Chekkalu / Crackers

Learnt From: My Mom.

Makes: 25 crackers

Ingredients:

Raw-Rice --- ¾ cup or Rice Flour --- 1 cup
All Purpose Flour / Maida --- ½ cup
Channa dal --- 1 tblsn
Yellow Moong Dal --- 1 tblsn
Peanuts --- 2 tblsn (optional)
Red Chilly Powder --- 1 tsp
Salt --- ½ tsp
Oil --- ¼ cup + for deep fry

Pre-Requisite:

Soak raw-rice overnight in plenty of water.

Note:

You can even make with ready made rice which is available at store. But my mom does in traditional way and I followed her.


Process:

In the morning, drain the water from rice and keep them in a strainer.


And soak a tblsn of channa dal & yellow moong dal in water.


Let them become partially dry. In the afternoon, grind the raw-rice into fine powder.


Sieve it.


Take a cup of sieved flour to a bowl.
Add half a cup of all purpose flour.
Drain the water from channa dal & yellow moong dal.
Add them to the bowl.


Dry roast peanuts till brown on medium heat. Remove skin of the peanuts when they come to room temperature. Grind coarsely till the peanut breaks to 1/4th of its size. Add them to the bowl.(This step is optional. My mother adds peanuts. But I didn’t.)

Heat ¼ th cup of oil till hot. Add the heated oil to the bowl. First mix with a spoon because the oil is hot.


Then mix with bare hand till the oil incorporates to the flour nicely.


Then add enough water to make a tight dough. (like poori dough).


Heat oil in a pan for deep fry. For deep fry use a steel pan rather than non-stick pan. Non-stick pan is not good for deep fries.
Knead the dough nicely.
Make small balls.


Take an aluminum foil. Grease foil with oil.
Place the small dough. Press the dough to a thin patty.


Remove gently from the foil with your thumb from one edge. Check whether the oil is right hot or not by dropping a tiny ball into the oil. Deep fry till golden brown.


Transfer the fried to a paper towel.


Enjoy the taste of crackers.

Storage:

Wait till the crackers come to room temperature. Transfer the crackers to an air-tight container.

They will be good for a week or more.