Flat as a Khakhra

In English, you would call India’s khakhra a diet bread. It’s a golden brown wafer about the size of a small flour tortilla, made with whole wheat flour but no fat. Baking on a griddle turns it crunchy, like tortilla chips, only it’s thinner and more fragile. In the state of Gujarat in western India, khakhra is carried by travelers because it keeps for a long time. Here, it makes a great fat-free accompaniment to salads and soups, or you can simply eat it as a snack with salsa or Indian chutney.

Making khakhra is an art. The dough must be rolled out very thin, then baked on a griddle and pressed to flatten. You wouldn’t expect to find this unusual bread in this country, but we located it at Patel Brothers market in Little India. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for weeks.

Khakhra, $5.99 a package (about 1 1/2 dozen) at Patel Brothers Market, 18636 S. Pioneer Blvd., Artesia. (562) 860-3175.