Microwave Khichiya Papad

"Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."
(~Michael Pollan)


A great-grandmother from Rajasthan or Gujarat would certainly roll her eyes at this khichiya! My own Punjabi daadi would too! Khichiya papad is still fried in most homes. That's what I saw the last time I was in Rajasthan, which was last year. I do concede that a fried khichiya tastes different (read better :P) but a microwaved one tastes good too, and is certainly healthy. I switched to microwave papads a long time back, but khichiya, which is a thicker variety of papad made from rice was always fried. I thought it wouldn't cook well and be as crunchy and crisp as a fried one. How wrong I was! Now, even the papadam from the South is microwaved in our home.
Papads are a popular accompaniment with food in the Northern, Southern and Western states of India. Some eat it along with their food, some eat it after their food, eg. in Rajasthan, as a digestive. Whichever way one consumes a papad, it is a great thing to have in store if you eat Indian food. It also makes a good snack on its own or along with some chopped salsa of tomatoes-onions-cilantro-green chilli.

Place a few khichiyas on the micro plate. Set to 30 seconds. Microwave. Voila! Crunchy, non greasy, hot and crisp khichiyas ready.

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