Crispy, crunchy and flavorsome Baked Namak Para recipe that is much healthier alternative compare to traditionally deep fried version of this Indian snack. Namak Para is a popular North Indian snack traditionally made with all purpose flour (maida), semolina (suji / rawa) and seasoned with salt and carom seeds (ajwain).
Among all the snack jars that my mom had, one of them would always be full with khasta Namak Para. It was a must in my house kitchen while growing up and especially during all festive times. All siblings would happily munch on with lemon pickle while adults would accompany with their hot cup of evening tea.
Keeping the tradition on, I also try to keep them available in my snack bar for family to enjoy most of the time of the year. During festive season, it is a must to make fresh batch of Namak Para as they make great festive gifts to exchange as well.
Baked Namak Para
Crispy, crunchy and flavorsome Baked Namak Para - healthier alternative to traditionally deep fried version.
How to make Namak Para Crispy and Flaky?
Secret to making Namak Para more crispy and flaky is to add mowen (oil) to the flours. The right quantity of mowen is very important to achieve the flaky texture. If added too much then dough will fall apart and if not enough is added then would yield into a very hard texture.
Rub the oil and flours together between your palm to mix them properly. Then using lukewarm water or milk you will knead it into a stiff dough. The consistency of dough is very crucial it should be tight and stiff. Using a stand mixer, make this much easier.
There are different benchmarks for dough stiffness. Mathri dough, puri dough, paratha dough and roti dough; all have different stiffness. Mathri dough is the stiffest while the roti dough is the softest among those mentioned.
Is Namak Para different than Mathri?
This savory Indian snack is called by different names depending on the shape, just like every pasta shape has a different name. For this savory Indian snack below if the names corresponding to different shapes:
- Round circular disc - Mathri
- Long finger like strips - Sankh
- Folded into triangle - Tikoni
- Cashews shaped - Cashews.
- Diamond cut - Namak Para
I personally like to make them into diamond cut shape which is known as Namak Para or Namak Pare.
Healthier Namak Para Recipe
In addition to baking, instead of deep frying, this recipe uses several other enhancements to make it healthier compared to other recipes available online.
- This recipe uses a mix of healthy flours rather than just all purpose flour. Whole wheat flour and almond flours have been added to the dough mix for nutritional enrichment.
- This recipe uses baking instead of deep-frying to make it healthy. This is especially important since mowen make snacks absorb more oil during deep frying.
- Using Almond flour in the dough further reduces the amount of mowen needed to be added in dough.
Can this Namak Pare Recipe be Nut-free?
If you want to make this recipe nut free then simply skip the almond flour and increase 1 tbs oil, as almond flour is high on fats adding almond flour reduces the amount of oil in the recipe.
Baked Namak Para
Crispy, crunchy and flavorsome Baked Namak Para - healthier alternative to traditionally deep fried version.
Can Namak Para be baked?
Oh yes!!! Namak Para can be baked easily but it took me few trial and errors to achieve the right composition of dough. Other difficult part was to come up with the thickness of the Namak Para and the baking time to achieve the crispy and crunchy results instead of tooth breaking hard texture. If you try to compromise with any of the parameters you would not get the same result.
Important Tips to get Perfect Khasta Namak Para
1. Do not reduce the quantity of oil. Since we are baking them, we really need that quantity of oil in the dough. For every cup of flour. I have added 2 tbs of oil exclusive of almond flour.
2. The consistency of dough is very important. Dough needs to be stiff. Softer dough would not yield a crunchy Namak Para. Kitchen-Aid or any other brand dough maker makes it really easy to get right consistency of dough without using any muscles.
3. Thickness of Namak Para - I struggled for the longest time to perfect this part. When I get conscious then I would either roll it too thin or leave it too thick. Too thin bakes too quickly and too thick will take too long to cook.
This Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin helped me to achieve the right thickness every-time. I actually bought this rolling pin for rolling the cookies, but realized that this could also be used to roll my Namak Pare to perfect thickness. Hence, I am not worried any more about rolling them too thick or thin. Even with little to no experience in rolling, one can get consistent results using ⅙th”or 4 mm size of disc every-time.
