Festivals bring celebration with family and food. In India, every festival is associated with some traditional recipe of savories and sweets that project the essence of each festival in all the states like Pongal-Pongal, Holi-Gujiya, Teej-Ghevar, Navratri-Sabudana Khichdi, and Diwali-Namakpare. Namakpare, also known as Nimki and Namkeen is an authentic dry snack generally enjoyed during festivals.
Also, read other dry snack recipes:
Everyone makes their version of Nimki by infusing different flavors into this crunchy and savory bite. It's a versatile snack and can be spiced with different seasonings like, red chili powder, dry methi, achari masala, chaat masala, jeera masala, black pepper, and many more. Not only seasoning, but the flour can also be infused with spinach, methi, besan, and moong dal flavors. However, what I shared in this post is the perfect traditional recipe for making Namakpare that has been followed for generations in my family. You are free to experiment with flavors of your preference because the core recipe remains the same.
Overview
Preparation time: 10 mins.
Cooking Time: 30 mins.
Course: Dry Snack
Yield: 1/2 kg jar
Ingredients
- All-purpose (flour Maida)- 250gm
- Semolina-1 tablespoon (optional)
- Vegetable Oil- 1/4 cup
- Water-1/4 cup
- Salt-1&1/2 teaspoon
- Carom seed (ajwain)-1/4 teaspoon
- Kasturi methi- 1 teaspoon
- Kashmiri lal mirch- 1 tablespoon (for after tossing)
Steps to Prepare Crunchy Kurkure Namakpara
Step-1
Mix 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a big bowl and add 1/4 cup hot water. Keep it aside to cool.
Step-2
Add all-purpose flour, carom seed, salt, and crushed kasturi methi to a mixing bowl/plate and combine well.
Step-3
Gradually add the cooled water and oil mix and knead a firm, soft, smooth dough.
Note: Although this quantity of water & oil is enough to knead a perfect dough if you feel the dough is not firm, add a little more water. Please add wisely.
Step-4
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Keep it covered while resting.
Note: Knead the dough slightly to smoothen it before rolling.
Step-5
Divide the dough into three parts, and make big balls, Take one ball, and roll it into a thin disc (chapati) using a rolling pin as shown in the picture. Repeat the same for other balls.
Step-6
Cut the rolled sheet into long strips with a smooth knife. Afterward, cut the strips diagonally to get a diamond-shaped cut on the edges. (refer to the provided pics and video for more clarity)
Step-7
Now with the help of a knife collect all the strips in one plate. Repeat the process for all the dough balls.
Step-8
Heat enough quantity of oil on medium heat. Drop the thin strips, and deep fry them on low-medium heat. Stir in between for uniform frying.
Note: To check if the oil is hot enough to start frying, drop a tiny ball of dough. If the oil sizzles and the dough rises to the top, then consider the oil ready.
Step-9
Once they turn a light golden red color, use a slotted spoon to take them out of the oil and place them on a kitchen towel to drain excess oil. Keep them aside to cool completely.
Step-10
Take Kashmiri red chili powder in a big bowl and toss the fried Namakparas in it to have a spicy taste or you can eat them as is.
Final Serve
Store these crispy Indian Nimki/Namakpare/Namkeen savory bites in an airtight container and enjoy any time with tea or coffee for several days.