Namak Para

Namak Para is a popular Indian snack that's usually made during festivals like holi and diwali for an easy, satisfying snack. Generally made with all maida (all purpose flour), I actually prefer this version where all purpose flour and whole wheat flour are used in equal quantities.

Course Snacks & Appetizers

Cuisine Indian

Diet Hindu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 136kcal

Author Richa

Ingredients

1 cup Whole wheat flour atta, 125 gms
1 cup All-purpose flour maida, 125 gms
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Nigella Seeds Kalonji
¼ cup Oil + extra for deep frying
¾ cup Water approx for kneading

Instructions

Making Dough

Mix both the dry flours, salt & kalonji in a large bowl. Add ¼ cup oil and mix it with the flours in a way that the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Take a little mixture in your fist to check if it holds its shape.
Add water little at a time and knead it into a firm dough. Do not knead the dough too much, or the namak pare won’t be flaky. Cover with a dry cloth and rest for 10 minutes.

Shaping Namak Para

Divide the dough into 4 parts and make balls. Roll out the dough into a ⅛ inch thick circle.
Pierce the rolled out dough with a fork to make tiny pores which will prevent the namak pare from puffing up, thereby making them crisper
Cut into diamond or square shapes using a knife. Separate each shape and keep aside on a plate in a single layer. Avoid piling it on one another as they may stick together. Repeat till all the dough is used up.

Frying Namak Para

Heat two inches of oil to medium high in a deep Kadai or Pan, and then reduce the heat to low.
Drop the cut out dough into oil and fry while stirring frequently till the namak para turns light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. It's important to note that Namak Para must be fried only on low heat so that they cook properly from inside.
Transfer them onto a tissue paper lined plate. Cool them completely before serving or storing them in an airtight container for later.

Notes

Do not knead the dough too much and keep it very firm. Only then the namak para will turn out to be crunchy.
Cover the dough with a dry cloth. Using wet cloth softens the dough because of the extra moisture from the cloth.
Make sure to poke holes into the rolled out dough to keep them crunchy & crispy.
Use any neutral flavoured oil with a high smoke point for frying - canola, sunflower, rice bran all work.
Use the smallest hob on your stove and keep the flame on the lowest level to ensure they cook evenly from inside as well as outside
While these are really hard to resist, store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh for up to a month

Nutrition