Another Diwali Post, a savory one. These crackers are crunchy, delicious, baked and glutenfree. The usual Namak paare (salty crackers) are made with whole wheat flour or a combination of wheat flour and semolina. They are thick wheat crackers spiced with Carom seeds-Ajwain and black pepper. They are deep fried and served along with the sweets to guests who come visit during the festival. The festival has a couple of celebrations spread over some days. Many days for visiting friends and family and days to eat and eat. It starts off with Dussehra(harvest festival and victory day celebration) then Hoi Ashthmi (Celebrating Children- the kids always get to eat Black Chana masala, plain nut free Sooji/Semolina halwa and Deep fried Puri flat bread) and Diwali over 2 days and more after that too.
These crackers are based on Potato Murukku,which is thick noodle type snack. This same soft dough is pushed through a noodle/cookie press type thing, directly into the heated oil and fried till crisp.
I used the dough and made these crisp baked crackers instead. They taste like Murukku/Murukulu, look like Paare, look all pretty with the turmeric hue, and make for fun munchables.
I make small quantities of things to post, so I can make other variations and keep posting:) else we end up with containers full of things to finish:)
From the archives, GF Chickpea Mathri crackers here.
Mash the potato. Add oil if using and mix it in.
Mix brown rice flour, salt, spices, baking powder and add to the potato and mix it into a crumbly mixture.
Add a teaspoon of water at a time to make a soft dough. I needed only 2 teaspoons.
Water needed will depend on the moisture content of the potato and flour used.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Place the dough on parchment and press a bit with your hand.
Dust some brown rice flour on top and roll it out with light pressure into as thin as possible.
Cut the rolled out dough using pizza cutter into squares or diamonds. Use a fork to prick a few holes in the crackers.
Bake in preheated 370 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Take the crackers out, break them apart and bake for another 8-10 minutes.
Crrrunnchh
Baked Namak Paare- Savory Potato Rice Crackers
Allergy Information: Gluten, Dairy, egg, soy, corn, nut, yeast free
Makes a 4 inch bowl full. Easily doubled, multipled.
Ingredients:
1 small potato – boiled, peeled and mashed. About 1/4 cup
1/4 cup Brown Rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Coarsely ground Black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Carom seeds(ajwain) or cumin seeds
a generous pinch of turmeric powder
a generous pinch of baking powder
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (Optional)
2-3 teaspoons water
Method:
Mash the potato. Add oil if using and mix it in.
Mix rice flour, salt, spices, baking powder and add to the potato and mix it into a crumbly mixture.
Add a teaspoon of water at a time to make a soft dough. I needed only 2 teaspoons.
Water needed will depend on the moisture content of the potato and flour used.
Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
Place the dough on parchment and press a bit with your hand.
Dust brown rice flour on top and roll it out with “light” pressure into as thin as possible. (Keep dusting more flour to avoid dough sticking to the rolling pin and breaking apart).
Cut the rolled out dough using pizza cutter into squares or diamonds.
Use a fork to prick a few holes in the dough.
Place parchment on baking sheet and Bake in preheated 370 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Take the crackers out, break them apart and bake for another 8-10 minutes until crisp to touch.
Cool and store in airtight container.
These crackers are being shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Ricki’s Wellness Weekend, Healthy Vegan Fridays
Lynley
Thank you for another delicious recipe. I have made the deep fried version of this before and I was desperate for a healthier version. I find rolling between two sheets of parchment paper makes the process super easy and mess free. No sticky dough or roller and super thin too. I also added some puréed green chillies and cumin seeds for extra flavour.
Lynley
I also bulked up the recipe. 3 potatoes yielded 2 cups of potato mash. I added 2 cups of rice flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. I found that when the dough hasn’t been rolled thin enough, it won’t peel off the parchment paper easily. I didn’t roll one batch of dough thin enough so I put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes before I flipped the diamonds.
Nicole
I made them with a garnet yam, just uuked until soft.
Just fabulous!
Thank you!
Rachel
These are delicious. Thanks for the great recipe. I had to bake them about 8 minutes longer than directed to get them crispy. Are you supposed to bake them on a cookie sheet or place the parchment paper directly in the oven?
Richa
The bake times would depend on the thickness of the crackers. I bake them on parchment lined baking sheet.
Sonny
I tried these with nutritional yeast, black pepper, cummin and paprika. They were absolutely delicious. So much tastier than store bought biscuits. Highly recommend. Easy to make and versatile. Thanks so much for posting the recipe and for easy to follow instructions. 10/10!
Kristin
What type of potato works best? Russet? or a waxy potato? These definitely look great!
Artophoria
Potato and gluten free..
Oh, these crackers looks great!
Thank you for sharing..
Can I subtitute white rice flour for brown rice flour?
Richa
yes you can 🙂
mita
thanks for the recipe , much needed
Purvi
Hi Richa, would this work well with another flour (may be oat or garbanzo bean) in place of brown rice flour?
Pat
That is a great question. I’d like the answer for that too please.
9042bb04-d793-11e2-8595-000bcdca4d7a
Would it be okay to deep fry or shallow fry these? My oven is broken but I want to make these namak :”( please advise?
