Spinach namak para recipe – Diwali is round the corner and those who know me, know that I love colorful food. I am a huge fan of namak para, so this time around, I have thought of making spinach namak para. Spinach namak para gives a nice twist to the traditional namak para, in terms of color as well as taste. For those less familiar with namak para, consider these as savoury twisters.
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What is Namak Para
Namak para is a savoury, crispy and tasty snack from north of India. It is also called as namak parey, nimki, or mathri (in some parts of India). These are best tea time snack and also made as snacks for festivals (in India).
I have grown up eating namak para since my childhood and was one of my favourite munch. These are economical to make and easy to make as well. No wonder, my mum will keep a jar filled with these namak para, almost all the time. A sweet version of these is called shakar paray or shankarpali.
This recipe here uses all purpose flour, however you can equally use whole wheat flour. Both will yield crunchy namak para. The main difference between one made from all purpose flour (maida) vs wheat will be the taste and lightness. All purpose flour one, will be lighter and tastier, however less healthier. Wheat one will be heavier as it contains barn.
In this recipe, I have given the shape of stripes or twisters. You may choose a taste that entices you, e.g. diamond shape or shape of animals etc to excite kids.
Method of making Namak Para
- First of all, blanch the spinach in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain them and grind in food processor to make a purée.
- In a mixing bowl, take all the all purpose flour, semolina, salt, oil, carom seeds and mix spinach purée too. Knead it to a semi soft dough with the help of little lukewarm water. Cover with moist kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Now make 6 equal sized balls out of this dough. Roll them one by one with help of rolling pin considering that they should not be very thin in size.
- Make long stripe cuts vertically and then horizontally of desired length .
- Heat oil in a kadai. Put the cut stripes into the heated oil and deep fry them on low-medium heat till they are little golden. Take them out on a kitchen towel and keep them for few minutes and they will be crispier.
Pro Tips
- In this recipe I have deep fried, however you may use an air-frier. In using oil, make sure oil is not too hot, rather fry on low to medium heat/
- Roll the dough so that its not too thin.
- Make sure the dough is semi-stiff. Too tight will mean, you will struggle to roll and if too thin, then it will get soggy.
This spinach namak para
- Is fully vegan
- Has got long shelf life. Keep these in an airtight container. It shall last 2-3 weeks easily.
- Is great companion to tea or coffee.
- East to make and does not require any great cooking skill.
If you not in mood to try spinach version, you can stick to the normal namak para or try the haldiram style mathri.
Serving suggestion
Serve these spinach namak para as munchies in evening snack.
Recipe Card
Palak Namak Para | Spinach Twisters
Ingredients
- 2 Cup All Purpose Flour/ Maida
- 4 Tbsp Semolina (Sooji)
- 200 Grams Spinach/Palak
- 1/4 Cup Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/3 Tsp Carom Seeds
- Oil For Deep Frying
Instructions
- First of all, blanch the spinach in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain them and grind in food processor to make a purée.
- In a mixing bowl, take all the all purpose flour, semolina, salt, oil, carom seeds and mix spinach purée too. Knead it to a semi soft dough with the help of little lukewarm water. Cover with moist kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Now make 6 equal sized balls out of this dough. Roll them one by one with help of rolling pin considering that they should not be very thin in size.
- Make long stripe cuts vertically and then horizontally of desired length .
- Heat oil in a kadai. Put the cut stripes into the heated oil and deep fry them on low-medium heat till they are little golden. Take them out on a kitchen towel and keep them for few minutes and they will be crispier.
- Similarly, make rest of the namak para with the same process.
Notes
- Adding semolina is optional. It just helps to give it a crunchy texture.
- If you want to keep your namak pare for longer period , you can store them in an air tight container.
Nutrition