Bhakarwadi Recipe | How To Make Bhakarwadi | Bakarwadi Recipe

Call it Bhakarwadi or Bakarwadi, the fact that this snack is a super popular one in western India, doesn’t change. From the looks of it, it basically is a crisp, fried pinwheel or spiral and may really appear to involve a difficult procedure to prepare it. This, may not be completely false. But if you are ready to put in some efforts and follow this Bhakarwadi Recipe to bits, you’ll be able to recreate the magic of this addictive, sweet, spicy and tangy snack at your home.

What is Bhakarwadi

More popular as Bhakarwadi in Gujarat, this scrumptious fried snack slightly alters its name and becomes the Bakarwadi in Maharashtra. As mentioned right at the beginning of this post, a traditional Bhakarwadi Recipe result in crisp, golden fried pinwheels or spirals, stuffed with a sweet, spicy and tangy mixture.

The most classic recipes of this super yum snack involve a spiced gram flour (besan) and all-purpose flour (maida) dough, with a filling made of coconut, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, spices as some of the primary ingredients. This is then stuffed, rolled, cut into discs and fried to perfection. However, there are a few elements that I have added in my Bhakarwadi Recipe to make it all the more awesome.

An interesting thing about the history of Bakarwadi is that it has been famous, from before 1960. This was the time when both Gujarat and Maharashtra collectively formed the Bombay State. Thus, both these cultures influenced the recipe of Bhakarwadi with their own unique flavors.

Broadly classifying, the brands that are said to have popularized this snack are Chitale from Pune, Maharashtra and Jagdish-Farsan from Vadodara, Gujarat. These have been the big players in the market since 1976 and 1938, respectively. They’ve played an important role in the distribution of this yummylicious snack, both nationally as well as internationally.

More on this recipe

In the Maharashtrian version of Bakarwadi, the outer cover is made from gram flour (besan) and all-purpose flour (maida) or whole wheat flour (atta). The stuffing has coconut, sesame seeds, poppy seeds with some spices added in it.

A souring element is a must in the stuffing, to give bring in a certain tang in the Bhakarwadi. So, ingredients like lemon juice, tamarind pulp or even dried mango powder (amchur powder) may be added. For the sweetness, sugar is added.

Some versions of the Bhakarwadi Recipe also add Sev (fried gram flour vermicelli). Although, I have given it a miss in my recipe, but you can definitely add it, if you want. This recipe of mine is also not very spicy. You can increase the quantity of the Kashmiri red chili powder for a spicier version.

As I also said, making this snack is easy, but takes time and efforts. So, you’ll have to keep patience throughout the entire procedure of making the Bhakarwadi. Once done, it will be completely worth. Bakarwadi can be stored well in air-tight jars for many weeks. This recipe yields about 25 to 26 pinwheels.

How to make Bhakarwadi

For ease of understanding, I have divided this recipe post into 4 steps:

• Step 1 – Making dough
• Step 2 – Making stuffing
• Step 3 – Assembling and making Bhakarwadi
• Step 4 – Frying Bhakarwadi

Making dough

1. In a mixing bowl, large tray or plate, take 1 cup (100 grams) gram flour (besan) and ¾ cup (90 to 95 grams) all-purpose flour (maida). Also, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) and ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt.

2. With a spoon, mix everything well.

3. Next, add 3 tablespoons oil.

4. With your fingertips, mix the oil with the flours, till you get a breadcrumb like texture. Take a portion of the flour and press it. It should be able to hold itself and not crumble.

5. Next, start adding water in parts. Amount of water to be added depends on the quality of besan and maida. Overall, you can add 4 to 5 tablespoons water or as required.

6. Begin to mix and knead the dough.

7. Knead to a semi soft dough. In case the dough becomes sticky, add some maida. If it looks dry, sprinkle some water and continue to knead. Cover the dough and keep aside.

Making stuffing

8. Heat a heavy pan or kadai. Add 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds.

9. On low to medium-low heat, roast sesame seeds till they crackle. Stir often. Do not brown them.

10. Keep the heat to a low, add ½ cup (40 grams) desiccated coconut and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus).

11. Mix very well.

12. Add ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf).

13. Mix again and roast on low heat.

14. Roast till coconut is light golden. Stir non-stop.

15. Switch off the heat and remove the pan from heat. Add the spice powders one by one – 1 pinch asafoetida, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala (or ½ teaspoon goda masala). Also, add salt as per taste. The spice powders will get cooked with the residue heat from the pan and the coconut mixture.

