Sarva pindi is a crispy and flavourful savoury snack that is popular in Telangana. It is made with rice flour, channa dal, and a mix of basic spices. It is known for its bold flavours and crispy texture that makes perfect for breakfast, or an evening snack. This is a must try recipe if you love bold and traditional South Indian flavours.

Sarva Pindi Recipe
I came to know that this is a typical Andhra recipe. They have it as a snack or for breakfast. Even though it takes time to make, it is so worth the try. I mean if you love to try out recipes from different place then you can give a shot.
The taste of sarva pindi is very similar to masala vadai. But its unique preparation and flavours makes it taste even more delicious.
About Sarva Pindi
Sarva pindi, also known as Ginne Appa, is a traditional rice flour pancake that is popular in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, India.
The term "Sarva" refers to a pot and "Pindi" means flour, while "Ginne" is a vessel or bowl and "Appa" means snack. Basically, it's a flavourful rice flour dough cooked in a round pan to make a crispy and satisfying snack.
Sarva pindi is a lot like Akki roti from Karnataka, but is made with its own Telangana twist and flavours.
Unlike akki roti, it is made with hot water to form a soft dough. Sarva pindi is made with room temperature water that has its unique texture, spices and preparation method.
Similar Recipes

This savoury pancake is so simple, wholesome and utterly irresistible. It's so crispy, spicy and packed with protein from lentils. It makes a perfect choice for breakfast, tiffin or evening snack.
Serve it hot with coconut chutney or a cup of tea, coffee. And you've got a snack that is both delicious and traditional.

Ingredients
- Rice flour : Rice flour is a gluten free flour that forms the structure of the dough. When cooked slowly, it becomes crispy on the outside and stays slightly soft inside.
- Channa dal : Channa dal adds a pleasant crunch and a mild nutty flavour to the roti. It is also rich in protein and makes the sarva pindi filling and wholesome.
- Sesame seeds : Sesame seeds add a nutty aroma and flavour that enhances the overall taste of the roti.
- Green chilli : Green chilli provide fresh heat that balances the flavours beautifully.
- Onion : Onion adds mild sweetness and crunchy bite to the roti. When cooked, they become soft and caramelized.
- Curry leaves : Curry leaves is an aromatic herb that adds distinct South Indian flavour and elevates the taste of the pancake.
- Chilli powder : Chilli powder adds extra spice and a lovely red color to the roti.
- Water : Water is used to bind every ingredient together to form a soft dough.
- Salt : Salt enhances the overall flavour of the ingredients and balances the spice taste.
- Oil : Oil is used to cook the sarva pindi evenly and crispy. It also prevents the pancake from sticking to the pan. You can use any oil of your choice.

Step by Step Pictures
1)Soak channa dal for 15 mins. Strain it and put it in a mixing bowl along with chilli powder, sesame seeds, onion , green chilli, curry leaves and salt.

2)Mix this really well.

3)now add in rice flour.

4)Pour enough water to make it into a soft dough.

5)Knead the dough till soft.

6)Take a non stick tawa and drizzle 1 tblspn of oil. Instead of tawa or skillet, you can use iron kadai as well.

7)Take an orange size dough and press it over the tawa with your hands till it gets even.

8)Make sure it is in even thickness.

9)Using your finger makes small holes in the centre.

10)Now place the tawa on medium to low heat.

11)Drizzle oil all over the sarva pindi including the holes.

12)Cover with a lid. Let it cook for 15 -20 min on a slow flame till it is cooked.

13)it will get crispy on the bottom and top will be steamed and cooked.

14)If you need you can flip over and cook or else remove and serve with chutney.

15)Enjoy.

Expert Tips
Fresh ingredients : Use fresh and good quality ingredients like rice flour and channa dal for the best taste and texture. Fresh flour gives better crispiness and flavour.
Cook on low heat : Always cook sarva pindi on low to medium heat. Slow cooking helps it become crispy outside and evenly cooked in the center.
Variation : There are many variations of sarva pindi in Telangana. Some people like to add roasted peanuts, grated carrot or bottle gourd to the dough. This makes the pancake even more flavourful, nutritious and filling.
Storage : Let the sarva pindi cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. It stays fresh at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Serving: Serve the crispy sarva pindi hot with coconut chutney, a cup of tea or coffee for a classic South Indian combination. Sarva pindi is also a great travel friendly snack. Its crispy texture and long shelf life make it perfect for everyday snacks or munching during trips.
FAQ
Making small holes in the sarva pindi helps the heat reach evenly through the pancake while cooking. This ensures that the pancake cooks uniformly and becomes extra crispy on all sides.
This usually happens if the flame is too high or if the dough has too much water. Cook it slowly on low to medium heat to dry out evenly until it achieves that perfect crispy texture.
Yes ! Sarva pindi is a healthy, vegan and gluten free snack. It is made with rice flour and lentils that provide energy, fiber and protein to your meal.
📖 Get Recipe

