Regional Indian cuisines have so many hidden gems. We often don't hear about certain local snacks and traditional dishes unless we know someone from that place or unless we travel there. For instance, the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have a rich culinary heritage, featuring a variety of mouthwatering delicacies. Today, we invite you to try one such local snack that you are sure to love: sarva pindi. Since it requires basic ingredients found in most Indian kitchens, you can easily recreate this dish at home. Find out more below.
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What Is Sarva Pindi?
Sarva Pindi is a rice flour-based delicacy popular in Telangana and surrounding regions. It is also called Tapala pindi, Tappala Chekka or Ginnappa. "Tapala" and "Sarva" both refer to types of vessels while "pindi" refers to flour. The exact origins of this delicacy are unclear. But legend has it that it was invented by a woman named Anasurya in Bollepally village. She wanted to make something light and wholesome for the monsoon season but had only rice flour and oil at home. This is how the idea of this delicious snack was born. Sarva Pindi is shaped like a pancake or a thick cheela but is crisp to bite into. Its surface generally has small holes which are made before roasting. The dough for sarva pindi typically contains rice flour, chana dal, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, curry leaves, and green chillies.
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The dough for Sarva Pindi requires rice flour. Photo Credit: iStock
Is Sarva Pindi Good For Health?
- As mentioned earlier, rice flour is the key ingredient of this dish. This flour is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It contains a decent amount of protein and zinc.
- It also contains choline, which can help improve liver health. This flour is high in calories but free of gluten.
- The use of chana dal, sesame seeds and peanuts makes this snack richer in protein.
- Ingredients like ginger, garlic, chillies and curry leaves are full of antioxidants and are known to boost immunity.
- Only a small amount of oil is used for roasting sarva pindi (it is not deep-fried). Hence, it is relatively healthier than other crispy snacks.
How To Make Sarva Pindi At Home | Quick And Easy Recipe For Telangana Style Ginnappa
Photo Credit: iStock
Soak chana dal for around 20-30 mins and drain the water. Coarsely crush the soaked dal, roasted peanuts and curry leaves together. Combine this mixture with rice flour in a bowl. Add in chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, salt, cumin seeds and sesame seeds. Mix well with a little water to get a soft dough. Knead it with oil/ ghee as required and then allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Break off small pieces of the dough and flatten them using a rolling pin or your palm. You need to make round shapes that resemble thick pancakes. Heat oil on a tawa/pan and roast the dough on both sides until crisp. Remember to poke small holes into its surface before covering it. Enjoy the snack hot with tamarind chutney, hari chutney and/or spicy garlic chutney.
Click here for the full recipe for Sarva Pindi.
The next time you are craving a crisp snack that is also healthy, try making this regional treat!
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