16. Mix very well and let this mixture cool.

17. Then, take the roasted stuffing mixture in a grinder jar. Add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons sugar. You can add less or mores sugar, as per your taste buds.

18. Grind to a semi-fine powder. Do not grind fine as then oil releases from coconut and sesame seeds. Use pulse option and grind or grind at intervals of a few seconds.

19. Take the prepared stuffing mixture in a bowl. Add ½ tablespoon lemon juice. For a tangier taste, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Alternatively, instead of lemon juice, add 1 to 2 teaspoons dried mango powder or 1 to 2 teaspoons of tamarind pulp (not paste). The sourness can be adjusted, by adding less or more of the souring ingredient.

20. Mix very well. Check taste and if required add more salt, sugar, spice powders or lemon juice.

Assembling and making Bhakarwadi

21. Take the dough and roll it into a log. Cut the log into 4 to 5 equal parts.

22. Take one part of the dough and roll between your palms to get a round shape. Flatten and keep the dough on a rolling board.

23. Sprinkle some besan before you begin to roll the dough.

24. Roll to a medium thick round, square or rectangle. Make sure that the dough is not rolled thinly or thickly.

25. Now, brush lightly with water all over the rolled dough.

26. With a spoon, spread the prepared stuffing mixture on the dough, leaving a space of ½ to 1 inch at the edges.

27. Then, lightly press the stuffing mixture with a spoon.

28. Now, begin to tightly roll the dough.

29. Roll to a tight and neat log.

30. Join the edges.

31. Cut the rolled log into equal parts.

32. You will get Bhakarwadi pinwheels. Place them with the pinwheel surface facing you.

33. Gently press each pinwheel with the heel of your palm.

34. Make Bhakarwadi pinwheels with the entire dough and stuffing mixture, similarly. Keep them in a bowl. Cover the bowl.

Frying Bhakarwadi

35. Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Keep flame to medium-low or medium. To check if the oil is hot, slide one piece in oil. If it comes up gradually to the surface of oil, you can begin frying. In case it comes up slowly on the surface of oil, then the oil is not hot enough. Then, increase the heat. If it comes up too quickly on the top, then the oil is very hot. So, reduce the heat.

36. Add the Bakarwadi pinwheels in the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan or kadai. Begin to fry on medium-low to medium heat. Do not fry on high heat, as then the center of the Bakarwadi can be slightly soft and uncooked.

37. When one side is light golden, turn over with as slotted spoon and fry the second side of Bakarwadi.

38. Continue to turn Bakarwadi a couple of times to get even golden color.

39. Fry till the crust becomes crisp and golden and the oil stops sizzling.

40. Remove the fried Bakarwadi with a slotted spoon, draining extra oil in the kadai itself.

41. Place the fried Bakarwadi on kitchen paper towels. Similarly, fry the remaining.

42. When the Bhakarwadi cools to room temperature, serve them as a tea-time snack or place in an air-tight jar or box.

Expert Tips

1. You have to mix the oil with the flours till a breadcrumb like texture is formed. The mixture should also be able to hold itself and not crumble.
2. Make sure to add water in parts. Overall quantity will depend on the quality of besan and maida.
3. If your dough becomes sticky, add some more maida and knead. If dry, add some water and knead. A perfect dough for this Bhakarwadi Recipe has to be a semi-soft one.
4. To make a spicier version of this Bhakarwadi Recipe, add more Kashmiri red chili powder.
5. For the stuffing mixture, goda masala can be used in place of garam masala powder.
6. The quantity of sugar in the stuffing can also be less or more, depending on your taste likings.
7. Use the pulse option to grind the stuffing mixture to a semi-fine powder. Do not grind fine as then the coconut and sesame seeds will release their oils.
8. You can use lemon juice, 1 to 2 teaspoons tamarind pulp or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried mango powder as the souring agents in the stuffing. Quantities can be less or more.
9. You have to roll the dough into a medium-thick disc/square or rectangle. Not thinly or thickly.
10. Make sure to fry the Bhakarwadi on medium-low to medium heat. Avoid frying on high heat as then the center of the Bakarwadi will stay uncooked and become slightly soft.

This Bhakarwadi Recipe from the archives was first published in January 2018. It has been updated and republished in March 2024.