Khichu — a indian snack dish from India — featuring steamed dough, rice flour foundation, mineral alkaline salt

Khichu · Indian · Snack

Khichu

Born in India

Rice flour cooked with cumin and alkaline salt, steamed into a snack that tastes too good to be a papad base.

0 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 5 platforms

8 in 10 mention distinctive taste as standalone snack first

6 in 10 say it's worth it for the adaptable flour base

6 in 10 would come back the same week

Synthesised from Google · TripAdvisor · Reddit · Yelp · 1 food blog · Updated August 2026

The story the reviews tell

Khichu starts as a humble rice flour dough—the kind meant for papad-making—but tastes good enough to stand on its own. Cooked down like porridge with cumin seeds and papad khar (that mineral-bright alkaline salt), then steamed into a tender lump, it becomes something altogether different: savory, textured, complete. A finish of oil and chilli powder brings it into focus.

What makes this version distinct

Khichu is a dough for making papad, however, owing to its taste it is also consumed as a snack or side dish. It is made from rice flour, however, other flours are sometimes used. The snack is prepared by cooking flour in water like porridge with cumin seeds and an alkaline salt known as Papad Khar (An alkaline salt with major components as sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) and then steaming the lump. It is often served with oil and chilli powder.

Signature elements

steamed doughrice flour foundationmineral alkaline saltcumin-forwardsimple aromatics

What people love

  • distinctive taste as standalone snack
  • adaptable flour base
  • textured steamed result

Know before you go

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