Bikaner Bikaneri Bhujia Namkeen Snack Rajasthan

Bikaneri Bhujia is a crispy, thin sev-style snack made from moth bean flour (moth ki dal — Vigna aconitifolia) spiced with black pepper, red chilli, and ajwain (carom seeds), extruded through a perforated mold into thin noodle-like strands and deep-fried in vegetable oil — produced in Bikaner city of Rajasthan, which has been the uncontested capital of Bhujia production in India for over 150 years. The Marwari confectioner (halwai) families of Bikaner — particularly the Bikanervala, Haldiram, and Bikaji brands that all trace their origin to Bikaner family businesses — made Bikaneri Bhujia a national snack brand. The distinctive flavour of Bikaneri Bhujia comes from the combination of moth bean flour (harder and more flavourful than chickpea flour) with local Bikaner spice blends and frying in pure groundnut or cottonseed oil at high temperature for a dry, non-greasy crisp. GI tag awarded in 2010 — only bhujia produced in Bikaner city using the traditional moth bean recipe can legitimately carry the Bikaneri Bhujia name. Annual production from Bikaner alone is estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 metric tonnes, valued at over 2,000 crore rupees. Export to Indian diaspora in USA, UK, and Gulf. National retail distribution through organized trade by Haldiram and Bikaji brands. Premium artisan-made small-batch Bikaneri Bhujia using traditional hand-extrusion and ghee frying marketed by small workshops at premium price.