Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Chaklis, the first attempt

Chaklis, the ultimate snack

Ingredients

chakli bhaazani
water
red chili powder, hing, salt
oil


Method

Visit the person who you think makes the best chaklis in the whole wide world, during Diwali. Eat chaklis, and start asking questions. Whip out small diary from bag as they talk, and take notes.

Steer the conversation gently until they offer you some of their freshly ground chakli bhaazani. They love you anyway, so that won't be too difficult. In addition, they might also give you their thalipeeth bhaazani, which is not a bad thing at all.

Return home, put the packet in the freezer. After a few months you will hear from them and they will ask whether you got around to making chaklis. Be shameful that you haven't. Put it on a priority list. Wait for a day when the weather is cool but not damp.

Take out the sorya (chakli press) that has been lying unused for a couple of years. Whip out diary again, and follow instructions for making chaklis. Within twenty minutes, gorgeous looking chaklis will be coming out of the frying oil. Go against most instructions and don't wait until they are cool because that is impossible. Check each chakli for optimum crispness. Wonder why some are slightly softer than others. Jump joyously at the ones that have just the right crispness and color. Suddenly remember that pictures of the beauties have to be taken.

Feel confident about a second attempt.

28 comments:

Dhivya said...

wow!it looks so perfect!!!!!tempting one

Uma said...

can't believe this is your first attempt! They turned out very good. as Dhivya said, so tempting. Enjoyed your writing.

ranji said...

ur first attempt looks perfect...absolutely delicious!!!good job:)

Vaishali said...

Wow, Chaklis are my absolute favorite food. Yours look really gorgeous. Great job, Evolvingtastes!

ms said...

What is chakli bhaazani? In terms of composition that i.e These look really good. A cup of tea and chaklis- heaven!

Divya said...

wow that looks perfect ..i am not sure about chakli bhaazani if you can please explain

Trupti said...

Chakali looks perfect, delicious.. I love these. You can also try chakalis with Moong Daal & All purpose flour..they also taste good.

Prachi said...

Lather, rinse and repeat all steps for friend from East Bay so she may whip out diary this time and repeat accordingly.... you know, I have a press from two years ago as well, haven't made the chaklis even once. Yours are looking incredibly delicious. Yummmm.

Ramya's Mane Adige said...

Thats a pretty successful first attempt, I must say!! I wonder when I'll get around to making them....

Jayashree said...

Looks crisp and delicious...

Sia said...

ROFL... how abt asking chakli specialist to make them and parcel some? ;)
gorgeous pics... very very droolworthy:)

Unknown said...

ET doesn't at all look like your first attempt..they look amazing:)

Manasi said...

First attempt?? U don't say!!! They look perfect!

Anita said...

I have covered the steps up to getting the bhazani...now to the frying pan I must go before I get that call and have to look sheepish...

Medhaa said...

I love this recipe and guess will follow this one recipe to every single note.

Lovely Chaklis

Mansi said...

That's pretty darn good-looking for a first attempt girl:) and now u made me miss my mom!!:(

Miri said...

Perfect recipe - I had a similar one but only went as far as noting it down in my diary, didn't perfect the next step of getting the chakli bhaazni too - result no chaklis till date ;)
Your's look perfectly done!

evolvingtastes said...

Dhivya, Uma, ranji, Vaishali, Ramya, Jayashree, Saswati, Manasi, Mansi, thank you all!

ms, Divya, bhaazani is the flour that is used to make maharashtrian style chaklis. It is what 'makes' (or breaks!) the chaklis. In terms of composition, there have to be countless variations out there, but the one I got had rice, chana dal, moong dal, urad dal, and poha, all ground from the neighborhood chakki (flour mill) to a fine consistency.

Trupti, thanks for that, but I have a long way to go to be able to make chaklis based on just that much information. :-)

Desiknitter, if you have bhaazani and a sorya, then it is really easy. Just give me a call for details. Like I said, it takes less than half an hour to crank these out.

Sia, that is what I had been doing up until now, but decided it was time to grow up.

Anita, you have taken care of the most difficult part, the rest should be a breeze.

Medhaa, feel free to make your own variations to the recipe :-), and Welcome to my blog!

Miri, hahaha. Yup, the bhaazani is hard to just 'whip up' - the right proportions of grains and the right kind of grind are quite important.

Sangeetha said...

Awesome looking chaklis!
This is my first visit here ....you have a great blog!

musical said...

Lucky you to have gotten some bhazaani!! Where is that mill, i want one in my neigbourhood too :).

Chaklis look great!

Mints! said...

yumm yumm recipe ET :) the best way to aquire bhajani :)

Cynthia said...

Such perfection on the first attempt! Congrats. I've been intrigued by this snack ever since I saw it on Seema's blog last year.

Priyanka said...

Just couldnt stop laughing at the narration of your method. the chaklis look just right-crispy and deliciously golden brown.

evolvingtastes said...

Sangeetha, thanks for that, and welcome to the blog.

musical, when we live far away from such stuff, it just gets precious, no?

Mints, it is the best - try it. :-) And a warm Welcome to my blog!

Cynthia, it is the kind of thing that everyone likes and yet few are able to master. Mine look fine, but they are still far from where I'd like them to be in terms of the right crisp and crunch.

Priyanka, thanks!

ServesYouRight said...

Awww! So nicely written! BTW if you need tasters, count me in ;-)

Smita

TheCooker said...

Diwali in April!!
You kidding us, this cannot be your first attempt.
Perfect chaklis.

evolvingtastes said...

Smita, I'll keep that in mind!

tc, no really, believe me.

Anonymous said...

Chaklis are a perfect snack. I loved it during my childhood days. There used to be another similar thing they would make in Mysore... it was flat, round and had peanuts embedded into it. Can't remember what it was called.

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