Khichiya papad

Step 1: Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil in a heavy pan over a high heat with 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp green chilli paste, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp papad khar (papad salt). The khar makes it foam up, so use a big pan.

Step 2: Turn the heat to low and tip in 9 oz fine rice flour all at once. Stir hard with the handle of a rolling pin until there are no dry patches; it will be a stiff, lumpy mass.

Step 3: Cover tightly and let the khichu steam on the lowest heat for 8–10 minutes, until it smells cooked and a piece looks translucent rather than chalky.

Step 4: Tip the hot khichu onto a plate, rub your palms with a little 1 tbsp groundnut oil and knead it for 2–3 minutes until smooth and soft. Return most of it to the covered pan to stay warm.

Step 5: Pinch off a lime-sized piece (about 15 g), roll it into a ball and place it between two oiled sheets of food-safe plastic. Press down hard with a flat-bottomed steel plate or a papad press to a 12–14 cm disc, about 1 mm thick.

Step 6: Common mistake: pressing khichu that has gone cold. It cracks at the edges and dries into brittle, uneven papads. If the dough cools, sprinkle it with a little water, cover and warm it over a low heat for a minute.

Step 7: Peel off the top sheet and lay the papads on a clean cotton sheet in the sun, using the remaining 1 tbsp groundnut oil on your fingers to lift them if they stick. Turn them after half a day.

Step 8: Dry for 2–3 sunny days, bringing them indoors at night, until completely stiff and brittle. Store flat in an airtight tin for up to a year.

Step 9: To serve, fry in hot oil for 5–10 seconds until puffed and white, or roast over a low flame, turning constantly, until puffed and lightly spotted.