Thattai - Easy Janmashtami Recipes

Thattai is one of our family favorite snacks. My kids love it very much. They prefer such savory snacks to sweets. My MIL is an expert in preparing snacks. She makes a huge array of sweets and snacks for Krishna Jayanthi and Deepawali. All these years I have been observing my MIL preparing the dishes, helping her here and there. Now that I am on my own, I have started trying out these snacks.

Makes - 18 to 20 

What you'll need

1. Rice Flour – 1 cup (I used Idiyappam flour)
2. Urad Dal Flour – 1 tsp
3. Channa Dal/Kadala Paruppu – 1 tbsp
4. Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp
5. Unsalted Butter – 1 tbsp
6. Asafoetida – generous sprinkling
7. Chilli Powder – ¾ tsp
8. Curry Leaves – few
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil to deep fry

Method

1. Soak the channa dal for 1 hour
2. In a wide bowl, take the rice flour, urad dal flour, sesame seeds, asafoetida, salt, chilly powder, mix well with hands.
3. Now, drain the water from the soaked channa dal and add the dal. Add finely chopped curry leaves.
4. Also add the butter and mix well with hands, so that the butter is incorporated in the flour.
5. Now add water little by little and knead into a smooth dough, (just like chappathi dough)
6. Heat a kadai with oil to deep fry.
7. Divide the dough into small gooseberry sized balls.
8. Take to thick plastic covers, milk cover or two ziplock bags, apply oil on one side of the plastic.
9. Take one of the balls, place on the greased plastic sheet, place another plastic sheet, and flatten the ball flat bottomed vessel like davara, into a thin circular disc, Flatten into thin and even disks, you can use the fingers too.
10. Prick the circular disc of thattai with a fork to prevent puffing up.
11. Carefully transfer the thattai from the plastic sheet to your hand and slide into the hot oil, cook for couple of minutes on medium heat and then flip over. Cook till the bubbles stop.
12. Remove from oil and drain on kitchen tissue.
13. Grease the plastic sheet again and repeat  the procedure.
14. Cool completely and store in air tight container.

Notes:

1. Using good quality rice flour is important.
2. Flatten the thatti nice and thin so that u get crispy thattais.
3. Ensure that oil is hot when you drop the thattai and then fry on medium flame, don’t fry on very low flame, thattais will drink too much oil don’t fry in very hot oil too as the thattais will turn dark outside and remain uncooked inside.