Gujarati Chakris

Chakris were a staple Gujarati snack that my mother made during the Diwali holidays. She made a bunch of other savory snacks such as fried chevdo, sakelo chevdo or roasted chevdo, mathiya, chorafadi etc. All of the savories were my absolute favorite!

During the Diwali holidays, we would have guests visiting us, to wish Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak (Hindu New Year), which is celebrated by Gujaratis with a lot of enthusiasm. She would assemble plates of sweet and savory things that she had made. Dabbas and dabbas of different things – that she would start preparing two weeks in advance and get all of us involved.

I do not know anyone who doesn’t love Chakri. It is enjoyed by all – well for the older folks it may be a little hard on their teeth. But nonetheless, it is a tasty snack, well enjoyed with a cup of masala chai.

The ingredients of Gujarati Chakri are quite basic:

• Rice flour: This is what makes the Gujarati Chakri crunchy and has a snap.
• Chickpea flour: this also makes it crunchy.
• All purpose flour: a bit is required to bind the dough.
• Salt : proper salt is required in savory snacks.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar is added to offset and balance the saltiness and spiciness in the chakri
• Sesame seeds: Always a must for the taste.
• Ginger and green chili paste: This is a must in all Gujarati snacks or savory. It gives that distinct spicy flavor that comes from ginger as well as the green chilies.
• Ajwain seeds: or carom seeds are added to any fried dish for easy digestion
• Dry spices: Kashmiri red chili powder and ground turmeric are added to give a nice color.
• Ghee: or called mounn in Gujarati language is used to bind the dough together.
• Warm water: also used to bind the dough

How to make chakris?

The chakris are made in a chakri maker. I have my mother’s heirloom maker that has been around for years. It is probably 40+ years old and so beautiful. They used to make them good! If you are looking to get one, you can purchase it on Amazon, linked here. 

The dough is really easy to put together. It is essentially mixing all the ingredients to form a cohesive dough. When you push a finger into it, it should make an indentation. Rest is always under a damp cloth while making the chakris so as not to dry it out as the chakri making process may take some time.

You have to apply constant pressure to get the dough rolling out in a continuous motion. You have to practice a bit, and you will slowly get the hang of it and what works for you. The important part is to enjoy the process, and have fun with it. Do not fret over making them perfect.

Tips on how to get them from the baking sheet to the hot oil?

• Firstly make sure that the oil is hot. Test by adding a bit of dough. If it rises back up quickly and starts turning light brown, and there are tiny bubbles, you know it is hot enough.
• Use a super thin steel spatula like this to lift off the chakri and slide it gently into the oil. You will see bubbles around it immediately.

Also, make sure that they are completely cool before putting them into an airtight container for maximum crispiness.

The other sweets and snacks that my mother used to make are here:

• Spiced Bajra (Millet) Crackers
• Ghughras
• Poha Chevdo

Hope you all have a wonderful and safe Diwali. Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak! May this coming year be filled with love, laughter and happiness.

XO
Amisha

Gujarati Chakris

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• Amisha Gurbani

On my last visit to India, I brought my mother’s chakri maker or sancho, back to my home. It’s a beautiful heirloom brass piece, about 40+ years old, and it still has the sticker on it. What makes these chakris Gujarati is  the addition of sugar, and the green chili and ginger paste or aadu-marcha as we call it. It is super crunchy and fun to eat, and goes perfectly well with a cup of masala chai. Do not worry about getting the spirals all perfect, mostly enjoy the process and make it with your loved ones and create new memories.

*Makes about 80 chakris*

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Ingredients:

• 3–4 green chilies
• 2 inch ginger
• 450 grams rice flour
• 80 grams all purpose flour
• 100 grams chickpea flour
• 4 teaspoons table salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons ajwain seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 80 grams ghee
• 1 ⅔ cups warm water
• Vegetable oil to fry

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Method:

1. In a mini food processor, add the green chilies and ginger and form a paste. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients including the ginger/green chili paste, except ghee and warm water. Mix to combine.
3. Add the ghee and mix until well combined. Start adding the warm water, and mix as you continue adding it. It will be crumbly and will come together into a solid dough form. If it is too stiff, add a tablespoon of water at a time, until it is pliable enough.
4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes to form a well-combined dough.
5. Rest under a damp kitchen cloth.
6. Put the start shaped disc into the chakri maker. Add dough until it comes upto ¾ of the chakri maker. Close the top and start turning the top handle until there is resistance and it reaches the top of the dough. Set aside.
7. Place parchment paper on 3 to 4 baking sheets.
8. Add vegetable oil to a medium saucepan, about 1 ½ to 2 inches in height. Place it on medium to high heat and bring the oil to a temperature of 350 degrees about 6 to 7 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, start piping the chakris onto the baking sheet one at a time. Place the chakri maker parallel and about an inch in height from the sheet and pipe out a continuous stream of the batter, and form a circular motion such that the chakri forms a spiral pattern, about 2.5 to 3 diameters in circumference. It is ok if they are smaller. Have fun with it.
10. You can pipe one sheet at a time and then fry. Or pipe 2 sheets at a time and then fry.
11. Place a large plate with a paper towel to absorb excess oil on the side.
12. Test if the oil is hot by putting a tiny piece of the dough into the oil. If it comes right back up and starts turning golden brown, you know the oil is ready.
13. Using a flat spatula, take each chakri from the baking sheet to the hot oil and gently dunk it in. Fry about 3 chakris at a time. Fry for about 45 seconds, or until you see it is a light golden brown in color. Flip the chakris and fry on the other side for a few seconds until a nice golden brown and remove using a fine sieve onto the plate with the paper towel.
14. Repeat for the other chakris. Cool completely.
15. Store in an airtight container for upto a month.

Notes

Frequently asked questions

Tips on how to get them from the baking sheet to the hot oil?

1. Firstly make sure that the oil is hot. Test by adding a bit of dough. If it rises back up quickly and starts turning light brown, and there are tiny bubbles, you know it is hot enough.
2. Use a super thin steel spatula like this to lift off the chakri and slide it gently into the oil. You will see bubbles around it immediately.

How long will they last?

1. They will last for about a month in an airtight container.

Are they shippable?

1. Yes, they are shippable as long as they are packed well, such that they do not move inside the container. Else the chakris will break since they are delicate.