Masala Nimki Recipe

Masala Nimki is a delicious crunchy flaky Indian tea-time snack. This savory deep-fried snack is basically a variation of the popular Namakpare. Usually, Nimki is made using refined flour/maida but I have made it using whole wheat flour and flavored it with salt, carom seeds (ajwain) and nigella seeds (kalonji). Small nimki dough balls are then rolled out into discs and then folded twice to get a triangle shape which is further poked with a fork and deep-fried until golden brown. Lastly, the fried nimkis are coated with a lip-smacking spice and herb blend.

 As you get flaky layers this snack is also referred to as parti matri and is popular in many Indian states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Punjab with few variations in ingredients, shape, etc. Masala Nimki tastes great on its own and makes a great pair with masala chai. You can also serve it with raw mango pickle, aam ki launji (raw-mango relish) or any tangy spicy dip of your choice. Let me warn you that this masala nimki is very addictive and no matter how big batch you prepare it is bound to vanish within no time. Masala nimki is high in calories and made on festive occasions like Holi, Diwali, Durga-Puja, etc. It can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.

Holi - A festival of colors, food, fun, and frolic

Before we move ahead with the recipe, I would like to wish all my readers a very happy and blessed Holi. Holi is one of the major Indian festivals that is celebrated with full enthusiasm and gaiety. It is a 2-day long Hindu festival that celebrates Spring and falls on the full moon day of Phalguna ( March month as per the Georgian calendar). On the eve of Holi, also known as Holika Dahan, large bonfires are lit and people worship Lord Agni(God of Fire). People play with colors the next day and it is a fun-frolic filled time. Songs, dance and Holi delicacies are among the highlights of the day apart from colors. This year the scene might differ slightly and the colors of Holi festival may fade due to the CoronaVirus. As doctors have advised staying away from mass gatherings, it is better to have a safe festivity enjoying the Holi delicacies with your family and friends and avoid playing watercolors.

Related Event:

It is Holi today and we bloggers at Foodie Monday Blog Hop are celebrating our 237th week with "Holi on my plate" as the theme. We decided to showcase Holi special recipes today that can be either traditional sweet and savory recipes made for the festivity or any dessert, snack, beverage or main course that can be served for the Holi party. This lip-smacking masala nimki is my contribution to the theme. Do check out the creations of my fellow bloggers on this theme.

                               
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3 dozen

Ingredients: Measurements used 1Cup = 240 ml

• 2 cups whole wheat flour / aata
• 2 tablespoon fine semolina/ suji
• 2 tablespoon oil + for deep frying
• 2 tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon nigella seeds/kalonji
• 1 teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain
• 1 teaspoon salt 

Ingredients for the masala:

• 2 teaspoon dry mint powder
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon amchur powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black salt
• 1/4 teaspoon rock salt

Method:

1. Take whole wheat flour, semolina, carom seeds, nigella seeds and salt in a large bowl. Mix everything well.

2. Now heat 2 tablespoon oil and add the hot oil to the flour mix. Mix the oil with flour using a spoon. Now rub the oil very well with the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. If you are able to hold the flour in your fist and the flour retains a shape, the amount of fat and flour is perfect for making a flaky nimki.

3. Now add very little water at a time and knead the flour into a semi-soft dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for 15-20 minutes and if time permits keep for 30 minutes.

4. After the resting time, make small marble size dough balls. Roll out each dough ball into a disc of about 4 mm. Apply little ghee on it and fold it into a semi-circle. Again apply little ghee and fold it to get a triangle.

5. Apply pressure only at the 2 ends of the triangle to seal the nimki so that it does not open while frying. Now poke holes using fork all over the nimki. Make all the nimkis similarly. Make sure your keep the dough balls and the rolled out and shaped nimkis covered with kitchen towel to prevent them from drying.

6. You can shape the nimkis in batches, and while a batch is getting deep-fried, prepare the other batch, the way i did. Nimkis are deep-fried on low to medium flame for long time for the folds to get cooked from inside.

7. Before we proceed with frying the nimkis, we will prepare the masala mix for it. For that mix all the ingredients under the list of masala and keep ready.

8. Heat oil in a wok and tip in 7-8 nimkis into it, depending upon the size of wok you are using. Deep fry the nimkis on low to medium flame until it turns golden brown from all sides. Each batch will take around 7 minutes for frying, so be patient.

9. Remove the fried nimkis using a slotted spoon on to an absorbent paper. Now sprinkle the prepared masala mix on the fried nimkis while they are still hot. The masala will not coat the nimkis properly after cooling completely. Prepare all the nimis similarly and transfer them to an airtight container after cooling down.

10. Serve the delicious masala nimki at tea-time and enjoy a flavorful snack with your loved ones!

Recipe Notes:

• You may use whole wheat flour and refined flour in the ratio of 1:1 or make it entirely with whole wheat flour the way i made. If you are aiming to keep the nimkis for a long time, then make them with refined flour. The whole wheat nimkis are good for serving immediately or to be used within a week.
• Make sure you make very small dough balls and roll out the disc very thin as after applying folds the triangle becomes thick and there are chances that the nimki remain undercooked at the folds of the triangle while frying.
• Nimi is deep-fried on low to medium flame so that it gets cooked well from inside. Do not hurry at this stage. The temperature of oil also should not be very high while adding the shaped nimkis to the oil.
• Sprinkle the masala on the fried nimkis while they are still hot.
• Make sure you keep the dough balls and shaped nimkis covered with a kitchen towel while you work with the dough to prevent drying.
• Allow the masala nimkis to cool down completely before transferring them to an air-tight container.

I hope a few of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

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Wishing a very joyous and blessed Holi to all those who celebrate !!

For more Holi special recipes, do check out the following posts from this blog.

• Malpua

                                  

• Kesar Rabdi

                                  

• Gulkand Flavored Mava Gujiya

                                  

• Thandai Recipe from Scratch

                                  

• Colorful Matri

                                  

• Dahi Papdi Chaat

                                  

• Puran Poli

                                  

• Aata Namak Pare