Authentic Bhajani Chakli

I have such vivid memories of coming home from school to the mouthwatering aroma of my mom's authentic Bhajanichi Chakli filling our kitchen. Diwali faral recipes, like Chakli, are passed down through generations, and my mom faithfully follows my grandma's recipe. The result? A perfectly crispy, spiced snack that's simply out of this world!

Chakli has many regional variations across India. In South India, it's known as Murukku, made with rice flour and lightly seasoned with salt and asafoetida. In Gujarat, Chakri is crafted with whole wheat or rice flour. In Maharashtra, we use Bhajani, a special homemade flour blend. Chakli is one of the most beloved Indian snacks, and there's nothing better than enjoying it with a hot cup of chai!

Diwali is my favorite time to fill the house with homemade snacks and sweets. If you're planning your festive menu, don't miss these must-try traditional recipes: Shankarpali, Chirote, and Rava Laddu. Each one is a fail-proof recipe, full of flavor, and guaranteed to bring that warm, festive feeling to your table.

Let's Talk About Bhajani

Traditional Maharashtrian Chakli gets its signature taste and crunch from a special homemade flour called Bhajani. In my family, rice and lentils are washed, air-dried, then slow-roasted with cumin and coriander seeds before being ground into a fine flour; a true labor of love that gives Chakli its authentic flavor. Every time I visit India, I bring back a few pounds of my mom's homemade bhajani so I can recreate those flavors in my own kitchen.

I've often received questions from you about what to do if you don't have bhajani flour like I usually do. So one summer, while my mom was visiting, I learned how to make it from her, so I could share it with you. She taught me two different methods, and I'm thrilled to pass them along!

If you don't have the time or opportunity to make bhajani from scratch, don't worry. Ready-made mixes like K-Pra Brand Ready Chakli Mix from Indian grocery stores work beautifully and save you the extra steps

How to make homemade bhajani (Chakli flour)

Method 1: Mom's traditional recipe using rice and lentils 

This recipe requires a good flour mill or a powerful blender to grind the rice and lentils. In India, mom sends it to a professional mill that gets her finely ground flour.

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• ½ cup chana daal 
• ¼ cup urad daal
• 2 tablespoons moong daal 
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions

Step 1 - Rinse the rice and lentils individually and drain well. Spread on separate paper towels for about 10 minutes to air-dry. Dry roast the rice and lentils, one at a time, for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat until they start to turn light brown, stirring constantly. Roast cumin and coriander seeds for a minute. Allow all the roasted ingredients to completely cool (photos 1 - 4).

Step 2 - Grind rice and lentils in the flour mill, blender, or a small spice grinder to make fine flour. I was able to grind them in 2 to 3 batches using my small spice grinder. Sift the flour and separate the coarse flour. If the coarse flour is more than ¼ cup, grind it again to minimize the waste; otherwise, discard it. That's it! This is your homemade bhajani that can be used to make authentic bhajani chakli (photos 5 - 6).

Note:  The above recipe makes 2.5 cups of flour, which should make around 25 chaklis.  Since homemade flour made without a professional mill can be a bit coarse, it needs a lot more water to make a soft dough. I used almost 2 cups of water to make the dough with flour ground in my blender.

How to make Chakli, Step-by-Step Recipe

Step 1 - Add the flour to a mixing bowl. Add ¼ cup of hot oil and ¼ cup of hot water. Add red chili powder, carom seeds, turmeric, salt, and sesame seeds. Mix everything with a spatula. Gradually add cold water and knead the flour to make a soft dough (add more water if needed). Cover the dough with a moist paper towel so it does not dry out (photos 1 - 4).

Step 2 - Heat the oil in a frying pan or kadhai over medium heat. Insert the chakli disc with a star shape in the middle into the chakli press. Next, take some dough, knead it for a minute, and make it into a cylindrical shape to fit in the chakli press. Insert just enough dough to almost fill the tube. Tightly secure the top lid/handle on the tube (photos 5 - 6).

Step 3 - Start pumping out the chakli in a circular motion on small pieces of parchment paper or paper towels. I usually do 3 to 4 spiral rounds, close to each other, to make one chakli. Secure the end to the outermost circle so the chakli will stay together.  Continue pressing the remaining chaklis. The tube usually holds enough dough to press out 6 to 8 chaklis (photos 7 - 8).

Step 4 - Test the oil for optimum temperature by adding a small piece of dough to the oil, which should rise up gradually in 5 to 10 seconds. If it rises too fast, lower the heat, and if it does not rise in 10 seconds, allow the oil to heat up further. 

Step 5 - Carefully add chakli one at a time into the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the frying pan. You can add 3 to 6 chaklis at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Keep on high heat when adding the chakli to the hot oil. After about 1 minute, lower the heat to medium. After 2-3 minutes, turn them over, one at a time, and continue to fry on medium to low heat or until they are golden brown in color for another 1 to 2 minutes. It usually takes a total of about 5-6 minutes to perfectly fry a batch of chaklis. Lower the heat when you are ready to take out the chakli. Take them out in a paper towel-lined tray and then allow them to cool down in a single layer (photos 9 - 10).

Step 6 - Repeat pressing out the chakli and frying process for the remaining dough, steps 3 and 5. Remember to increase the heat of the oil to high before adding the next batch of chakli.

Storing

Allow the chakli to completely cool down and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay good for weeks or even months as long as you keep them away from moisture.