By Rajlakshmi
February 22, 2026
The name sounds fancy, but it requires a special skill to shape them. One such customary Bengali snack is elo jhelo nimki. It is crunchy and crispy.
1-1/2 cups maida or refined flour 250 ml refined oil Salt to taste 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (onion nigella Seeds) Drinking water 1 cup
In a large bowl, add refined flour (maida), oil, black cumin seeds, salt to taste, and sugar, and mix everything.
Add nearly water slowly and start kneading it. If required, add more water. The dough shouldn’t be runny or too hard. It should be smooth and firm.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes. Now, grease your palm with a little oil and prepare the same-sized balls out of the dough.
Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle measuring. Use a knife to slice the disc in half. Make parallel slits in both half-circles.
Now, while holding both ends, twist the cuts and lock both edges by pressing firmly with your fingers to mould them.
For the remaining dough, repeat the previous process. In a deep-bottomed wok, heat the oil for deep frying.
Fry the elo jhelo till they turn golden and flip the other side. Take them out in a plate layered with tissue paper to soak up excess oil.