same amount of yogurt, and no verified yogurt conversion for this recipe. Khaana's different recipe has its own formula, but that doesn't carry over to this one. Khaana also distinguishes sour buttermilk from fresh sweet buttermilk, while Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe doesn't say how sour its buttermilk should be.
How many milliliters is a cup here?
The recipe doesn't say, so we don't give a conversion. Measuring the flour and buttermilk with the same cup at least keeps those two ingredients in the stated proportion.
How many does it serve?
The recipe gives no servings or yield, and we haven't invented one.
Is the coconut and coriander filling cooked?
No. Only the batter is cooked, and the coconut and coriander are added after it cools. FDA guidance is to wash produce thoroughly under running water without soap or detergent, and it notes that washing reduces bacteria but doesn't eliminate them. FDA's advice covers produce in general rather than these two ingredients specifically. The hot tempering and the look of the finished rolls are not proof of food safety.
Is khandvi gluten-free?
Not this version, because it contains maida, which is wheat flour. Compound hing may also contain wheat flour, so check its label too.
Can I make it ahead or store leftovers?
The recipe gives no storage or reheating instructions and ends at serving. We don't have a reliable basis for a make-ahead window, storage time or reheating method, so we don't offer one.
Sources
- Sanjeev Kapoor, "Khandvi." The recipe used here: its identification as a Gujarati snack, all ingredients and amounts, and the full method. https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/khandvi-11709555
- Gujarat Tourism (TCGL), "Khandvi." Description of khandvi as soft gram-flour rolls with coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves, and the related Maharashtra names Dahivadi and Suralichi Vadi. https://gujarattourism.com/gujarati-cuisines/khandvi.html
- Khaana, "Khandvi, Gujarati recipe." A separate recipe used only for comparison: the shared pattern of the method, the distinction between sour and fresh sweet buttermilk, and milk, sesame and mustard allergen notes. Its amounts are not used here. https://khaana.com/recipes/khandvi.html
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Selecting and Serving Produce Safely." General guidance on washing produce under running water without soap or detergent, and on washing reducing but not eliminating bacteria. https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-produce-safely
