Namak Pare
Namak pare are salted savory finger-shaped snacks mostly seasoned with salt, ajwain, cumin seeds and additional flavors like black peppercorns, hing etc as per taste. These are much popular in the North Indian states. Very easy to make in bulk and store to last for many winter days as they taste best with a piping hot cup of tea on cold mornings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Maida (sifted twice)
- 3 tablespoons Oil/Ghee (hot)
- ½ teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns (crushed coarsely)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds (roasted)
- Salt as per taste
- Ice Cold Water as needed
- 2 cups Oil (for deep frying)
- 1 pinch Ajwain (optional)
Instructions
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Take the maida, salt, black peppercorns, ajwain and cumin seeds in a bowl.
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Add 3 tablespoons of the hot oil/ghee.
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With a spoon mix it in the flour.
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As it cools down, crumble the flour completely with the oil using the fingertips.
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This makes the namak pare crunchy.
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Adding water little by little, knead a stiff, tight dough.
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Cover with a damp muslin cloth and rest for a minimum of 30 minutes.
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Now, roll out a lemon sized ball of dough and roll just like chapatis.
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With a sharp knife cut vertically into 1-inch strips
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Again put cuts horizontally as well to get finger-shaped strips.
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Prick all pieces with a fork so that they do not puff up while frying.
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Heat 2 cups of oil in a thick bottom pan on low heat.
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Check the temperature of the oil by dropping a small piece of dough in it.
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If it comes up slowly, the oil is ready.
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Drop in a few strips at a time and let fry until golden brown on low-medium heat.
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Gently flip to cook on both sides.
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Remove with a slotted spoon on to a sieve.
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Fry all pieces similarly.
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Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or jar.
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Along with the maida, take equal quantity of wheat flour and a little bit of rawa can be added to get little variation.
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The quantities of ingredients can be doubled to get bigger batches
