Khichiya (4)

Rice flour-based crackers made from dehydrated dough.

The Gujarati grandmother’s favourite. Rice khichiya and papad (lentil-based poppadoms) are somewhat of a community project that would be made in their hundreds at first sight of the summer sun. Rows and rows of people, rolling the dough and drying it under the sun to be fried or roasted into crackers later. The green chilli and cumin variety are especially moreish.

Deep-fry in very hot oil until the small disc grows to the size of what could be a bedsheet for a guinea pig. Serve them with tea or alongside meals. They’re particularly delicious with khichdi. If you fry them in a high-sided pan that’s around twice the width of the cracker, you can create a fabulous bowl shape to fill with chaat ingredients like boiled potatoes, black chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, masala yogurt and chutneys.