Instant Chakli

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1. 1Step 1: Grind the roasted gram dal to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Sift the rice flour and the ground roasted gram flour into a wide bowl.
2. 2Step 2: Add the sesame seeds, carom seeds, turmeric, asafoetida, roasted cumin-coriander powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
3. 3Step 3: Pour in the oil and mix by rubbing it thoroughly into the flour by hand. You can squeeze it in your fist to see if the oil will bind the flour together.
4. 4Step 4: Now slowly add the hot water a little at a time. Mix and start bringing the flour together to make a dough. After adding all the water, knead to form a dough that's neither too tight nor too loose.
5. 5Step 5: Grease the back of a small steel plate with oil. Lay it upside down (oil side up). Insert the star-shaped plate into the chakli maker and brush the inside with oil.
6. 6Step 6: Now take an orange-sized ball of dough. Knead it again on a flat surface to make it pliable. Make a log and stuff into the oiled chakli maker. Close it and wind the handle until dough starts to emerge. As the dough continues to extrude from the chakli maker, curl it into a spiral pattern starting at the centre. Break the dough off with your finger once you've made a spiral with 3-4 rounds and your chakli is formed. Press the end of the chakli spiral into the neighbouring strand so that it doesn't break when deep frying.
7. 7Step 7: Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai or a deep frying pan over a medium to high flame. Drop a tiny bit of dough into the oil to test whether it has reached the optimum temperature. The dough should sink in the oil at first, sizzle and rise to the top. Once this test has passed, flip the chakli from the back of the plate onto the slotted spoon and transfer it into the hot oil.
8. 8Step 8: Fry over a medium to high flame, ensuring the oil isn't too hot. If the chakli browns too quickly, turn the flame down a bit. Don't touch the chakli until it's ready to flip, which should be in about 30-45 seconds, if the temperature is right. Once ready, flip and fry the other side of the chakli for another 30-45 seconds. Gently remove with the slotted spoon and hold against the rim of the kadhai for a few seconds to drain some of the excess oil. Transfer to kitchen paper. Fry the remaining chakli in small batches.
9. 9Step 9: After frying all the chakli, let them rest on a paper towel for 1-2 hours to cool down completely so that they don't go soft and soggy. Gently transfer into a clean and dry air-tight jar and store in a cool dry place. The chakli should keep well in an air-tight jar at room temperature for a month. It tastes delicious with a hot cup of tea or on its own as a snack.