Kalpna Woolf ’s crispy namak para
“Those are the days of miracle and wonder”, as the song goes – the happy days of our childhood. An overly full house crammed with children, parents, grandparents, friends and neighbours, always open doors. How did we all fit into that small terraced house? Kitchen activity was on high alert – cook, eat, cook, eat – and we were always standing by to look after everyone. As soon as the doorbell rang, a large pan of hot water would go on the hob to make milky, spicy-sweet chai and a plate of welcome-to-our-home snacks would appear. No one could leave without eating something. Exhortations to eat filled the air: “eat something”, “eat more”, “have another”. These were the jingles of our childhood.
Crispy namak para (deep-fried Indian snacks)
SERVES 8 PREP 1 hr COOK 1520 mins EASY V
250g plain lour
2 tbsp ghee, softened
1 tbsp cumin seeds vegetable oil, for the plate and deep-frying
1 Sift the flour into a large bowl, and mix in 1/2 tsp salt and the ghee. When the ghee is fully incorporated, sprinkle in the cumin seeds, then trickle in 2 tbsp warm water, slowly adding a little more until you have a medium-hard dough. It shouldn’t be soft. Knead for 3-4 mins, then cover and set aside for 30 mins.
2 Divide the dough into small, equal-sized balls. Roll each ball out into a thin circle. You can then cut the circles into diamond shapes or straight pieces. For diamonds, cut diagonally across the circle, near the edge, then repeat in the opposite direction. Transfer the shapes to an oiled plate and repeat with the rest of the dough.
Fill a deep pan no more than a third full with oil and heat to 180C, or until a little of the dough rises to the surface quickly when dropped in. Fry the namak paras in batches for 1-2 mins per batch until browned. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper using a slotted spoon, and serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.
PER SERVING 178 kcals • fat 7g • saturates 3g • carbs 24g • sugars 0.2g • ibre 1g • protein 3g • salt 0.3g
Chai
This should be spicy, milky and very sweet – you can adjust the spices, milk and sugar to taste.
SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins EASY V
46 cardamom pods, bashed open
4 cloves
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp grated ginger
3 tbsp loose leaf black tea (Darjeeling or Assam), or 3 strong teabags
250ml whole milk
23 tbsp jaggery or caster sugar
1 Put 1 litre water in a large saucepan with the spices, and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat.
2 Add the tea and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 3-4 mins. Add the milk, then turn up the heat to medium. Bring to the boil again. Reduce the heat to low, remove the teabags, if using, and mix in the sugar. Simmer for 2-3 mins more, then pour into cups, straining the loose tea if using.
GOOD TO KNOW low fat • gluten free
PER SERVING 102 kcals • fat 3g • saturates 2g • carbs 17g • sugars 16g • ibre none • protein 3g • salt 0.1g