DESCRIPTION:

Namak para / namakpare / nimki / nimkin / namkin is a crunchy savoury snack eaten in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Namak para is ribbon-like strips of pastry delicately seasoned with ajwain, cumin seeds, carom seeds, and caraway seeds and deep fried in pure ghee (clarified butter). It requires approximately 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.

The name derives from namak ("salt"), the main seasoning for the pastry, other ingredients include atta flour (whole wheat), maida flour (refined) or semolina and baking powder and baking soda.

PREPERATION:

Preperation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS:

-1 ½ cups maida / all purpose flour
-1 ¼ tbsp oil
-⅛ tsp hing/ asafoetida 
-Pinch of soda 
-¾ to 1 tsp salt
-1 ½ tsp ajwain /carom seeds
-½ to ¾ tsp pepper crushed
-Oil for frying

STEPS:

1. Add flour, salt, ajwain, pepper, hing, 
 oil to a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Add water slowly as needed and mix 
 well.
3. Make a stiff dough.
4. Knead the dough and make it soft.
5. Make 4-5 small balls of the dough.
6. Place the ball on a greased roller and 
 roll the ball and make it flat, thin and even layered.
7. Cut out diamond shape on the dough 
 about 1 inch each and separate them.
8. Add oil to a pan and heat it. Drop a 
 few at one time and stir them in oil. 
 Fry them only in medium heat. Flip & 
 fry stirring often until golden and 
 crisp.
9. When they turn golden, drain them to 
 a kitchen tissue. 
10. Cool namak para completely and 
 transfer to a air tight jar.