Since our childhood we all have been enjoying homemade namak paare, made by our grandmothers and mothers. These are the same namak paare with a twist. Their shape is like karela / Bitter Gourd but taste is same as the good old namak paare.
Ingredients:
Maida / flour --------------------------- 250 gms
Suji / semolina-------------------------- 2 tbsp
Salt --------------------------------------- 1 tsp
Ajwain / Carom seeds------------------ 1 tsp
Luke warm water ----------------------- to knead dough
Oil ---------------------------------------- to fry
Seive maida and suji in a big bowl / paraat. Make a well in between and add salt, ajwain and 1 tbsp oil in it. Now moyen the mixture. Moyen means rubbing flour with oil from the tips of the fingers until the mixture starts to look like breadcrums. Now, add water and knead a puri like dough. Rest the dough for half an hour.
Knead the dough again for few mintues. Make small marble size balls. With the help of rolling pin / belan roll a puri of a ball. Draw straight-line cuts in it by leaving 0.5 cm gap between them. Also leave some space on the periphery of the puri.
Now roll it inwards as shown in the pictures below.
Repeat the process for all the dough balls.
Heat oil in a pan / kadhai. Deep fry Namak Paare karele on high to medium heat until golden brown. Then transfer them into colander to drain the excess oil. Let them cool and then store in a air tight container.
Some ideas:
1. Different flavours can be given to these namak paares by adding Mint (Pudina), Seasame etc.