Gujarati Khichu Recipe: Soft Rice Flour Papdi No Lot

Gujarati khichu, also called papdi no lot, is a soft steamed rice-flour snack. This small-batch guide uses cumin, ajwain and ginger-chili flavor, with a little pickle masala at serving. It is a researched recipe guide, not a claim of personal kitchen testing.

Khichu at a glance

Detail	What the reference recipe gives
Batch	1 cup rice flour to 2½ cups water
Serves	3 to 4
Prep time	About 5 minutes
Cook time	About 15 minutes, including 7 to 8 minutes of steaming
Equipment	Deep pan, sturdy wooden spatula, greased steaming plate, steamer or pressure cooker without the whistle

Times are a guide only; your flour and your stove decide the real number.

What ingredients do you need?

Use 1 cup rice flour, 2½ cups water, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon ajwain, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon each ginger paste, garlic paste and green chili paste, and ¼ teaspoon food-grade papad khar. Add salt to taste, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons oil for greasing and serving. Keep chopped coriander and a little pickle masala for the top. Reduce the chili and garlic to suit your preference.

Prep checklist before you start

Measure the rice flour into a bowl so you can add it in a steady stream with one hand while stirring with the other.
Make or measure the ginger, garlic and green chili pastes.
Crush the ajwain lightly between your palms; this releases its aroma.
Grease the steaming plate with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil.
Put water in the steamer or cooker so it can heat while you mix.
Chop the coriander and keep the pickle masala and serving oil ready, because khichu tastes best straight from the steamer.

How do you mix the rice-flour dough?

Bring the water to a boil in a deep pan. Add salt, cumin, crushed ajwain, sesame, the pastes and papad khar. Reduce to medium heat, then add the rice flour gradually while stirring with a sturdy spatula. Work carefully because the hot mixture can splash. Once the flour is mixed in, remove the pan from the heat and cover it.

What should the mixture look like?

Right after mixing, khichu looks like a thick, sticky dough that pulls away from the spatula in one mass. There should be no pockets of dry white flour. If you see small lumps, press them against the side of the pan with the back of the spatula while the mixture is still hot. Covering the pan for a few minutes lets the flour absorb the hot water evenly before steaming.

How do you steam khichu?

Grease a heat-safe steaming plate and spread the mixture in it. Put the plate on a stand above simmering water in a covered steamer. The researched recipe uses about 7 to 8 minutes of steaming; check that the mixture is cooked rather than treating a timer as the only test. Use a normal steamer and follow its safety instructions. Lift the hot plate with protection and keep your hands away from escaping steam.

How do you know it is cooked?

Raw rice-flour dough looks chalky and opaque. Once steamed, khichu turns a little glossy and slightly translucent, and it feels soft and smooth rather than pasty when you taste a small bit. If it still tastes of raw flour, cover and steam for a few more minutes, then check again.

How should you serve and adjust it?

Serve warm with a little oil, coriander and pickle masala. The texture should be soft, not a dry fried snack. Rice-flour brands and heat levels can change the result, so add care rather than forcing an exact total time. Use only papad khar sold for food preparation; do not substitute a household cleaning product. This guide does not promise a storage life or health benefit.

Common mistakes and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Lumps in the dough	Flour added all at once, or stirring stopped	Add flour gradually and keep stirring; press lumps against the pan while hot
Raw, floury taste	Not steamed long enough	Steam a few more minutes and taste again
Dry and stiff	Water boiled away too long before the flour went in, or the flour absorbs more water	Keep the 1 : 2½ ratio and add the flour as soon as the water boils
Tastes flat	Seasoning only inside the dough	Serve with oil, pickle masala and coriander on top, as the recipe intends

Serving ideas

The reference recipe finishes khichu with chopped coriander, sambariyu (pickle masala) and a drizzle of peanut oil, and serves it hot with tea or as breakfast. Any neutral vegetable oil such as cottonseed, sunflower or sesame oil can be used instead of peanut oil.

Variations (optional)

Hing and turmeric: the reference recipe notes you can add a pinch of each to the boiling water.
Garlic tempering instead of pickle masala: heat a little oil, add chopped garlic, cumin, hing and chili powder, cook until the garlic is golden, then pour it over the steamed khichu.

Storage note

Khichu is meant to be eaten fresh and warm; it firms up as it cools. Make only as much as you will eat at one sitting.

Frequently asked questions

Is khichu the same as dried papad?

No. This is the freshly cooked soft snack, not a dried papad ready for frying.

Can I make it milder?

Use less green chili and serve the pickle masala separately.

Can I steam it in a pressure cooker?

Yes. The reference recipe says to remove the whistle and use the cooker as a steamer.

Which oil should I pour on top?

Peanut oil is traditional in the reference recipe; cottonseed, sunflower or sesame oil also work.

Why did my khichu turn lumpy?

The flour went in too fast. Add it gradually into boiling water while stirring continuously.

Related guides

Sources and checks

binjalsvegkitchen.com source

Original editorial guide. Follow the linked source for current practical details.

Reference recipe re-checked for this update: 30 October 2026.

Sources checked: 26 October 2026. Publication-day changes must be checked before use.