Fulwadi is a popular Gujarati snack that is crispy on the outside and soft, flaky (farsi) on the inside. It is traditionally made with coarse gram flour (besan), aromatic spices, and a few simple pantry ingredients. Known for its delicious combination of spicy, slightly sweet, and tangy flavors, fulwadi is a perfect tea-time snack and is also enjoyed during festivals and special occasions.
In this recipe, I share my special technique for preparing the fulwadi dough, which helps achieve the perfect balance of crispiness and softness. I also explain the ideal ingredient proportions, the importance of rubbing the dough properly, and several foolproof tips that will help you make bakery-style fulwadi at home. Follow this easy step-by-step recipe, and you’ll be able to prepare perfectly crunchy, soft, and flavorful fulwadi on your very first attempt. Give this recipe a try—you’ll absolutely love the results!
The key to making perfect Gujarati fulwadi at home are
- Firstly, use coarse gram flour (coarse besan) to prepare fulwadi. It is easily available in most Indian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, simply grind chana dal in a mixer to make coarse besan at home.
- For the fulwadi dough, prepare a white emulsion by blending water, oil, and papad khar until it turns milky white. This emulsion helps create a crispy, light, and flaky (farsi) texture, giving your fulwadi a perfect market-style finish on the very first attempt. Papad khar is the key ingredient for crispiness, but you can substitute it with baking soda if needed. However, do not use too much baking soda, as it can affect both the taste and texture.
- The fulwadi dough should be soft and pliable. After kneading, rub the dough for 4–5 minutes until it becomes smooth and slightly starchy. This step develops the texture of the dough, making it easier to shape into long strips while ensuring the fulwadi turns out crispy yet soft from the inside.
- Finally, fry the fulwadi over a low to medium flame until it becomes evenly golden and crispy. Avoid frying on a high flame, as the outside will brown quickly while the inside may remain undercooked. Once completely cooled, store the fulwadi in an airtight container, where it will stay fresh and crispy for up to 1–2 months.
Gujarati fulwadi with tips | halwai style fulwadi | masala fulvadi
Ingredients
- 500 grm coarse gram flour
- 80 ml or ½ cup oil
- ½ cup water or as required
- ½ tsp papad khar
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 4 tbsp fennel seeds
- 4 tbsp white sesame seeds
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp hing
- 6 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tsp limbu na phool - citric acid
- ½ cup curd
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a mixer jar, add 80 ml (½ cup) oil, ½ cup water, and 1 tsp papad khar. Grind until a smooth white emulsion forms. Keep it aside.
- In another mixer jar, add 4 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 4 tbsp fennel seeds, and 4 tbsp white sesame seeds. Grind them into a coarse powder.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the prepared white emulsion, the coarsely ground spice mixture, salt, ½ tsp hing, 6 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, ¾ cup sugar, ½ tsp limbu na phool, and ½ cup curd. Mix everything well.
- Add 4 cups (500 g) coarse gram flour (coarse besan) and mix well. Knead into a soft dough.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After resting, divide the dough into two equal portions. Sprinkle a little water over one portion and rub the dough with your hands for 3–4 minutes until it becomes soft and smooth (refer to the video).
- Heat oil for deep frying and keep a fulwadi jara (mesh) ready.
- Grease the mesh lightly with oil.
- Place a small portion of the dough on the greased mesh. Hold the mesh over the hot oil with one hand and press the dough through the holes with the other hand.
- The dough will pass through the large holes and drop directly into the hot oil to form the fulwadi (refer to the video).
- Once the fulwadi floats to the surface, reduce the heat slightly and fry on low to medium heat until it turns golden brown and crispy.
- If you don't have a fulwadi jara, grease a plastic bag with oil, fill it with the dough, and shape it into a cone.
- Cut a small opening at the tip of the cone, pipe the dough directly into the hot oil, and fry on low heat until crisp.
- Allow the fulwadi to cool completely to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use coarse besan (gram flour) to prepare the Fulwadi dough.
- Rub the dough well with oil and water until it turns whitish. This process makes the Fulwadi soft and flaky (farsi).
- Papad khar gives Fulwadi a crispy texture. If you don't have it, you can use baking soda as a substitute.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes before shaping.
- Add water gradually and keep rubbing the dough until it changes color, becomes soft, and develops a smooth texture.
- Fry the Fulwadi on low flame until crisp. Do not fry it over high heat, as it may remain uncooked from the inside.
- sugar is added to the dough to keep the Fulwadi slightly soft immediately after frying. As it cools, it becomes perfectly crispy.