People ask why we still roll by hand when a press would be quicker and cheaper. The honest answer is that the two things are not the same product.
Thickness is not uniform, and that is good
A hand-rolled khakhra is very slightly thicker in the middle than at the edge. On the tavdi the thin edge crisps first and the middle finishes a moment later, so one khakhra has both a shattering edge and a bit of chew at the centre. A pressed sheet is the same thickness everywhere and cooks to one flat texture.
The dough is read by hand
Atta behaves differently in Surat in June than it does in December. Someone kneading by hand adjusts the water without thinking about it. A machine runs the same recipe in both months.
It is roasted, not baked
Each one goes on a hot tavdi and is pressed down with a cloth pad while it cooks. That pressing is what puts the blisters on the surface โ and the blisters are where the masala sits.
None of this makes a hand-rolled khakhra better for everyone. It makes it taste like the one from your grandmother's kitchen, which is the only thing we were ever trying to do.
