• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ministry of Curry logo

  • SHOP
    • The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
    • Amazon Store
    • eBooks
    • Cooking Classes
    • Meal Plans
  • RESOURCES
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Air Fryer 101
    • Indian Cooking Tools
    • Cooking 101
    • Essential Indian Spices
    • Guide to Beans and Lentils
    • Holiday Shopping Guide
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Oven Recipes
    • Stove Top Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Salad
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Low Carb
    • Vegan
  • ABOUT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
  • Cooking Classes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Diwali

    Crispy Namak Pare

    Published: Oct 17, 2022 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 2 Comments

    10 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Namak Pare are light and crispy bite-sized savory Indian crackers made with flour and spices. Traditionally deep-fried, they can also be air fried for a healthier option. A simple recipe with a handful of pantry ingredients these homemade light and tasty crackers are a must-try!

    Jump to:
    • Mom's Tips For Best Namak Pare
    • Ingredients For Namakpare
    • How To Make Namak Pare
    • Serving
    • Storing Namakpare
    • More Indian Snack Recipes
    • Recipe

    Namak Pare is a popular Indian snack that can be enjoyed year around. It is especially made during Diwali along with other sweet and savory snacks. Namak Para (singular) which literally translates to "salt piece" is a savory variation of the popular sweet Shakkarpara. Also known as "Khare Shankarpale", "Nimki", "Namkeen" or "Tukdi" these tasty finger foods make for a fun-to-eat snack for kids and adults. In this recipe, mom cuts them into bite-sized squares but they can also be cut into diamonds or thin strips.

    namakpare in a bowl served with chai

    Mom's Tips For Best Namak Pare

    • Use fine whole wheat flour and make a firm dough
    • Coarsely grind cumin seeds and carom seeds for the best flavor and aroma
    • Red chili powder is optional and you can also skip it if you like
    • Roll them thin and fry on low medium heat until they are golden brown and crisp

    Ingredients For Namakpare

    • Whole Wheat flour - finely ground whole wheat flour from Indian grocery stores
    • Spices - red chili powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, carom seeds, and salt (aka namak)
    • Oil - for frying or oil spray for air frying. I like to use neutral avocado oil
    ingredients to make namakpare

    How To Make Namak Pare

    • Using a mortar and pestle coarsely grind cumin and carom seeds
    • Add flour, salt, and oil to a medium mixing bowl. Massage well with your hand making sure the oil is evenly distributed in the flour. You should be able to make a loose ball with the flour
    • Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, turmeric, and red chili powder. Mix well.
    • Adding a little bit of water at a time, knead the dough. Add a teaspoon of oil if needed to make a smooth dough.
    steps one through four showing how to make dough for namakpare
    • Make 4 even balls with the dough. Roll one piece of dough into a thin 8-inch circle. Use dry flour if needed for rolling.
    • Using a pizza cutter or a knife the rolled circle into 1-inch squares of namak pare. Place them in one or two layers on a large tray. Lightly sprinkle some dry flour if needed to prevent them from sticking to one another.
    • Repeat rolling the remaining dough and cutting it into small squares
    steps five through eight showing how to roll and cut namakpare
    • Heat oil in a frying pan and allow it to heat for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the cut namak pare, to the hot oil. Depending on the size of your pan you can add more or less. The pan should be full with a single layer of namak pare frying.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry for 3 to 4 minutes as they gradually turn light brown. Drain out any excess oil and remove the namak pare onto a paper towel-lined tray.
    • To Air Fry - Preheat the air fryer to 350 F. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Line the namak pare in one layer and lightly spray oil over it. Air fry for 5 to 6 minutes at 350 F.
    steps showing how to deep fry or air fry namakpare

    Serving

    Enjoy them with a hot cup of tea or take them as a yummy on-the-go snack. Kids will also love them as an afterschool snack.

    Storing Namakpare

    Namakpare stays crunchy and fresh in an air-tight container for up to 4 weeks.