Richa
I havent tried frying them. Make a dryer dough for frying. Let me know if you do try. thanks
dleirer
Love this recipe.Today I tried squishing the dough into muffin tin compartments (instead of rolling the dough out and cutting). They turned out great and baked evenly because in just had a small amount of dough in each compartment. Thanks, Richa.
Diane in Bloomington, In.
mamapasta
I did them ( in French), delicious with a dip….
the day after I re-heat them in the oven and they turn crispy again
Anonymous
I tried the recipe using white rice flour. It tasted good right out of the oven. After a couple of hours though it turned chewy and inedible. I don’t know what went wrong.
Richa
Maybe there was some extra moisture and it needed to be baked slightly longer? I havent tried white rice flour. there are several varieties of white rice too, so it really depends. these crackers stay crispy. the last batch i made lasted about 3 days. in one batch a few were just a teeny bit soft and probably chewy later because they were the center crackers which dint bake enough.
Anonymous
will the recipe work if i use jowar flour instead of rice flour? Thanks in advance.
Richa
you might need a bit more or less. give it a try. 🙂
Kristy
These look so addictive, Richa! I imagine they get eaten up pretty quickly. The photography is just exceptional too, as always. 🙂
christine
these look totally wonderful – I want some ……. now!!!!! I love Indian snacks, but many are deep fried, so I don’t bother, but these, wow, I shall make some very soon:) thank you
Shira
Richa this recipe looks INSANE! Deep down I adore crackers and never find anything I truly love. I’ve also never made my own with any great success either! Pinned for a later date! Thanks!
Annie
I want to snarf those right up!
Richa
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Andrea
I love the way the crackers look, and they sound so delicious. I’m wondering — did you bake them right on the paper? I can’t imagine you could remove the paper but am just double checking.
Richa
yes, i just moved the parchment onto a sheet and baked them. After 15 minutes, they easily came off the parchment to break up. the dough is too soft and crumbly to be able to remove from the sheet once rolled.
Allana
Wow…I totally agree, these crunchy crackers would be divine with hummus (oh hummus, how I love thee?) I’m thrilled they are homemade and GF…making these asap 🙂 For a cheesy rendition, I wonder…can nutritional yeast take a role in the cast of ingredients?
Richa
sure, nutritional yeast and a little mustard powder will give it that cheddary taste!
VeganFling
I could go for some of these crunchy crackers right now! They look so fun, and sound like they would be great with some hummus or other dip.
Richa
we dint wait to make hummus:) they are oo addictive and now i have to make another big batch!
vedgedout.com
I’m all about homemade crackers at the moment, I think these might get a cheesy makeover! My kids are still pining over goldfish crackers…
Richa
i like the way you think 😉 though making goldfishes might be difficult with this soft gf dough.. simple shapes will work best:)
Kristy
Somer, you need to try this recipe: https://chefchloe.com/on-the-side/vegan-goldfish-crackers.html (Sorry Richa, for posting someone else’s recipe on your cracker post!). The twins were very distraught over not having goldfish crackers anymore, so Sophia and I made these. They were delicious and they were gone in about 36 hours. They’re time consuming, but your daughter would have a blast helping you. 🙂
Karen's Vegan Kitchen
What gorgeous little crackers. I’ve gotta make some! Love the potato addition and the fact you don’t use AP flour…
Richa
i think i threw out my ap flour about 1 year ago 🙂
ANU
very nice and yummy snack….beautiful clicks dear…
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Richa
Thanks Anu!
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
Mmmmm these look like they would be perfect all on their own or with a bit of hummus- I need to start experimenting with cracker recipes!
Richa
When i get bored of eating breads as snack i have to munch of salt filled crackers!:)
Kristina
Ooo I’ve been wanting to make my own crackers! These look so yummy! And love love love that theres no dairy or gluten, these sound perfect
Richa
Thanks Kristina. these are super easy. let me know if yo try them:)
narf77
These look fantastic and easy…thus making this recipe a must bake in the near future. As we ramp up into spring and are getting closer and closer to our Australian summer we are choosing to eat lighter meals and learning to make my own crackers is a great skill that will help towards making summer meals more interesting 🙂 Thank you for your amazingly inventive vegan recipes. Who says that we are missing out?!
Richa
i dont know why people say that.. coz i am eating so much more fun stuff since the diet change:) i think you can add these small crackers to a a salad too. like a crackery version of a tortilla strip salad:)
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Manali
Should def try these munchies…:)
Richa
yup.. these are super easy to throw in the oven:)
Misty
Just dropping by, and I love to try this recipe Richa. I love crackers and other snacks! But I think, I’d have to add more turmeric/curcumin powder to it. Just to add more spice. 🙂
Richa
Sure, add any spice to taste.
Vicky
I love these! Would they work with sweet potato do you think?
Richa
they might taste slightly different.. but should work!
Joey
Now that’s clever stuff – I like that the binding is potato rather than fat or oil. I can eat a load of these and not feel too mad about it!
Richa
i already ate a load of these:))
Caitlin
i have always been a cracker lover and these look fantastic!! they look perfectly crispy and i love the color! also, i love that mashed potato is the base.
Richa
i ove the potato in them too. they taste like fusion potato chips:)