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Pappchi
Fried wheat and rice biscuits
पपची: crisp fried Chhattisgarhi wheat-and-rice biscuits glazed in sugar syrup
Pappchi are little scalloped discs that Chhattisgarhi families fry in large batches for Teeja, Diwali and weddings, made from wheat flour and rice flour, fried slowly and then turned in sticky sugar syrup until they wear a thin white glaze. They snap cleanly and keep for weeks in a steel tin. A common mistake is taking the syrup too far, so it crystallises into lumps; you want a one-string syrup that dries to a matt coat as it cools. Chef's tip: press the edge of each disc with a thimble or bottle cap to make the frilled pattern, which also helps them fry crisp.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 5 ½ oz wholewheat flour (atta)
- 3 ½ oz rice flour
- 3 tbsp ghee, melted
- ½ cup milkapproximately
For the syrup
- 7 oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
To fry
- 2 ½ cups oil for deep-frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 3 tbsp ghee, melted into 5 ½ oz wholewheat flour (atta) and 3 ½ oz rice flour, then add ½ cup milk gradually and knead into a stiff dough. Rest 15 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Roll the dough 4 mm thick and cut 4 cm rounds. Press a scalloped pattern round each edge with a thimble or bottle cap.
15 minStep 3: Heat 2 ½ cups oil for deep-frying in a kadhai. Pour in oil no deeper than a third of the pan's depth and heat it over medium heat; it is ready when a pinch of dough sinks and rises within 2–3 seconds with steady bubbles. Never leave hot oil unattended.
6 minStep 4: Fry in batches on medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp right through. Drain and cool.
20 minStep 5: Boil 7 oz sugar and ½ cup water over medium heat for 6–7 minutes to one-string stage: a drop pulled between thumb and finger forms a single thread. Stir in ¼ tsp ground cardamom.
8 minStep 6: Take the syrup off the heat, tip in the pappchi and toss for 2–3 minutes until the syrup clouds and dries into a white coating. Spread on a tray to set, then store airtight.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pappchi take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of ghee, melted?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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