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Come Diwali, you’d find Gujarati households filled with the aroma of freshly-made nimkis, shakarpara and sev. This farsan tempts one and all and drags them to the kitchen every now and then. For the unversed, farsan refers to a host of Gujarati snacks that are made fresh at home. These snacks are a significant part of the Gujarati fare and particularly special during festivals.
Several Indian cultures believe in preparing savoury snacks and sweets at home rather than getting store-bought ones and Gujarati households are one of them. These crispy bites are made with besan, maida, and a host of other flours and fried or steamed to be served hot. A lot of them are made in such a way that they also have a long shelf-life. This Diwali, get ready with your Gujarati namkeen with these easy recipes.
1. Chorafali
This is a crispy Gujarati snack that cannot be missed out during Navratri and Diwali. Chorafali is made with a combination of gram flour and urad dal. Spiced up with some dry mango powder and chilli powder, the dough is flattened into thin strips that are deep-fried. The crunchy chips are often popped into the mouth on the go and enjoyed to the core.
2. Chevdo
Also known as chivda, this crunchy and dry mixture is prepared using either poha (flattened rice) or cornflakes. Add to this, some roasted urad dal, cashews, and peanuts. Flavour it with curry leaves and spice powders and toss it in a container. This is a quick-to-make farsan that is ideally prepared on Diwali as well as for tea-time snacks too.
3. Namakpara
Diamond-shaped bites, made with maida aka all-purpose flour, are flavoured with salt and cumin seeds. The namakaparas, also known as nimki, are delicious bite-sized farsan that are deep-fried until they turn golden-brown. Once they are taken out of the oil, keep them aside till they become firm. These also have a sweet variant called shakarpara.
4. Shakarpare
The sweeter version of namakpare, shakarpare, as the name suggests are made with sugar. Cardamom powder and salt are added to the mix and the dough is prepared using maida. These sweet bites are deep-fried too. Crispy and crunchy, these provide a change of taste amidst all the salty bites and have a good shelf life too.
5. Chakli
Shaped like a wheel or chakri, the snack gets its name from its appearance. Besan flour is used to make this snack. The chakli is deep-fried when the oil is hot and this lends a softer texture to the interiors and a crispy exterior. Don’t fry them for too long otherwise they’ll turn too hard and dry, making them difficult to eat.
6. Farsi Poori
This is an interesting Gujarati snack that is made with maida and cumin seeds. The small roundels have poori-like shape and are similar to sev poori. The deep-fried bites have hints of black pepper. Fried in ghee, the farsi pooris are a classic festive treat from the Gujarati fare. Make these at home during Diwali and you’ll feel satiated for long.
