How to make Nippattu (Spicy Indian Crackers)

Nippattu is a crisp, spicy South Indian cracker made mainly from rice flour, roasted peanuts and gram, deep-fried until golden. Karnataka households call it Nippattu; elsewhere in South India the same style of cracker goes by thattai. It’s a classic teatime snack, ready in under an hour, and keeps well in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

What is Nippattu?

For those unaware of Nippatu, it is a popular deep-fried delicacy from Karnataka composed of rice flour, peanuts, and other ingredients. However, unlike the baked Nippattu, the true Nippattu does not contain onion or all-purpose flour (Maida). These are, in my mind, distant relatives of our own Maddur Vada. That is, however, something for the specialists to consider.

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What are the key steps to cooking Nippattu?

Nippattu has a beautiful crunch and flavour from roasted gram and peanuts. Therefore, I utilised de-skinned and roasted peanuts. Using de-skinned peanuts is a choice, not a must. Rather than powdering with the other masala components, crushed roasted peanuts can be used.

In place of heated oil, vegan butter may be used to make the dough. Also, because roasted peanuts provide some oil to the dough, only a small amount of oil is used.

Make a firm dough that isn’t too soft. The dough should not be kneaded. The dough must be able to be rolled out and must not be too dry.

The small lemon-sized dough can be squeezed into thin crackers or made into large rotis and cut out using a cutter. This makes the job go more smoothly.

Nippattu should not be overly thin or thick when rolled. If they’re thick, they puff out like pooris and soften as they cool. Using a fork to pierce them is optional, but it guarantees that they do not puff out.

Fry over medium heat; if the heat is too high, the outside of the Nippattu will darken, and the middle will stay undercooked. When deep-frying, do not overfill the pan; just cook 2 or 3 at a time. This guarantees even grilling on both sides.

After they’ve cooled fully, store them in an airtight container. However, if you leave them out for too long, they will get mushy and lose their crunchy texture.

How do you store and serve Nippattu?

Once the golden fried Nippattu has reached room temperature, store them in a sealed container. To keep my container pristine, I always cover the bottom and top with kitchen towels. Nippattu can be kept at room temperature for up to 15 days. Serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee as an evening snack.

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List of Ingredients

• Salt to taste
• Water as needed
• ½ tsp Asafoetida
• ¾ tsp Cumin or jeera
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp hot oil
• 2 tbsp Maida
• 2 cups (320 g) rice flour
• 2 tbsp Fine Rava or chiroti Rava
• Curry leaves
• ¼ cup (20 g) dry coconut gratings
• ¼ cup (35 g) fried gram or hurigadale
• ½ cup (75 g) roasted peanuts (deskinned)
• Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Put curry leaves, cumin, dried coconut gratings, roasted gram, and roasted peanuts in a mixer jar. This combination should be coarsely ground. Store this mix in a safe place for future use.
2. Combine rice flour, fine Rava, and maida in a mixing dish. Add the coarse mixture that was previously ground. Add the red chili powder, asafoetida, and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly.
3. Pour in the heated refined oil and stir with your hands to make crumbs. Prepare a firm dough by adding a little water.
4. Set aside for 15 minutes the dough that has been made. Next, make little dough balls and roll them into thin rotis. Now make Nippattu using a circular mould. Each Nippattu should be pierced with a fork.
5. Heat the oil over medium heat and deep fry the prepped Nippattu till golden brown. Using a kitchen towel, absorb any excess oil. After the Nippattu has completely cooled, put it in a sealed container.

How do you store Nippattu?

Once the Nippattu has completely cooled, put it in a sealed container. Kept airtight, it stays crisp for later snacking.

Nippattu Nutrition Value

Here’s the table for Nippattu nutritional value:

Nippattu Servings: 12	Per serving	% of Daily Values
Energy	156 cal	___
Protein	1.3 g	2%
Carbohydrates	13 g	4%
Fibre	0.5 g	1,5%
Fat	10 g	15%
Cholesterol	0.01 mg	0%
	VITAMINS in Nippattu
Vitamin A	133 mcg	2.1%
Vitamin B3	0.5 mg	4.2%
Vitamin B9	2.3 mcg	2.3%
Vitamin C	0.3 mcg	0%

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