The Chips Are On The Table/Hot Tikha Ganthia

Posted on December 22, 2020  (Last modified on January 16, 2025) • 2 min read • 285 words

One of my favorite types of place to shop is ethnic supermarkets. I had a need for a lot of very specific ingredients for some cooking that I was going, so I schlepped to my local Indian market to grab what I needed. While wandering around, I stubmled into the snack aisle and became overwhelmed with the selection of interesting flavors. One type of flavor that always sticks out to me (and will become somewhat of a running theme) is hot and spicy. So when I saw bags upon bags of spicy snacks, I knew that I had to try something.

After some browsing at the amazing selection, I decided on a bag of Tikha Ganthia. These are spicy little chickpea flour noodles. They looked like crunchy, curvy sticks of flavor, and I was sold.

I opened the bag when I got home to have with lunch, and I knew that, from aroma alone, I was going to like these. There was a warm spiciness that I’ve come to expect from good quality Indian food. I poured some into a bowl, and dug in. These are defintely not the snacks we’re used to here in the United States. The use of chickpea flour is also unique to my tastebuds for snacks. The crunch was subdued, but had the perfect amount of mouth-feel. The flavor, while spicy, was not overwhelming. Then again, I have a hot pallette and usually eat hotter than normal foods that my family doesn’t care for (bonus, these chips are now all mine).

Would I buy these again? In a heartbeat. Would I recommend them? Absolutely! Am I going to try to learn how to make a homemade version? Time will tell…