Bikaner Bujia Famous Sev Namkeen Signature Snack

Method

1. 1

   Make the dough: Combine moth bean flour, gram flour, black pepper, yellow chilli powder, ajwain, turmeric, asafoetida, oil and salt. Mix with fingers. Add water gradually to form a very firm, smooth dough — firmer than most sev dough.

2. 2

   Rest 10 minutes: Cover and rest.

3. 3

   Use a sev press with the finest hole attachment: The finest available hole — Bikaner Bhujia is specifically ultra-thin, about 1 mm in diameter.

4. 4

   Heat oil: Heat oil in a wide kadai on medium.

5. 5

   Press very thin sev directly into the oil: Press the plunger of the sev press firmly and move in a circular motion over the hot oil, creating long, thin, overlapping threads.

6. 6

   Fry on medium: Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently to separate any sticking threads, until pale golden. The moth bean flour sev is lighter in colour than gram flour sev when done.

7. 7

   Remove before too dark: The Bikaner Bhujia should be pale golden — not deep golden. Over-frying makes it bitter.

8. 8

   Drain on paper towels.

9. 9

   Cool completely: Allow to cool fully — the full crispiness develops on cooling.

10. 10

    Store: Store airtight once cool. Keeps 3 to 4 weeks.

11. 11

    Note: Bikaner Bhujia received a GI (Geographical Indication) tag in 2010 — one of the first snack foods in India to receive this protection. The authentic Bikaner Bhujia uses moth bean flour (from the moth bean grown in the dry Bikaner region) blended with gram flour — the moth bean flour gives it a distinctive texture and lighter colour. The water of Bikaner is also said to play a role in the specific texture — the slightly alkaline groundwater of the Thar Desert contributes to the crispiness. Bikaner is now the largest commercial snack food manufacturing city in Rajasthan, with the bhujia industry spreading to hundreds of small manufacturers.