Chakli Recipe (Chakralu Recipe)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour (refer notes)
• ¼ cup besan (gram flour)
• ¼ cup fried gram powder (roasted gram powder) (substitute with besan)
• ½ teaspoon salt as needed
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (do not use unhulled)
• 1 tablespoon hot butter or hot oil
• 1 tablespoon ajwain (carom seeds) (optional)
• ½ to ¾ tablespoon red chilli powder
• 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
• water as needed
• 2 cups oil for deep frying

Steps

Preparation

1. Use ¼ cup fried gram powder for this recipe, or substitute besan. To use fried gram, grind it finely in a chutney jar, then measure out only ¼ cup of the powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the rice flour, besan, fried gram powder, salt, sesame seeds, ajwain, hing and chilli powder.
3. Bring 1 tbsp butter or oil to a very hot temperature without letting it smoke. Quickly pour it into the flour mixture and begin mixing with a spoon, not your fingers. Afterward, work it through evenly with your fingers. This addition gives the chakli its crunch.
4. Gradually mix in water to form a dough, beginning with 3 tablespoons and then adding 1 tsp at a time as needed for the dough to come together. Mix rather than knead; once it is non-sticky, form it into a log.

How to make Chakli

1. Coat the chakli maker with grease, then put a portion of dough inside.
2. Shape the spirals on a moist cloth, a dry cloth or parchment paper. Press the chakri maker slowly to extrude the dough into a spiral, using a finger to stop it. Attach the chakli's end to the spiral. Refer to the video or pictures.
3. Put the oil over medium-high heat, and shape the remaining chakli as it heats.
4. Drop a small piece of dough into the oil to check its temperature. It should sizzle and come to the surface without browning; a piece that sinks means the oil needs to get hotter.
5. Lift a chakli onto your fingers and slide it carefully into the hot oil. Depending on the pan's size, fry about 3 to 4 per batch.
6. Leave the chakli untouched for 1 to 2 minutes, until firm, before turning them over. Fry both sides over medium heat to a crunchy, golden finish.
7. Lift the chakli into a steel colander or onto a cooling rack. Once completely cool, put them in an airtight jar made of steel or glass.