Chakli or Chaakli is one of my all time favorite snack.  We do prepare some munchies and sweets for Diwali called Diwali Khaan in Konkani :).

I love every version of chakli like raagi or rice or moong dal :). The traditional chakli requires some effort in terms of pre-preparation. I was looking for a more instant version which would not need as much time and still taste yummy. I found the match on Aayi’s Recipes. The end result was simply amazing and loved by everyone at home and relatives. The credit goes to Aayi’s Recipes for this. Below is the recipe along with my tweaks for everyone to try!

Ingredients:
½ cup moong dal (split green gram)
2 cups maida (all purpose flour)
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
1 tbsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp butter
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method:
Cook the moong dal with about 1.5 cups of water. If you are doing this in a pressure cooker, cook this for 2 whistles and turn off the flame. Once cooled, mash the dal well either with a potato masher or a spoon or churning tool used to make buttermilk from curd.

Now place the maida in a muslin cloth or baanshire as we say in konkani.  Make a bundle and tie it at the top. Place this in the pressure cooker and steam it for about 10 minutes. This can be done either by not placing the weight on top or by removing the gasket. Once the pressure is release, open this bundle and just mix the flour to remove lumps. If you think the flour is not smooth enough, just seive it through.

To the flour, add the cooked dal, butter, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, red chilli powder and salt. Mix with the cooked dal without adding water to make a dough. Knead well. Kneading is the key to not having broken chaklis.

Once the dough is ready, place it in the chakli press and press chaklis on to a non sticky surface.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the chaklis on medium-low flame till they are fried and turn golden. It is important that the chakli is cooked through to the inside. Else they will become soft once taken out from the oil.

Once cooled, place them in air tight containers and enjoy!! :)

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