Sourdough Indian Pakora Lentil Drop Biscuits
Crispy, golden biscuits that marry sourdough tang with the bold spices of Indian pakora. Made with chickpea flour, fresh ginger, green chili, and carom seeds, these drop biscuits are studded with crispy edges and a tender crumb. Perfect as a snack, side to curry, or breakfast with chutney.
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
- Have sourdough discard at room temperature
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Mix flours and spices
- In a medium bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, carom seeds, salt, and black pepper until evenly distributed.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Spices evenly dispersed throughout flour mixture
Tip: Whisking the carom seeds ensures they're distributed evenly so each biscuit gets the aromatic flavor
Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Pour sourdough discard into the dry mixture.
- Add minced ginger, green chili, diced onion, chopped cilantro, and ghee.
- Fold with a fork until just combined.
- The batter should be thick and chunky, like a loose dough—do not overmix.
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Ready when: All ingredients incorporated with visible pieces of ginger, chili, and onion throughout
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten, making biscuits tough. Stop as soon as no dry flour is visible
Scoop onto baking sheet
- Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- Each biscuit should be roughly the size of a walnut.
- You should have 12 biscuits.
- Don't flatten them—let them hold their rough, rustic shape.
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Ready when: 12 biscuits evenly spaced on the sheet
Tip: Use a small ice cream scoop (about 1 tablespoon capacity) for consistent-sized biscuits
Bake until golden and crispyOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven.
- Bake for 16–18 minutes, until the edges are deep golden brown and the tops are set and lightly browned.
- The biscuits should feel crispy on the outside and just firm when pressed.
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Ready when: Edges deep golden brown, tops set and light brown, crispy to touch
Tip: Rotate the sheet halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots, but don't open the door before 12 minutes
Cool on the sheet
- Remove from the oven and let the biscuits rest on the baking sheet for 3–5 minutes.
- They will continue to crisp as they cool.
- Transfer to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.
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Ready when: Biscuits are no longer steaming and feel firm when touched
Tip: Leaving them on the hot sheet allows the bottoms to crisp further
Good to know
Tips
- Sourdough discard doesn't need to be freshly fed or at peak rise—a regular, unfed starter at room temperature works perfectly. The tang adds complexity to the spices
- For extra crispness, lightly brush the tops with ghee before baking, or dust with extra carom seeds
- Serve warm with mint chutney, tamarind sauce, or plain yogurt for dipping
- These biscuits are best eaten the same day or day after. Refresh slightly stale ones in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes
Make ahead
Store baked biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 minutes to restore crispness. You can also prepare the batter up to 2 hours ahead—refrigerate in a covered bowl, then scoop and bake as directed.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature (airtight container): 3 days. Refrigerator: not recommended due to moisture absorption. Freezer (in an airtight container or freezer bag): up to 1 month. Reheat frozen biscuits at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes.
Substitutions
- chickpea flour (besan) → lentil flour or gram flour. Use the same weight. Lentil flour yields a slightly earthier flavor; gram flour is interchangeable and equally traditional in Indian cooking
- green chili (serrano or jalapeño) → 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or Kashmiri chili powder. For less heat or if fresh chilies are unavailable. Start with ½ teaspoon and adjust to taste, as powders are more concentrated
- ghee or vegetable oil → unsalted butter (melted) or neutral vegetable oil. Ghee adds authentic flavor, but butter or oil work equally well for structure and browning
- fresh cilantro → fresh parsley or mint. Cilantro is traditional, but parsley and mint both provide freshness and pair well with sourdough tang