4. Baking time is equally crucial low temperature longer cooking time will yield hard texture Namak para whereas on high temperature the outer surface gets brown to quickly leaving center of the Namak Para uncooked. If I bake 4 mm thick Namak Para @ 375 F for 15 minutes I get the perfect crispy result.
How to store Baked Namak Para?
Shelf life of these Baked Namak Para is 3-4 weeks, if stored in an airtight container in a cool and dry area of your kitchen such as indoor pantry or cabinet.
Why you should make them right away?
As Diwali is round the corner make this easy snack and get done with one thing from your to do list.
- Made with healthy mix of flours
- They are baked instead of fried
- Perfect crispy and crunchy snack
- Doesn’t required any special ingredient
- Super easy and quick to make
- Makes a perfect festive snack
- Kids friendly
Ingredients for Namak Para Recipe
From Pantry
- Whole wheat flour – 1 cup/140gms
- All Purpose flour– 1cup/130 GMA
- Almond Flour– ½ cup/50 gms
- Semolina/Suji/Rawa-¼ cup/50gms
- Oil – 4 tablespoon
- Water or milk– ½ cup + 2 Tbs
Spices
Method for Baked Namak Para
- In a large bowl or in a stand mixer bowl add whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina and almond flour.
- Now add seasonings -salt and carom seeds and oil.
- Rub the flour and oil in case making dough with hands or mix the flour at lowest speed setting in case of stand mixture. The oil should be well incorporated in all of the flour. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes, you don’t want to rush this step and keep scrapping the sides of bowl with spatula. Once incorporated, the mixture resembles crumbly. Press some flour between your palm- it should form a shape (& not crumble) – means oil is enough and well incorporated.
- Now, start adding water, little by little and mix to form a stiff dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough. I used around ½ cup and 2 tbs of water here to get the right stiffness.
- Once the dough comes together, place it on your work surface and knead using your knuckles for few minutes.
- Divide the dough in three parts wrap it with cling wrap and let all the dough portions rest for 30 minutes.
- At this point start pre-heating the oven @ 375oF.
- Once the dough is well rested, take one part and roll it into a ⅙th or 4 mm thick circle.
- Using pastry cutter or pizza cutter cut them into diamonds. You can also use cookie cutter to cut them into different shapes if you want.
- Transfer the cut diamond pieces on parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in a pre-heated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Keep a close eye or start a timer.
- After 10 minutes carefully flip all the pieces.
- Now bake for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Let them cool down before storing or serving. It will get crispy, once they cool down.
“For pleasure has no relish unless we share it.”
― Virginia Woolf, The Common Reader
Baked Namak Para
Crispy, crunchy and flavorsome Baked Namak Para - healthier alternative to traditionally deep fried version.
Recipe
Baked Namak Para - Healthy and Crispy
Equipment
Ingredients
From Pantry
- 140 gms Whole wheat flour 1 cup
- 130 gms All Purpose flour 1 cup
- 50 gms Almond Flour ½ cup
- 50 gms Semolina Flour Suji/Rawa -¼ cup
- 4 tablespoon Oil
- ½ cup Water
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Salt or as per taste
- 1 teaspoon Carom Seeds Ajwain
Instructions
Method for Baked Namak Para
- In a large bowl or in a stand mixer bowl add whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina and almond flour.
- Now add seasonings -salt and carom seeds and oil.
- Rub the flour and oil in case making dough with hands or mix the flour at lowest speed setting in case of stand mixture. The oil should be well incorporated in all of the flour. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes, you don’t want to rush this step and keep scrapping the sides of bowl with spatula. Once incorporated, the mixture resembles crumbly. Press some flour between your palm- it should form a shape (& not crumble) – means oil is enough and well incorporated.
- Now, start adding water, little by little and mix to form a stiff dough. It should just come together and form a stiff dough. I used around ½ cup and 2 tbs of water here to get the right stiffness.
- Once the dough comes together, place it on your work surface and knead using your knuckles for few minutes.
- Divide the dough in three parts wrap it with cling wrap and let all the dough portions rest for 30 minutes.
- At this point start pre-heating the oven @ 375oF.
- Once the dough is well rested, take one part and roll it into a ⅙th or 4 mm thick circle.
