These crunchy diamond-shaped namak para are Indian crackers lightly spied with spices like carom seeds, cumin, or black pepper. Make these at home using my easy recipe.
If you are looking for more snacks, then try some of my other favorites too – murukku, masala kaju, methi mathri, moong dal samosa, and chivda namkeen.
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About This Recipe
Namak para is a crispy and crunchy Indian snack, made using all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour that is popularly prepared during festivals such as Holi and Diwali. They are also perfect to munch on with a hot cup of evening tea or coffee.
Namak para is basically Indian crispies or crackers and are mostly shaped like a diamond. These are mildly flavored with carom seeds, cumin seeds, or black pepper.
Their sweet counterpart is called shakkar para which is made using the same ingredients but instead of salt, sugar is added to them.
The trick to preparing crunchy namak para is to knead the dough as stiff as you can and fry them on medium heat. The amount of ghee added to the flour while kneading it is also very important. It makes these crisp and flaky.
This Namak Pare is,
- Crunchy
- Addictive
- Easy to make
- Economical
- Better than a store-bought one
- Popularly made during festivals
Ingredients
All Purpose Flour – These are made mostly using all-purpose flour (maida) but you can definitely make them using whole wheat flour (atta) as well. The ones made with all-purpose flour are light in texture and the ones made using whole wheat flour are dense. You can always use a mix of these two flours to make these.
Semolina – Adding a little semolina (sooji) makes these namak pare nice and crispy. Use fine sooji to make these.
Ajwain – Ajwain or carom seeds adds a nice distinct flavor to the namak pare, and is also considered a great ingredient for digestion. You can replace it with cumin seeds or crushed black pepper. Even fennel seeds will be great.
Ghee – Adding ghee to the namak para dough, makes them soft and flaky from inside.
Oil – You can use any vegetable oil to deep fry these.
How to make Namak Para?
Add 1 cup all purpose flour, 2 tbsp fine semolina, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp carom seeds and 4 tsp melted ghee to a large mixing bowl. In Indian, we use a utensil called parat to knead the dough. It is basically a large plates with raised edges. Kneading the flour in parat makes the process easier.
Mix the ingredients well using your fingers.
Add a few tbsp of water at a time and mix to make a stiff dough.
Cover the dough using a kitchen cloth and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
Knead the dough again until it is soft and smooth. Divide it into 2 parts. Take one part and make a ball from it. Roll the ball to make a 0.25 inch thick circle. Sprinkle little dry flour if the dough is sticking to the rolling surface. The dough should ideally not stick to the surface if it is kneaded stiff.
Cut the circle in long rectangles or diamonds using s serrated knife or a sharp pizza cutter. You can also use cookie cutters in different shapes. Keep the cut namak para covered with a kitchen cloth until they are ready to fry.
Heat 4-5 cups of oil for frying in a heavy bottom pan.
Once the oil is hot, transfer a few namak para to the hot oil and simmer the heat to medium low. Fry the namakpare on low medium heat until they are golden brown in color. Keep stirring them using a perforated ladle.
Keep in mind that these will continue to brown a bit even after taking out from oil. Once browned, remove from oil on a tissue lined plate. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 10-15 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although I prefer frying these and eat them in a small portion rather than oven baking them as it definitely compromises on the taste, if you are a health freak and loves to eat these by the handful, then baking them in the oven is a good option.
You can make the dough and cut these and then line them on a baking tray in a single layer. Spray with oil and bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
You can replace half of the maida with whole wheat flour or even use only whole wheat flour to make namak paare. The taste and texture is slightly different but quite nice when made using atta or wheat flour.
We add a little ghee in the dough to make it softer. To make it vegan, you can use oil instead.
Pro Tips By Neha
The texture of the dough is very important while making this snack. It should be stiff like poori dough.
The temperature of the oil is also a very important factor. Heat the oil nicely and then turn the heat to medium low. The frying process will take time but frying on medium low heat is important for them to become crispy and cooked from inside.
Drain them on plate lined with kitchen tissue. It will absorb the extra oil and make them crisp.
You can add flavorings to your namak paare dough as per your liking. I like to add dry mint powder, a mix of everyday spices, or even Italian spice mix sometimes. You can also add cumin seeds or cracked black pepper.
I have cut them into rectangles but you can make diamond shape too.
Storage Suggestions
Once namak para cools down completely, store these in an airtight container for up to 10-15 days. Make sure you put the lid back tightly after every use, otherwise these tends to loose their crunchiness.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these as a snack along with a hot cup of masala chai or filter coffee on the side. You can serve them during Holi/Diwali with other snacks and sweets to the guests.
Pack them in your snack box and munch on in between the meals or whenever the hunger strikes.
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Recipe Card
Namak Para Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour/maida
- 2 tablespoon fine semolina/sooji
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain
- 4 teaspoon ghee
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Add 1 cup all purpose flour, 2 tbsp fine semolina, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp carom seeds and 4 tsp melted ghee to a large mixing bowl. In Indian, we use a utensil called parat to knead the dough. It is basically a large plates with raised edges. Kneading the flour in parat makes the process easier.
- Mix the ingredients well using your fingers.
- Add a few tbsp of water at a time and mix to make a stiff dough.
- Cover the dough using a kitchen cloth and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Knead the dough again until it is soft and smooth. Divide it into 2 parts. Take one part and make a ball from it. Roll the ball to make a 0.25 inch thick circle. Sprinkle little dry flour if the dough is sticking to the rolling surface. The dough should ideally not stick to the surface if it is kneaded stiff.
- Cut the circle in long rectangles or diamonds using a serrated knife or a sharp pizza cutter. You can also use cookie cutters in different shapes. Keep the cut namak para covered with a kitchen cloth until they are ready to fry.
- Heat 4-5 cups of oil for frying in a heavy bottom pan.
- Once the oil is hot, transfer a few namak para to the hot oil and simmer the heat to medium low. Fry the namakpare on low medium heat until they are golden brown in color. Keep stirring them using a perforated ladle.
- Keep in mind that these will continue to brown a bit even after taking out from oil. Once browned, remove from oil on a tissue lined plate. Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 10-15 days.
