Maharashtrian Chakli Recipe | Instant Chakli Recipe

Chakli is a delectable Indian snack known for its crunchy texture and savory flavor. It is a spiral-shaped, deep-fried snack made from dough of rice and lentil flour, along with spices.

In the traditional Maharashtrian chakli recipe, rice and lentils are rinsed, dried for 24 hours, roasted, and ground into a fine powder called Bhajani in the Marathi language. This flour is then mixed with spices and kneaded into dough. The dough is shaped into spirals using a special chakli maker and deep-fried. This process results in delicious chakli but is time-consuming and can take 2-3 days.

"Bhajni chakli" is a type of chakli made from a roasted mixture of flours, where "bhajni" means "to roast. While you can easily find pre-made bhajani in stores in Maharashtra and neighboring states, there's nothing quite like homemade chakali bhajani (which means chakli flour).

How to make Maharashtrian Chakli (Step-by-Step Instant Chakli Recipe)

Step 1: Prepare the Bhajani/Chakli Flour

1) To clean the urad dal, dampen a clean cotton cloth or kitchen towel with water. Gently rub the urad dal against the cloth to remove any dirt.

2) Dry roast chana/putana in a heavy-bottomed pan over low-medium heat until fragrant. Avoid browning them. Transfer the roasted chana/putana to a plate and let it cool completely.

3) Next, add urad dal to the same pan and dry roast it over low-medium heat until fragrant. Remove the urad dal from the pan as soon as it starts to change color slightly. Transfer it to the plate with the chana/putana and let it cool completely.

4) To make chakli bajani, you can either have the bhajani ingredients ground at a mill or grind them yourself in a mixer. Don't fill the jar more than a quarter (¼^th) full with the ingredients. Just make sure not to overfill the mixer. Grind the ingredients into a fine powder.

5) Sift the flour to get rid of any coarse particles. Then, do the same with the rest of the roasted ingredients.

6) Sift the rice flour and combine it with the other ingredients. Chakli bhajni/flour is ready. Store the chakli flour in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Step 2: Make the Dough

7) To make Chakli, combine 4 cups of flour, salt, red chili powder, sesame seeds, carom seeds (ajwain), turmeric, and cumin powder in a big bowl/plate. Mix gently with a spoon. You can add asafoetida and coriander powder for authentic bhajani flavor.

8) Add hot butter (called moyen or mohan)  to the flour. Combine with a spoon first. Be careful, as the mixture will be hot. Now slowly rub the butter into the flour with your fingers for 3-4 minutes. This will make the chakli crispy. Press the flour firmly with your hands to check if it holds together (see image 17). If it doesn't then add 1 teaspoon butter and combine.

9) Add hot water gradually, starting with a small amount and mixing with a spoon. Then add more hot water in batches and combine. Your dough will look like this.

10) If the heat is tolerable, knead the dough with your hands until it forms smooth, crack-free, and firm chakli dough. If the dough is too hot to handle, cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes before kneading. Gradually add 1-2 teaspoons of water at a time while kneading. Ensure the dough is smooth and stiff. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the chakli maker and heat the oil.

11) Grease the chakli maker with oil once, before starting.

Step 3: Making Maharashtrian Chakli

12) Heat enough oil in a heavy bottom pot/pan over medium heat.

13) Take a small piece of chakli dough. Cover the remaining dough. Roll it into a cylindrical shape with your hands. Then, insert it into the chakli maker and close it. Check out the video for more details.

14) Let's start making the chakli. Make a spiral shape with 3-4 rounds. Join the end of the chakli to the closest spiral. If your dough is right, the chakli will not break, and you will get those beautiful spikes.

15) If your spiral shape breaks and you cannot make chakli. Sprinkle some water on the dough, knead it again, and start making chakli.

16) If you are making chakli for the first time, I suggest making only one and frying it. Let it cool down and taste it. If it is too hard, add more butter to the dough and knead it again. If it is soft/not crispy or absorbs oil means you have added more water. Add more rice flour to the dough and knead.

17) If the chakli breaks in oil, it means there is too much butter in the dough. Add more rice flour to the remaining dough and knead it.

Step 4: Deep Frying Chakli

18) To fry chakli, heat oil over medium heat. Avoid lowering the heat throughout the frying process. If you're a beginner, gently drop chakli into the hot oil using a slotted spoon, then slide the spoon to release the chakli.

19) Let it sit undisturbed for a minute or until the chakli shape has set. Then, carefully flip it over and continue frying. Initially, when frying chakli, the hot oil will produce a lot of bubbles. As the chakli cooks, the bubbling will subside.

20) Fry only 2-3 chakli at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Avoid overcrowding the pan. Once the bubbling has significantly reduced, the chakli is golden brown and crispy, remove and set aside on a big strainer or paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. Then fry the next batch of chakli.

Step 4: Store the Chakli

21) Once cooled, you’ll notice the chakli is extra crispy and light, with a beautiful hollow center. Give this recipe a try. You can store the chakli in an airtight container. It will remain fresh for up to 15 days. If you use oil instead of butter, the chakli can last for about a month.

Expert Tips on Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making Chakli Recipe

Getting the Right Dough Consistency

• Knead smooth, crack-free, and stiff dough. The dough should be soft but firm enough to hold shape. If it's too hard, the chakli will break while shaping when pressed through the chakli maker. If it’s too soft, the chakli may absorb more oil and lose its crispiness.
• If your chakli breaks while shaping it means the dough is dry. Sprinkle some water on the dough, knead it again, and start making chakli. Do not add too much water.
• If you are making chakli for the first time, I suggest making only one and frying it. Let it cool down and taste it.
• Chakli is hard: If it is too hard, add more butter to the dough and knead it again. If it is soft/not crispy or absorbs oil means you have added more water. Add more rice flour to the dough and knead.
• Chakli breaks in oil: it means there is too much butter in the dough. Add more rice flour to the remaining dough and knead it.
• Make sure to add the right amount of butter while making chakli dough. If there's too little butter, the chakli will be hard after frying. On the other hand, if there's too much butter, the chakli will be overly soft and may break apart while frying in oil.

Deep Frying Chakli

If chakli absorbs oil while deep-frying, it means the oil is not hot enough. To check if the oil is at the right temperature for deep-frying the chakli, drop a small piece of chakli dough into the hot oil.

• If it rises to the surface within a few seconds, the oil is ready.
• If it rises immediately and browns, the oil is too hot. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly before frying.
• If it takes too long to rise, the oil is not hot enough. Let it heat up for a while before frying.
• Do not overcrowd the pan while frying chakli. It will lower the temperature of oil and the chakli will absorb oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

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