- Using pastry cutter or pizza cutter cut them into diamonds. You can also use cookie cutter to cut them into different shapes if you want.Roller dough cut in Diamond shape
- Transfer the cut diamond pieces on parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in a pre-heated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Keep a close eye or start a timer.
- After 10 minutes carefully flip all the pieces.
- Now bake for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Let them cool down before storing or serving. It will get crispy, once they cool down.
Notes
1. Do not reduce the quantity of oil. Since we are baking them, we really need that quantity of oil in the dough. For every cup of flour. I have added 2 tbs of oil exclusive of almond flour.
2. The consistency of dough is very important. Dough needs to be stiff. Softer dough would not yield a crunchy Namak Para. Kitchen-Aid or any other brand dough maker makes it really easy to get right consistency of dough without using any muscles.
3. Thickness of Namak Para – I struggled for the longest time to perfect this part. When I get conscious then I would either roll it too thin or leave it too thick. Too thin bakes too quickly and too thick will take too long to cook.
4. Baking time is equally crucial low temperature longer cooking time will yield hard texture Namak para whereas on high temperature the outer surface gets brown to quickly leaving center of the Namak Para uncooked. If I bake 4 mm thick Namak Para @ 375 F for 15 minutes I get the perfect crispy result.
Sangita Shah says
Seems great…but just wanted to know what needs to be done to make them soft and crispy rather than hard and crispy ?
Any suggestions please ?
Regards
akanksha jaiman says
Absolutely one of the best namakparas i ever tasted-even better considering they are baked.
I am not sharing the box with anyone:)
M says
This recipe is keeper, Amazing Results! Thank you for sharing your recipe with us.
Nisha Shah says
I followed your recipe to the T and only difference was I made just half of the recipe. However 7 minutes into the oven, it started burning and I have to throw out the whole batch. I am unable to understand what went wrong?
Rupali Agarwal says
Hey Nisha, I am sorry to hear that. Don't give up. Every oven work's diffrently. I often do a test batch before putting a bigger batch to make sure my setting are correct. Also in case of oven, there is always residual heat. So you need to take it out of oven and cool as soon as baking time is over. Baking time and temperature also may vary depending on the size and thickness of the pieces that you are trying to bake. So in this case, if namak para piece started burning in 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature. If you do try it again, let me know how it goes. Good Luck! - Rupali
Riku says
Thanks for sharing. I love
the idea of baking namakpare.
Q. In my experience it is impossible to get a stiff dough in the stand mixture even when I increase the quantity. It seems the mixer needs more liquid to work properly. Do you have same issue? How do you overcome it?
Rupali Agarwal says
Hello Riku, yes you are right. Stand mixer helps in getting all ingredients together and do kneading part. Which itself is a big help on my wrist when required a stiff dough. So ones all the ingredients are together and the dough is kneaded well then I divide the dough depends how much I can handle and put together with hands.
This way I get a well kneaded stiff dough.
Hope this helps.
Rupali
Priyanka Dabre says
Can I skip the All Purpose Flour and replace it with something else?
Rupali Agarwal says
You can add all whole wheat flour, but then the texture would not be same.
Thank you- Rupali
Chitra says
What can I substitute for almond flour?
Rupali Agarwal says
You have the option to omit the almond flour and include an extra tablespoon of oil in the flour mixture.
DB says
Due to allergies, cannot use almond flour. Is there any substitute?
Rupali Agarwal says
Hello Dipti,
You can skip the almond flour and add additional one tablespoon of oil to dough.
Thank you-Rupali
Swati says
Hi,
I see you use almond flour in most of your recipes. What's the use of almond flour?
It's not very easily available in India, can I grind almonds and use it?
Thanks for your help.
Swati
Rupali Agarwal says
Swati, being rich in fats, almond flour adds nice khasta texture to the end product with out adding too much of oil/ghee. At the same time it enhances the overall nutritional values as well.
Yes, you can grind almonds at home as well. Just that, almond flour is so easily available in USA that you have one less thing to worry about.
Thank you
Rupali
Gunjan says
Instead of parchment paper, can i use aluminum foil? Will that make a difference?
Rupali Agarwal says
You can, but using aluminum foil is not very healthy. It leachs into food.
Thank you