Maharashtrian Chakli Recipe

close-up of serving maharashtrian chakli on a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

This Maharashtrian Bhajani Chakli recipe turns out super crispy, is ready within 40 minutes, and uses fewer ingredients. Instant chakli recipe that's perfect for your Maharashtrian Diwali platter or simply as a crunchy tea-time snack. Step-by-step photos with recipe video included.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: snacks

Cuisine: Indian, Maharashtrian

Servings: chakli

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

Equipment

1 Heavy bottom pan
1 Mixing bowl
1 Chakli Maker

Ingredients

To make Bhajni Flour

3 cups of rice flour
1 cup Urad dal/black gram dal, skinless
2 cups Split gram lentils/chana/putana/dalya Not chana dal

To make Bhajani Chakli

4 cups of the prepared bhajani flour
salt to taste
1.5 teaspoon spicy red chili powder
3 teaspoon sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
1 teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin powder
3 tablespoon butter, semi-solid form (substitute: Ghee/Oil)

Instructions

Prepare the Bhajani Flour (Chakli Flour)

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.
1 cup Urad dal/black gram dal, skinless
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.
2 cups Split gram lentils/chana/putana/dalya
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 them cool completely.
To make chakli bhajni, you can either have the bhajani ingredients ground at a mill or grind them yourself in a mixer. To grind it at home in a mixer, don't fill the mixer jar more than a quarter (¼th) full with the ingredients. Grind the ingredients into a fine powder and sift the ground flour to get rid of any coarse particles. Then, do the same with the rest of the roasted bhajani ingredients.
Sift the rice flour and combine it with the other ingredients. Bhajani flour is ready. Store the bhajani flour in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
3 cups of rice flour

Make the Dough

To make Chakli, combine 4 cups of flour, salt, red chili powder, sesame seeds, coriander powder, carom seeds (ajwain), turmeric, and cumin powder in a big bowl/plate. Mix gently with a spoon.
4 cups of the prepared bhajani flour, salt to taste, 1.5 teaspoon spicy red chili powder, 3 teaspoon sesame seeds, ¼ teaspoon carom seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ½ teaspoon cumin powder
Heat butter in a tadka pan. 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.
3 tablespoon butter, semi-solid form (substitute: Ghee/Oil)
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.
If the heat is tolerable, knead the dough with hands until it forms smooth, crack-free, and firm 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. Taste the dough and adjust salt or chilli powder as per taste. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile prep the chakli maker, greae it with oil (only once before starting), and heat oil.

Making Maharashtrian Chakli Recipe

Heat enough oil in a heavy bottom pot/pan over medium heat.
Take a small piece of chakli dough. Cover the remaining dough. Roll it into a cylindrical shape with hands. Then, insert it into the chakli maker. Close it. Check out the video for more details.
Make spiral shape with 3-4 rounds. Join the end of it to the closest spiral. If your dough is right, chakli will not break and you will get those beautiful spikes.
If your spiral shape breaks, sprinkle some water on the dough, knead it again, and start making it.
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.
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.

Fry the Chakli

To fry chakli, heat oil over medium heat. Avoid lowering the heat throughout the frying process. If you're a beginner, gently place the chakli on a slotted spoon, then slide the spoon to release it in hot oil.
Let it sit undisturbed for a minute or until the 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.
Fry only 2-3 at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Avoid overcrowding the pan. Once the bubbling has significantly reduced, the chakli is done. Remove and set aside on a big strainer or paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. Then fry the next batch.
Once cooled, you’ll notice the chakli is extra crispy and light, with a beautiful hollow center. Once cooled, you can store the them in an airtight container. It will remain fresh for up to 15 days. If you use oil instead of butter, it can last for about a month.

Video

Notes

If chakli breaks while shaping: Dough is dry. Sprinkle a little water, knead again.
If it is hard after frying, add more butter and knead.
Chakli is too soft/absorbs oil, then the dough has extra water, add rice flour and knead.
Chakli breaks in oil, too much butter is added to the dough, add rice flour, and knead.
Chakli absorbs oil, then check the oil temperature. Drop a small dough piece. If it rises slowly, the oil is not hot enough. If it rises too fast & brown,s the oil is too hot.
Add a pinch of asafoetida for flavour.
Knead smooth, stiff dough, soft but firm.
Don't overcrowd while frying. Cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.

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