Sarva Pindi (Ginne Appa)సర్వ పిండి
Video: Vismai Food (YouTube)
Sarva Pindi is a thick rice flour pancake from Telangana — pressed into a well-oiled cast iron pan with peanuts, sesame, green chillies, and curry leaves, then cooked until crackling crisp on both sides. The name itself means something close to everything-flour or all-in-one rice cake, and it earns it: breakfast, snack, or a light dinner, it works for all of them. The version from Vismai Food emphasises maximal crunch — the oil pooled in the finger-pressed indentations is what gets you there.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- ▪Rice flour (biyyam pindi)2 cups
- ▪Raw peanuts (pallilu), coarsely crushed½ cup
- ▪Sesame seeds (nuvvulu)2 tbsp
- ▪Chana dal (senaga pappu)2 tbsp, soaked 30 min and drained
- ▪Green chillies4, finely chopped
- ▪Curry leaves (karivepaku)2 sprigs, roughly torn
- ▪Fresh coriander leaves2 tbsp, chopped
- ▪Onion1 medium, finely chopped
- ▪Ginger (allam)1-inch piece, grated
- ▪Red chilli powder1 tsp
- ▪Oil4 tbsp (do not stint)
- ▪Saltto taste
- Chana dal can be replaced with split chickpeas (canned, drained and rinsed) or simply omitted — the peanuts carry the texture.
- A cast iron pan is ideal for the deep golden crust. Carbon steel or a well-seasoned kadai works well too. Avoid thin non-stick pans — they tend to steam rather than fry.
- Sarvapindi reheats well: a dry tawa on medium for 3–4 min per side brings back most of the crunch if you have leftovers.
Method
- 1Soak chana dal in cold water for 30 min; drain well.
- 2Combine rice flour, peanuts, sesame seeds, drained chana dal, green chillies, onion, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, red chilli powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- 3Add water a little at a time — the mixture should clump when pressed but not be wet or sticky. Start with ½ cup and increase slowly. It will look like a coarse, crumbly dough, not a batter.
- 4Heat a cast iron tawa or heavy non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 1½ tbsp oil and coat the surface well.
- 5Place the mixture on the pan and press it out evenly with wet fingers to about ½-inch thickness. Poke indentations all over the surface with your fingertips.
- 6Pour the remaining oil into the indentations and around the edges of the sarvapindi — this is essential for the crisp.
- 7Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10–12 min until the bottom is deep golden and moves freely. Do not rush with high heat.
- 8Flip carefully using a wide spatula. Cook the other side uncovered for 7–8 min until equally crisp.
- 9Slide onto a board, cut into wedges, and serve immediately with coconut chutney or tomato pachadi.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.