Namakpara /Nimki

Namakpara/ Nimki is usually prepared during traditional Indian festivals in India. Generally in India sweets are prepared during festivals, but preparing savory snacks like Namakpara/ Nimki also has their own importance. But honestly speaking, salty snacks need no occasion. We can have them with our morning and evening tea or just like that for munching also.

Namakpara is one of the most easy to prepare savory snack, and with slight changes in the dough, which we prepare for Namakpara can give us many varieties of snacks, like plain or rolled papri for papri chat, mathri, etc. Even a combination of  different types of flours can be used to prepare them. But we will prepare those versions  some other time. Today, we will be doing Namakpara with ajwain (carom seeds) flavour.

Ingredients :

Maida         2 cups

Chiroti rava (optional) (normal rava is also fine) 2 tbsp

Salt           1 tsp

Ajwain (carom seeds)      1 tsp

Oil             4 tbsp

Water    1/2 cup (minus 1tbsp)

Oil for frying

Procedure:

Take a broad sized vessel so that kneading is easy and put maida, salt, chiroti rava, ajwain and oil in it.

Oil helps Namakpara becoming crisp. Mix it all nicely and take little mixture in your palm and hold it tight. If mix binds well instead of crumbling, the oil quantity is perfect. If mixture crumbles, add some more oil.

Slowly start adding water in it and knead it in a tight dough. Apply some oil on ready dough (so that it doesn’t dry) and keep it covered for half an hour.

Clean your kitchen slab and roll the whole dough (or divide the dough in small balls and roll them).

Cut the rolled dough vertically in long stripes. 

And again cut these stripes horizontally in big or small size. 

You can fry them immediately or if planning to fry later, then keep them on dry, clean cotton cloth (maybe your dupatta) and cover with the cloth so that they don’t become dry.

Fry them in  between low to medium heat and and take out and keep them on a sieve or butter paper, to remove excess oil. Let them cool down completely. Fill in an air tight box and enjoy your crispy, salty snack!!!!!