NAMAK PAREY 

(28.9.17)

Namak Pare or Namak Para (Nimki) is a popular crispy and crunchy deep-fried savory Indo-Pak snack. Namak para has a crispy and flaky texture which is similar to samosa pastry in taste. This easy ‘Namak Parey’ recipe makes a great tea-time snack. Easy to prepare this delightful snack recipe at home.

Namak Para is a crispy and crunchy saltish snack, popular all over Pakistan and India, this is essentially a deep-fried diamond-shaped savory tea time snack. It has its sweet version as well, called Shakar parey.  Namak Pareys are seasoned with salt and flavored with Ajwain (Carom Seeds), I tried hard to get the history and origin of this snack but couldn't find anything concrete. Most probably it came into existence after the popularity of Samosa in the 10th Century in Central Asia from where it spread in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, When it reached the Subcontinent it became so popular that it seems like it has originated here. As it tastes like a piece of Samosa covering sheet. Maybe someone has eaten it without a filling and the invention of a new snack came into existence.

Come on, let us start preparing our recipe with the name of ALLAH.

Equation:

1. Time for preparing the dough and resting       40-45 minutes
2. Cutting and Frying                                           15 minutes
3. Yield                                                                 4-5 servings
4. Expenses                                                         100 Rupees only.                         

Required Ingredients:

1.  1/2 Kg Maida (all purpose flour)
2.  4 Tablespoons Ghee (Clarified Butter)
3.  1  Tablespoon Zeera or Ajwain (Cumin or Carom Seeds)
4.  Salt to taste
5.  Oil for Frying

Method:

• Mix together Maida, salt, hot Ghee, and Cumin, or Carom Seeds according to your taste and choice in a bowl, add 1/2 cup of water as well.
• Kneed a stiff/hard dough and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes, covered in a damp cloth.
• Dust the counter or a flat surface with all purpose flour and roll the dough into thin Rotis
• Make long cuts in this roti and then make further cuts across to make the diamond shape, like in the attached picture.
• Heat oil in a wok a bit lower than the high temperature
• Put in the portion of diamond cuts of Namak Pareys into the hot oil as they may not crowd the entire wok.
• Fry till golden brown with turning them back and forth so that all the Pareys turn crispy and golden.
• Take out on a platter wherein Kitchen towels have already been placed to drain the excess oil.
• Enjoy anytime with green chutney or tomato ketchup as well as a hot cup of tea.

Instead of buying this snack from Bazar, prepare it in your kitchen with the ingredients you already know are good for your health. though deep fried snacks are not good for health occasionally there is the margin of having them. Forget you are not a certified Cook and start making this snack for your kids and guests and let them wonder how good a Cook you are! so, leave aside your FEAR OF FAILURE and enjoy it with any Sweet n sour Chutney or simple tomato Ketchup.

thank you, 

thine eternally,

NOVICE

Karachi, October the 3rd, 2017