    More Indian Snack Recipes

    • Roasted Poha Chivda
    • Murmura Chivda
    • Shankarpali
    • Palak Sev
    • Chakli

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
    namakpare served with chai
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Namakpare Recipe with Deep Frying and Air Frying Option

    Savory whole wheat crisps with cumin and carom seeds
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 261kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Equipment

    • Frying Pan

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups whole wheat flour 8 oz or 228 grams
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons oil hot
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon carom seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
    • ⅔ cup water

    For Frying

    • oil

    Instructions

    • Using a mortar and pestle coarsely grind cumin and carom seeds.
    • Add flour, salt, and hot oil to a medium mixing bowl. Massage well with your hand making sure the oil is evenly distributed in the flour. You should be able to make a loose ball with the flour.
    • Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, turmeric, and red chili powder. Mix well.
    • Adding a little bit of water at a time, knead the dough. Add a teaspoon of oil if needed to make a smooth dough.
    • Make 4 even balls with the dough. Roll one piece of dough into a thin 8-inch circle. Use dry flour if needed for rolling.
    • Using a pizza cutter or a knife the rolled circle into 1-inch squares.
    • Repeat rolling the remaining dough and cutting it into small squares. Makes sure to reserve the cut namak pare in one or two layers on a large tray. Lightly sprinkle some dry flour if needed to prevent them from sticking to one another.
    • Add oil to a frying pan and allow it to heat for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat.
    • To test the oil temperature, add a piece of cut dough to the hot oil and see if floats up within a few seconds without browning too fast. If it takes time to float, you want to allow the oil to heat more, and if it browns too quickly lower the heat.
    • Add the cut namak pare, to the hot oil. Depending on the size of your pan you can add more or less. The pan should be full with a single layer of namak pare frying.
    • Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry for 3 to 4 minutes as they gradually turn light brown.
    • Drain out any excess oil and remove the namak pare onto a paper towel-lined tray.
    • Fry the remaining namak pare, increasing the heat while you are adding cold namak pare to the oil and lowering the heat after adding them. This will ensure perfect oil temperature allowing the namak pare to become crunchy and crisp.
    • Allow them to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for two to three weeks

    Air frying

    • Preheat the air fryer to 350 F. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Line the namak pare in one layer. Air fry for 5 to 6 minutes at 350 F.

    Video

    Notes

    • Use fine whole wheat flour and make a firm dough
    • Coarsely grind cumin seeds and carom seeds for the best flavor and aroma
    • Red chili powder is optional and you can also skip it if you like
    • Roll them thin and fry on low medium heat until they are golden brown and crisp
    • Instead of a square shape you can also cut them into diamonds or thin strips 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @ministry_of_curry or tag #ministryofcurry

    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
    Twitter Facebook Linkedin

    More Diwali Recipes

    • rava ladoo
      Rava Coconut Laddu
    • How to host an Indian party Collage
      How to Host an Indian Party + Sample Menus
    • kurmura chivda in a black plate
      Murmura Chivda | Spicy Puffed Rice
    • karanji in a platter
      Rose Coconut Karanji

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Mugdha patwardhan says

      October 20, 2022 at 11:42 pm

      Tried air fryer version it came out amazing5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        October 21, 2022 at 7:21 pm

        Thank you Mugdha!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

    Learn More About Me!

    Archana's Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

    SHOP

    Popular Posts

    • pav bhaji served with diced onions, pickle and papad
      Mumbai Pav Bhaji
    • Chicken Biryani served in 2 bowls with raita and lemon wedges
      Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
    • mushroom masala served with rice & naan
      Mushroom Masala
    • pomegranate juice in 2 glasses
      Homemade Pomegranate Juice

    Footer

    AS FEATURED IN

    ↑Back to Top

    Ministry of Curry

    Shop
    About
    Privacy Policy
    Accessibility
    Contact

    Food and Recipes

    Recipe Index
    Cooking 101
    Instant Pot 101
    Cookbook

    MOC Pro

    Dashboard
    Meal Plans
    Virtual Cooking Classes
    Tips & Tricks

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Ministry of Curry

    10 shares