Sarva Pindi Recipe (Andhra Rice Pancake Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice flour
- 2 tablespoon Split Yellow Channa Dal
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 1 no Green Chilli finely chopped
- 1 medium Onion finely chopped
- 1 sprig Curry leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
- Water as needed
- Salt to taste
- Oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Soak channa dal for 15 mins. Strain it and put it in a mixing bowl along with chilli powder, sesame seeds, onion , green chilli, curry leaves and salt.
- Add in rice flour and add some water and make into a soft dough.
- Take a non stick tawa and drizzle 1 tblspn of oil.Take an orange size dough and press it over the tawa with your hands till it gets even.
- Using your finger makes small holes in the centre and drizzle some oil in the holes.
- Now place the tawa on medium to low heat and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 15 -20 min on a slow flame till it is cooked.
- If you need you can flip over and cook or else remove and serve with chutney.












Spice up the Curry
this is new to me. Interesting
beena
hey i love this one. I am forever looking for something new to ,make for breakfast & this certainly luks exciting. i must make this ... maybe tommorrow 🙂 thanks for the detailed intructions.
Beena
Meena
wow this is totally new dish to me and at first glance it seemed like onion uttappa . wud love to try this
Ramya
That is such a unique recipe! Lovely!
hemalata
Yummy pancake looks so crispy! nice presentation n preparation.
Swetha
That's very tempting. Though i m a Telugu, i never heard of this. Perfect for a snack.
Rumana Rawat
What a lovely recipe:)
Geetha
Hi aarthi. It looks good but my question is, how can u make another sarva pindi,?? when the tawa is hot. When u put ur first one, it would not be hot ofcourse, so that u can apply the dough and put holes on it. pls reply
Lavanya
You must use two pans
It’s a Telangana old traditional dish
And you can use heavy bottom cookware like old style utensils
maha
hey..this is my mom`s recipe.....u made this perfectly....looking just yumm dear.......
Maha:-)
Cocco
Hello, I thought this recipe go like me... Thank you!
But please, explain me what is Channa Dal... A kind of lentils maybe?
Thank you again
Suja Manoj
Really delicious..will surely try.
S.Menaga
Different recipe,looks very crispy!!
Kalpana Sareesh
u hv xplained it so wpnderfully too good..
jeyashrisuresh
perfectly made
Gloria
What nice look this, I love it!
Catherine
My dear Aarthi, I love spicy. This pancake looks wonderful.
Blessings my friend, Catherine xo
Zareena
mmmmm... looks so yummy. Will try this and kids friendly too..:)
yummylittlecooks
Looks so delicious!!!
Carolina
It has to be delicious and so crunchie
Kisses
rekhas kitchen
Love the color you got looks so perfect..
Indulge
We make thalipeeth this way.. yumm yumm.
Love Ash.
Pushpa
Nicely prepared Aarthi,adai looks delicious.
Malli
I've never heard of this but it is very wholesome, crispy and a good snack!! Thanks
Anu
wow!! crispy dosa and new to me.
Sumi
looks very delicious:).
Hema
Superb, you have made it very perfectly Aarthi..
Rosita Vargas
Se ve muy delicioso y tentador me encanta,maravilloso colorido,abrazos hugs,hugs.
Mahi
Hearing it for the 1st time..looks delicious!
Congrats n best wishes on your wedding! 🙂
Janet@simplysogood
Oh wow! This is amazing. A savory pancake? Unlike the sweet ones that we make in the U.S. I love the thought of serving it with chutney. I think my boys will love this. Thanks for the post.
Akila
Wow what a crispy dish... So interesting...
Mélange
Delicious ;I couldn't do but..
Mamatkamal
Very interesting version of pancake to serve for breakfast! This is new to me and I enjoyed reading this post. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Cheers
Valarmathi Sanjeev
Wow...such an interesting and yummy recipe...looks yumm.
Gayathri Anand
Perfectly made ...
Manjula
Dear author,
This recipe "Sarva Pindi" is from Telangana state of India not Andhra dish.
In ANDHRA it is called as Tapala chekka