Chakli

This is the quickest consumed snack by my family!! When my mom made these, a big batch of chaklis would not last for more than two days. Yes, we all love it a lot. :) The word Chakli comes from the Gujarati word Chakri or Chakedi which means pinwheel or tops. These pinwheels are perfect for mid afternoon snacking with a cup of hot tea or coffee. Yes, I do make baked version for me to make them guilt free, but I love them fried too :) Crisp and Crunch is the key to perfect Chakli!!

I usually make a big batch of chaklis for friends and family.

These are the same ingredients I used for baked chakli too.
Click here for the recipe of baked chakli.

3 cups rice flour.

2 tbsp. sesame seeds or til

2 tbsp. whole cumin or jeera

2 tbsp. chilli powder. (or to taste)

 3 tbsp. ghee

1 cup yogurt

Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients well with your palm. Make a soft dough by gradually adding water. 

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into small portions and fill in the chakli press with star shaped disc. As you press the dough you will see a star shaped dough being extracted. Gently curve around to form pinwheels.

Make many chaklis in a plate or a silicon flat surface.

Click here to buy Chakli Press.

To test oil temperature, simple add a piece of dough into hot oil. If it starts to fry but not turning dark; it is perfect.

Gently lift each prepared chakli with a flat spatula and drop into hot oil. Fry till they are golden brown and blot them on paper towel.

You could also simple press the dough into hold oil and fry a big batch with irregular shape. Then just break to form chakli sticks.

Let them cool well and store in an air tight container.

Our favorite for Diwali!!

Chivda

We Gujaratis just enjoy snacking!! Not just fresh hot snack like dhokla and khandvi, but we also enjoy dry stored snacks with a hot cup of afternoon masala chai tea. Khakhra, chakli, chivda, shakarpara, farsi puri... all these are little titbits to munch throughout the day and become a delicacy amongst Gujaratis. You can never remain hungry with a Gujarati :)

Chivda is a trail mix...yes, a mixture of flattened rice flakes with various nuts gives instant energy and is a great mid afternoon snack. Sometimes my mom would add in some chopped boiled potatoes and tomatoes and mix with cilantro chutney for an instant chivda bhel. Amazing... such a quick and easy snack before we would rush to our tutor.

Flattened rice is also called Poha in Hindi or Gujarati.

Use 3 cups of thin poha. 

Spread it on a large baking sheet and heat in a 350F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes just so that poha get crisp while yet remaining nice and flat. Roasting them could sometime make poha curl up from the sides.

Add-ons fot my chivda.

1/4 cup, dry potato sticks (salli), 1/4 cup raw peanuts (sing dana), 1/4 cup spit roasted gram (dalia)

1/4 cup dry coconut sliced.

You could also add almonds, cashews, raisins to the mixture.

Heat oil and fry peanuts, roasted gram and dry potato sticks. 

You could also spray some oil and bake them in the oven. 

At the end, fry sliced coconut. This is my favorite add on to chivda. Love the taste, texture and flavor of coconut. 

Let excess on blot on a paper towel.

In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp. oil. 

Add 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds, dry red chillies and few curry leaves. Add 1/2 tsp. turmeric and fry for 30 seconds.

Add roasted poha and all fried add ons. Mix well.

Add salt to taste and 1 tbsp. sugar. Mix well. Roast them for 4-5 minutes on low heat to prevent caramelizing at the bottom.

Let the mixture cool well before storing. Warm mixture is soft to taste. As it cools, chivda gets crisp.

Enjoy with a cup of hot Masala Chai Tea!!