Namak Pare

Conversations & Creations · From my kitchen

It is cloudy and grey… what better activity than making namak pare? 🙂 This is my tried-and-tested recipe, one I have used for many years. I have written it down and still consult it — today included. This is how we like our namak pare: crisp and crunchy.

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Ingredients

• 1 kg plain flour
• 5 tablespoons thick, firm yogurt (not runny)
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon crushed cumin (safaid zeera)
• 1 heaped teaspoon chaat masala (optional, but really tasty)
• 1–1½ cups room-temperature water, added gradually
• Neutral oil, for frying

Method

1. Mix the flour, yogurt, 4 tablespoons oil, salt, crushed cumin and chaat masala, if using.
2. Add the water a little at a time and knead until you have a soft but firm dough. You may not need all the water.
3. Cover the dough and leave it to rest for 1 hour.
4. Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat until it is bubbling hot. It must be hot when the namak pare go in; otherwise, they soak up oil and become oily. Adjust the heat as needed to keep it bubbling hot without letting it smoke.
5. Divide the dough into small balls. This batch made about 16.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball as thinly as you can without tearing the dough.
7. Cut the dough diagonally into small pieces. Shake off excess flour as you gather them.
8. Fry in batches, keeping watch on the oil temperature, until crisp and golden. Drain well. Sprinkle with a little extra chaat masala if you like, then let the batch drain while you fry the next one.
9. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container.