Easy 3-ingredient homemade Khari biscuits that are delicious to eat and a treat to the eyes. Fun to make with kids as a family activity on a Sunday afternoon or a leisurely breakfast for your next holiday celebration! These cinnamon sugar twists will be loved by adults and children.
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Chai & Khari is the ultimate breakfast in many Indian homes. Growing up in India, it was very common to dunk a crispy flakey Khari biscuit, made fresh from the local bakery, in a hot cup of tea.
My memories of Chai & Khari take me all the way back to my grandmother's kitchen during our school breaks. She would have a large pot of masala chai seeping in the morning with accompanying trays filled with Khari. We ate breakfast almost like a meal.
After coming to the US, I missed my elaborate Chai & Khari mornings till I discovered Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets. They are boxed and rolled into 2 sheets and are conveniently available in many grocery stores. I was so thrilled when I first bought them to make the baked samosas. I made so many more dishes using the puff pastry sheets that they soon became my go-to for making quick appetizers and entertaining.
Homemade Khari Biscuits
The buttery, flakey pastries reminded me of Indian Khari; inspiring me to invent my own homemade Khari biscuits. I would simply cut the puff pastry sheets into long wedges and bake them for a quick tea-time snack. Sometimes with a sprinkle of roasted ground cumin for Jeera Khari and sometimes with cinnamon sugar tucked inside to surprise my boys.
And then came along this fancier version that is adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "feta tapenade tarte Soleil" recipe. Before you read further on my simple 3-ingredient Khari recipe I encourage you to bookmark Deb's website for her awesome recipes and blogs that are fun to read!
What are puff pastry sheets?
Puff pastry is a buttery dough which after baking results in light & airy, crispy pastries. The dough is rolled into 2 square sheets and available in the frozen food aisles in most US grocery stores.
How to make Khari with puff pastry sheets
Step 1: Thaw the pastry sheets - To thaw the puff pastry simply keep the frozen package in the refrigerator overnight or keep the frozen pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes. Tip - In the summers, the dough might get too soft in which case simply pop the dough back in the freezer for a couple of minutes.
Step 2: Make the cinnamon sugar - Mix cinnamon and sugar and keep aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. I like to use round pizza trays.
Step 3: Roll and assemble - Unfold and roll one puff pastry sheet on a baking mat or parchment paper. Use a large 12 inch round plate to mark the circle and cut with a pizza cutter. Gently remove the excess dough from the outside of the plate. Repeat with the second sheet.
Step 5: Sprinkle sugar and seal - Place one of the cut rounds on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on the pastry sheet evenly leaving an inch of the outer edge. Using a pastry brush or fingertips, dab water on the outer edge and place the other rolled around on top. Using your fingertips gently press the edges so that the two rounds stick together. Gently press all over the middle so that the filling sticks in between the two sheets.
Step 6: Twist - Place a small cup upside down in the center and cut the pastry sheets into 4 equal parts using a knife starting from the center to the outer edges. Then cut each quarter into half. Next, cut each half into 3 parts. You should have a total of 24 strips.
Carefully separate each part and gently twist starting from the outer edge toward the center making sure not to pull the dough too much. Twist all of the 24 sections. Remove the center glass cup.
Optional Step - whisk the egg yolk with 2 teaspoons of water and lightly brush on top. For an eggless version, you can also lightly brush over melted butter or ghee.
Step 7: Bake - Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top layer becomes golden brown. Serve warm with a hot cup of ginger tea or hot cocoa.
How to reheat puff pastry Khari?
If you are like me and prefer a warm(ish) Khari, simply pop in the baking tray in the oven preheated at 250 degrees, and bake for 5 minutes. This also works well if you want to make it ahead of time.
Here are some more of my tea-time recipes you will enjoy:
- Curry Puffs - Baked puff pastries with curried chicken
- Aloo Chat - Filo cups with spicy potatoes and sweet & tangy chutneys
- Spinach Sev - Gluten-free savory, spicy spinach noodles
- Shakarpara - Lightly sweetened bite-sized snack
- Dudhi Muthia - Gujarati delicacy made with grated bottle gourd
- Sabudana Vada - Healthy no-fry tapioca fritters
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Recipe
Homemade Khari
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastry sheets leave overnight in the refrigerator to thaw
- ¼ cup sugar organic or granulated works best
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon water
Instructions
step 1: Thaw the pastry sheets
- To defrost the puff pastry simply keep the frozen package in the refrigerator overnight so you have the perfectly thawed dough to bake the next day.
- You can also put the frozen dough at room temperature for 40 minutes for it to defrost. Tip – In the summers, the dough might get too soft in which case simply pop the dough back in the freezer for a couple of minutes.
step 2: Make the cinnamon sugar
- Mix cinnamon and sugar and keep aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. I like to use round pizza trays.
step 3: Roll and assemble
- Unfold and roll one puff pastry sheet on a baking mat or parchment paper. Use a large 12 inch round plate to mark the circle, and then cut with a pizza cutter. Gently remove the excess dough from outside of the plate. Repeat with the second sheet.
- Place one of the cut rounds on parchment paper lined baking tray. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on the pastry sheet evenly leaving an inch of the outer edge. Using a pastry brush or finger tips, dab water on the outer edge and place the other rolled round on top. Press the edges firmly with your fingers so the 2 circles stick together. Then, press gently but evenly all over the 2 pastry sheet so the filling sticks between the 2 sheets.
step 4: Twist
- Place a small cup upside down in the center and cut the pastry sheets into 4 equal parts using a knife starting from the center to the outer edges. Then cut each quarter into half. Next, cut each half into 3 parts. You should have a total of 24 strips.
- Carefully separate each part and gently twist starting from the outer edge toward the center making sure not to pull the dough too much. Twist all of the 24 sections. Remove the center glass cup.
- Optional Step – whisk the egg yolk with 2 teaspoons of water and lightly brush on top. For an eggless version, you can also lightly brush over melted butter or ghee.
step 5: Bake
- Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top layer becomes golden brown. Serve warm with a hot cup of ginger tea or hot cocoa.
Video
Nutrition
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Alpa says
Very simple recipe yet creative.
Taste very fresh.
Divya says
My daughters favorite and she loves helps me too as it is so easy
Farida says
lovely recipe. How can you store them?
Also please show how to make cheese khari biscuits?
Archana says
Store at room temp and consume in a day or 2. They don't last too long.
Laxmi says
Nice simple dessert =) thank you
Pls share the brand name of the Puff pastry that you have used
Archana says
Puff Pastry sheets from Pepperidge Farms are available in most US grocery stores.