Namkeen (Savory Deep Fried Indian Snacks)

These easy Namkeens are my go-to snacks. They are quick to prepare and taste delicious with a cup of hot tea. I actually prefer making them from my leftover Luchi dough because it saves me time. So, if you know I am making Luchi for brunch just assume I will be making these Namkeens for tea time. The best part, you only need one extra spice to make these and that is Kalonji (or Nigella Seeds).

I know I have written about several other snacks earlier. Mathri and Alur Bora are my all time favorites. However, there is something special about these Namkeens. My mom makes these all the time. Mind you, preparing Mathri and fritters still need some preparations and hence we always have to tell her before hand if we want to eat them. These Namkeens are so easy that they can be prepared from scratch within no time. And if she has some leftover dough then she can fry these up by the time tea is brewing. Well, I may not be as efficient as her but I do love these delicious crunchy Namkeens. Now before jumping on the recipe, I am going to tell you what does the word Namkeen mean.

Namak is the Hindi word for Salt and Namkeen means a savory snack. However, unlike the fritters, chops and samosas, Namkeens do not have a filling in them. They are in fact the easiest Indian snacks you can prepare. Yes, there are varieties of readymade Indian snacks readily available at your local Indian stores like chips, bhujiya etc. However, I feel that these Namkeens are easy enough to be prepared at home. In fact, I used to prepare these a lot when we were living in Tuscaloosa and Montgomery (Alabama). At that time Debarshi was still working at the University and completing his PHD. The closest decent Indian store was in Birmingham or Atlanta. Spending $5.00 on a small pack of snacks was an extravagance to us (for me it still is!) I believe firmly in homemade products because we know exactly what we are adding in them. So no preservatives or processed foods and only best ingredients. Nowadays I don’t prepare them very frequently (due to our low carb diet) but I would any day choose these over store bought snacks.

Now you can alter this recipe to your personal taste. Instead of Kalonji, you can add Carom or Cumin seeds. They come really handy for small tea parties. You can knead a big batch of dough and add different spices in them for different flavors. Fry them and cool them completely. Then serve them with hot tea. You can also serve them as finger foods during one of your game viewing parties. In my parent’s home, this Namkeen is very common during fasting days because it does not have any onion or garlic in it. Plus, due to its easy preparation, it makes for a perfect munching snack. I have served these several times during Holi and Diwali parties. These Namkeens are not hot and hence kids love these. You can of course dip them in sugar syrup if you want to go for a sweeter version. These are also perfect for a picnic or while traveling. You can also take a few of these for your lunch to brighten up your tea time in office.

Although fried Namkeens have a long shelf life, I would urge you to consume these within a few days. These Namkeens taste best when they are crisp and have a crunch. With time, they do tend to loose their flaky texture and then they don’t taste as good.

Now that we know how they are prepared let’s get on with the recipe:

Photo shows: Ajwain Namkeen, Kalonji Namkeen, Alur Bora, Ilish Mach, Rice, Butter Chicken, Payesh. I prepared this small plate to celebrate Rakhi with my brother. Thanks to Didi for capturing this moment.

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
• Kalonji (or Nigella Seeds) – ½ teaspoon 
• Oil – 1-2 tablespoons (for the dough) + about 2 cups (for frying) 
• Salt - to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)

Tip: Use other flavorings like Carom Seeds or Cumin Seeds for different flavors.

Others:

• Wok
• Spider Spoon

Directions to knead the Dough: 

• In a large bowl mix together the All Purpose Flour (sift it), Kalonji, Oil and Salt. Mix using either your fingers or a whisk. You can also knead the dough in the stand mixer.
• Add water, a little at a time, and knead into a dough. At this stage it will look dry but do not add a lot of water all at once because it may then turn out sticky and too wet to handle.
• Keep kneading until the dough looks smooth and almost non sticky. Knead it tight so that it doesn’t develop too much gluten (it will make it difficult to roll).
• Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.

If you are using leftover Luchi/ Paratha dough:

• Bring it to room temperature.
• Add the Kalonji in it and knead so that the seeds are distributed evenly throughout the dough.

To roll and shape the Namkeens: 

• Divide the dough into two equal balls. Sprinkle a little flour on the kitchen counter/ rolling board. Roll each ball into a thin circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter.

• Using a knife/ pizza cutter, cut the circle into strips. Divide the longer strips into halves so that all the pieces are equal in size.

Fry the Namkeens:

• Heat a wok over medium heat. We want the Namkeens to be crispy with a golden brown color so keep the heat even. This will also prevent the dough from burning. Refer to my articles: How to know when the oil is hot enough to deep fry and How to deep-fry food with confidence for tips.
• Drop a small piece of dough in the oil to check if the oil is hot enough. If it quickly changes color, then turn down the heat a bit. If it is taking some time to bubble then turn up the heat a little. 
• Once the oil is ready, gently and carefully drop the strips one by one in the oil.
• Allow them to cook then turn them so that they get fried evenly.

• Remove and drain on paper towels. 
• Serve hot with Dhania chutney/ ketchup and tea.

Other appetizers you may like:

• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• French Chops
• Samosa (Spicy Potato stuffed Pastries)
• Alur Bora (Mamma’s Potato with Garlic fritters)
• Kabiraji
• Alu Tikiya ki Chaat
• Methi Pakora (Gram flour and Fenugreek leaves Fritters)
• Palak ke Pakore (Gram flour and Spinach Fritters)
• Alu Cutlet (Crispy Shallow Fried Potato Patties)
• My Homemade Sausage and Feta Hors D'oeuvres
• My Homemade Spicy Potato Hors D'oeuvres 
• Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• Egg Devil (Bengali recipe of Croquettes with egg and minced meat/ Indian Scotch Eggs)
• Besan Mathri (Deep Fried Flaky Gram Flour Cookies)
• Bread Pakora (Deep fried Bread Fritters with Potato filling)
• Vegetable Cutlets
• Bread Pakora with Soa Alu (Deep fried Bread Fritters with Dill and Potato filling)
• Paneer Pakore (Fresh Cheese Fritters)