Spicy Diamond Cuts / Namak Pare Recipe with stepwise pics and a short YouTube video. If you like my video, please SUBSCRIBE to my youtube channel. These biscuits are also called Nimki, Maida Khara Biscuits, Spicy Shankarapali, Savory Diamond Cuts, etc one recipe with so many names, a tasty snack you can keep on munching. It is made from all-purpose flour/ maida with added chilli powder for spiciness, ajwain, and cumin seeds for flavor. Also, it is super easy to prepare, the only part where we have to look back is a stiff and smooth dough, then the rest of the process is a breeze. Don’t worry guys! I have shared a lot and lots of tips/notes if you read it till the end, there is a no a word of recipe flop, as I have covered almost all the points to the best of my knowledge. Furthermore, these biscuits can be added to the South Indian Mixture, Poha Mixture, and even Cornflakes mixture, I have shared a similar version too in my blog already, Sweet Diamond Cuts / Kalakala, do check it.
Check my other Diwali Snack Recipes like
1. Ribbon / Ola Pakoda
2. Omapodi
3. Garlic / Poondu Karasev
4. Aloo Bhujia
5. Karasev
6. Cornflakes Mixture
Spicy Maida Biscuits
Spicy Diamond Cuts | Namak Pare Recipe
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Kadai / Pan
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 2 Cups Maida / All purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste Link for Ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp Jeera
- ½ tsp Ajwain Seeds
- ⅛ tsp Hing
- ½ Cup Water
- 1½ tbsp Ghee / Butter Link for Homemade Ghee
- Salt As Required
- Oil For Deep Frying
Instructions
- First, measure and keep all the ingredients ready.
- To a dry mixer, add the jeera and ajwain seeds. Pulse it once roughly, don't grind it to a fine powder for a long time, else the jeera and ajwain tastes bitter.
- In a mixing vessel, add the all-purpose flour/maida. Add the chilli powder and ginger-garlic paste to 1/2 cup of water.
- Mix the water well with a spoon and keep by side (this method helps in the even spreading of the chilli powder in the dough). To the flour, add the pulsed jeera, ajwain powder, hing, and required salt.
- Now, pour the water slowly and combine everything well. Then, add the ghee.
- The dough should be smooth, pilable, and stiff. IF THE DOUGH IS STICKY, it cannot be cut and removed (refer step 9) and if it's removed also, it sucks a lot of oil. Set the dough aside for 20 to 30 minutes, don't skip this step else the diamond cuts turn hard after frying. After the resting time, knead the dough again and divide it into 3 to 4 balls, as preferred.
- Dust the rolling board with the flour generously. Place the dough over the board, then, dust again with some flour, and roll the dough into medium thickness (about 8 to 9 inches) not thin.
- I used a cutter with a designed edge, you can use a pizza cutter or knife too.
- First, cut the dough horizontally and then vertically, as diamond or square-shaped (watch my video for more details). If you don't want the snack to puff up, you can prick it with a needle or fork randomly at this point. Then with a flat ladle or scraper or with your fingers remove it carefully and transfer it to a plate. Heat oil in a pan to MEDIUM HEAT only, not fuming, then drop the cut dough carefully in batches.
- If fried in low flame, the snack turns very hard and if fried in high flame, it gets burnt. Fry till golden color on both sides and drain it in a kitchen towel.Try this Namak Pare Recipe for this Diwali festival.
Notes
Tips for Namak Pare Recipe
1. For a healthy version, an equal measure of wheat flour and maida can be used. But if prepared with wheat flour alone, the snack will be dense. 2. Adjust chilli powder as per spiciness required for this Namak Pare Recipe. 3. I used homemade Ginger-Garlic paste, you can prepare freshly ground paste too for more flavour. 4. Don't skip ajwain/carom seeds/omam as it lends the best aroma to this Spicy Diamond Cuts. Even 1/2 tsp of sesame seeds can be added for a nice look and flavour. 5. Also, don't grind the ajwain and cumin seeds to a fine powder for a long time, else it tastes bitter. Just pulse it roughly. 6. Even 1/2 tsp of pepper powder, amchur powder or even chaat masala powder can be used for a different flavour. 7. I mixed the chilli powder and ginger-garlic paste in water and then added it to the dough. This method helps in even mixing. 8. Ghee can be replaced with the same quantity of butter. But don't skip it, else the snack turns hard. But don't more than mentioned, else the snack turns soggy. 9. The dough should be smooth as well as stiff, NOT STICKY. If the dough is sticky, it cannot be rolled or removed from the board, if you are able to remove also, it sucks a lot of oil. 10. If the dough turns loose or sticky, add 1 or 2 tsp of maida and knead again. 11. Ensure to rest the dough for 20 to 30 minutes, else the snack will be rock hard. 12. Always roll the dough to a medium thickness (about 8 to 9 inches) not too thin, else you will not be able to remove, otherwise, when fried it would be like chips. 13. Dust the rolling board and dough with maida generously, so it will be easy to cut and remove the dough. 14. I used a cutter with designed edges, you can use a knife or pizza cutter too. Also, you can cut it to 1/2 to 1 inch to square or diamond shape as preferred. 15. Always fry the snack in medium flame only. If fried in low flame, it turns hard and if fried in high flame, it gets burnt very soon. 16. For baked version - pre-heat the oven to 180c for 10 mins, then bake the biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes, by stirring it once in the middle.
Spicy Diamond Cuts Recipe
Method for Spicy Diamond Cuts
1. First, measure and keep all the ingredients ready.
2. To a dry mixer, add the jeera and ajwain seeds. Pulse it once roughly, don’t grind it to a fine powder for a long time, else the jeera and ajwain tastes bitter.
3. In a mixing vessel, add the all-purpose flour/maida. Add the chilli powder and ginger-garlic paste to 1/2 cup of water.
4. Mix the water well with a spoon and keep by side (this method helps in the even spreading of the chilli powder in the dough). To the flour, add the pulsed jeera, ajwain powder, hing, and required salt.
5. Now, pour the water slowly and combine everything well. Then, add the ghee.
6. The dough should be smooth, pilable, and stiff. IF THE DOUGH IS STICKY, it cannot be cut and removed (refer step 9) and if it’s removed also, it sucks a lot of oil. Set the dough aside for 20 to 30 minutes, don’t skip this step else the diamond cuts turn hard after frying. After the resting time, knead the dough again and divide it into 3 to 4 balls, as preferred.
7. Dust the rolling board with the flour generously. Place the dough over the board, then, dust again with some flour, and roll the dough into medium thickness (about 8 to 9 inches) not thin.
8. I used a cutter with a designed edge, you can use a pizza cutter or knife too.
9. First, cut the dough horizontally and then vertically, as diamond or square-shaped (watch my video for more details). If you don’t want the snack to puff up, you can prick it with a needle or fork randomly at this point. Then with a flat ladle or scraper or with your fingers remove it carefully and transfer it to a plate. Heat oil in a pan to MEDIUM HEAT only, not fuming, then drop the cut dough carefully in batches.
10. If fried in low flame, the snack turns very hard and if fried in high flame, it gets burnt. Fry till golden color on both sides and drain it in a kitchen towel.
Try this Namak Pare Recipe for this Diwali festival.
Namak Pare Recipe
Welcome to my blog www.asmallbite.com. Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you’re enjoying my recipes to make the taste forever. I am Priya Santhamohan, writer and photographer (with hubby’s help) of this blog. 
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