Stirring Up Memories: How My Nani’s Iconic Kakdi-chi-bhakri Recipe Connects Me To Her Legacy

A Recipe For Kakdi-Chi-Bhakri

Growing up in a Marathi household I remember the distinct sensory activators as I would navigate to get out of bed; the thin splatter of water hitting a hot tawa; the shrill noise of the chutney being made. My grandmother’s (or as I called her, ‘Aai’) house was nothing less than a power kitchen. She would spend hours trying to make the perfect dish for me to devour within a few minutes.  

One such recipe that sounds different but was an integral part of my summer holidays was ‘Kakdi-chi-bhakri’. It’s an Indian flatbread made with cucumber and it used to be my favourite breakfast meal; especially when it was with yoghurt and sweet lemon pickle.

INGREDIENTS:

Half a cucumber 

One cup sorghum

Pinch of salt 

Chopped green chillies 

Two tsp of grated coconut 

A pinch of cumin

METHOD: 

1. Grate the cucumber and add it to a mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients.

2. Kneed it into a soft dough similar to a chapati.

3. Make small palm size portions

4. Take a piece of muslin/ cotton and start patting the portions in circles. 

5. Heat the tawa and drop in some ghee to your preference 

6. Slap the bhakri on the tawa and leave it for a minute or two 

7. As you start seeing the sides getting cooked flip it around

8. Cook it with enough ghee until both sides turn brown. We’d recommend a slight char for extra flavour

While I was surrounded by the varied aromas while making this, nostalgia hit me hard; reminding me of the last time my aai cooked this for me ten years ago. Food has often been more than just something to consume or indulge in; it is that connection I feel with my aai and it will always be something I cherish in my sweet alone time.

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