Namak Pare – Savory Snack

Namak Pare is a popular savory crunchy snack from India. I made this snack for Diwali but didn’t get the time to edit the pictures and write the post. Anyway better late than never! These deep fried snacks are enjoyed with a cup of chai and you would find them in every household in India especially during the festive season. My mom always makes them at home for all the festivals and I would munch on them so much that at one point mom had to ask me to stop. Yes that’s how much I love homemade namak pare!

Namak pare as it is called in Hindi is lightly seasoned with spices like ajwain [carom seeds] and kasuri methi [dried fenugreek leaves].  There was this advertisement jingle that used to be popular when I was in school, it was for a potato chips brand and the tagline was “no one can eat just one”! Now why am I talking about this jingle? because it goes so well with these snacks, you cannot eat just one! Namark pare are highly addictive, at least for me. That’s why I did not make a big batch else I know I will finish the entire container alone in 2 days flat.

Other than this recipe of namak pare, I also have a very exciting news to share with my readers. I know packing lunchbox for kids can be quite challenging at times. I mean it is difficult to think of a new recipe everyday and kids are so picky that they refuse to eat if you pack the same stuff everyday. So in case you are looking around for some great recipes for your kids lunchbox, here is some good news! Indusladies, largest online community for Indian women has partnered with Indian food blogs to come up with 100 easy lunchbox recipes.

And you know the best part? The book is absolutely free to download!

Get you copy now by clicking here > 100 Kids Lunchbox Recipes

I’m also happy to share that this e-book has 2 recipes from Cook With Manali – 1) Grilled Apple Peanut Butter Sandwich 2) Grilled Paneer & Corn Sandwich

And now on to the recipe for namak pare.

Method

In a bowl sieve together all purpose flour, sooji (semolina), ajwain (carom seeds), sesame seeds and salt. Add to it crushed dried kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Mix everything together.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the flour mixture.

Mix the oil into the flour using your hands till it resembles bread crumbs.

Now add water as required to knead a smooth but firm dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for around 20-30 minutes.

And now divide the dough into 2 equal parts.

Take 1 of the dough ball and roll it into a circle. It shouldn’t be too thick or too thin.

Using a knife, first cut the dough into long narrow strips.

Make a criss cross pattern cutting the dough diagonally.

Heat oil in a wok on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cut namak pare into it and fry till crisp and light golden-brown in color.
Store in an airtight container and enjoy crunchy namak pare with a cup of hot chai.

* The oil for frying the namak pare should not be too hot. If you fry them at very high heat, they will be soft and you don’t want that. These are supposed to be crispy!

* Namak pare stay good in an airtight container for weeks, that is if they last that long! They are over within days at my place.

Namak Pare

Namak Pare are runchy savory snack from India where strips of seasoned dough are deep fried. Best enjoyed with a cup of chai.

Servings: 3

Calories: 334 kcal

Author: Manali

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Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour, maida
• 1 tablespoon semolina, sooji or rava
• ½ teaspoon sesame seeds, till
• ½ teaspoon carom seeds, ajwain
• 1 tablespoon kasuri methi, crushed [dried fenugreek leaves]
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons oil
• oil, for deep frying
• water, as needed to knead the dough

Instructions

1. In a bowl sieve together all purpose flour, sooji (semolina), ajwain (carom seeds), sesame seeds and salt.
2. Add to it crushed dried kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Mix everything together.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the flour mixture.
4. Mix the oil into the flour using your hands till it resembles bread crumbs.
5. Now add water as required to knead a smooth but firm dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for around 20-30 minutes.
6. Now divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
7. Take 1 of the dough ball and roll it into a circle. It shouldn't be too thick or too thin.
8. Using a knife, first cut the dough into long narrow strips and then make a criss cross pattern cutting the dough diagonally.
9. Heat oil in a wok on medium heat.
10. Once the oil is hot, add the cut namak pare into it and fry till crisp and light golden-brown in color.
11. Let them cool down and then store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Namak Pare

Amount Per Serving

Calories 334 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10g 15%

Sodium 389mg 16%

Potassium 66mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 51g 17%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Protein 7g 14%

Calcium 0.9%

Iron 17.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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