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 Diwali snacks, and there's nothing better than enjoying it with a hot cup of chai!

What is Bhajani?

Traditional Maharashtrian Chakli is made with a special homemade flour of rice and lentils called Bhajani. Rice and lentils are washed, air-dried, and then dry-roasted over slow heat along with cumin and coriander seeds. They are then cooled down and ground to fine flour. Every time I visit India, I make it a point to bring a few pounds of homemade bhajani. I have also seen local Indian grocery stores carry K Pra Brand Ready Chakli Mix which works for this recipe.

This Bhajani flour is seasoned with spices, sesame seeds, and carom seeds and kneaded into dough. The dough is then placed in a special press called Chakli Maker and Chakli is made by pressing the dough out into spiral shapes. The pressed spirals are then carefully deep-fried in hot oil till they turn golden brown in color adding the perfect crispness. The resulting snack is so full of goodness and flavor, I bet you won’t be able to stop at one! 

Ingredients

• Bhajani: a homemade flour made using roasted grains and lentils. You can also use the K-Pra brand Bhajani available in Indian grocery stores.
• Sesame seeds: these nutty seeds add a slight crunch and flavor to the chakli.
• Carom seeds: aromatic seeds with a slightly bitter, thyme-like flavor, used for digestion and flavor.
• Red chili powder: adds a spicy kick to the chakli and can be adjusted to taste
• Turmeric powder: for teh perfect color and subtle warmth.
• Oil: for adding to the dough and deep frying the chakli to a crisp, golden perfection.

Since everyone in my house loves Chakli, I usually stock up on bhajani flour when I visit India. However, sometimes just when I plan to make some fresh crispy chakli, I find I have run out of it. So, this summer when my mom was visiting me, we tried a few different ways to make chaklis without the pre-made bhajani flour and I am thrilled to share two of our family-approved methods with you. Not to mention that my boys gave these recipes a five-star rating too!

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 for homemade Bhajani with Rice and Lentils

1. 1 cup rice
2. ½ cup chana daal 
3. ¼ cup urad daal
4. 2 tablespoons moong daal 
5. 2 teaspoons coriander
6. 1 teaspoon cumin 

Step 1 - Rinse the rice and lentils individually and drain well. Spread on separate paper towels for about 10 mins to air dry. Individually dry roast the rice and lentils for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat until they start to turn light brown, stirring all the time. Take the roasted rice or lentil out in a tray and repeat for the remaining. 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. This is it! This is your homemade bhajani that can be used to make authentic bhajani chakli (photos 5 - 6).

Notes: 

1. Makes 2.5 cups of flour which should make around 25 chaklis 
2. 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. Cover the dough with a moist paper towel so it does not dry out (photos 1 - 4).

Step 2 - Start heating the oil in a frying pan or kadhai on medium heat. Insert the chakli disc with a star shape in the middle into the chakli press. Next, take some dough 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 up too fast, lower the heat and if it does not rise up 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 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 for the oil to high before adding the next batch of chakli.

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.

More Diwali Recipes

1. Easy Shankarpali/Shakar Pare with basic pantry ingredients
2. Namak Pare, savory Indian crackers
3. No-fail Rava ladoo with fresh coconut and semolina
4. Layered Karanji or Gujia with aromatic rose coconut filling 
5. Saranachi Puri or Satori, a unique dessert with delicious coconut and jaggery filling

Do you enjoy Indian food? Here are some of our go-to Easy Indian recipes for celebrations and gatherings:

Here is an EASY vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian menu idea:

Indian Vegetarian Menu 

• Chana Saag – spicy chickpeas with spinach
• Aloo Gobi – curried cauliflower and potatoes
• Whole wheat Parathas – homemade parathas or store-bought Naan 
• Paneer Biryani – quick and easy Instant Pot recipe 
• Kheer – aromatic rice pudding with a simple recipe
• Sprouted bean salad – Moong bean salad with crunchy vegetables

Indian Non-Vegetarian Menu 

• Shahi Chicken Korma - Royal Mughlai Curry
• Shrimp Curry  – Quick and flavorful recipe
• Parathas – whole wheat parathas
• Chicken Biriyani – Easy one-pot recipe
• Rose Faluda – Ice cream sundae float
• Beetroot raita – a cooling yogurt side dish