Thattai - Savory snack for Diwali - Step-by-Step Recipe

Murukku and Thattai are the most important savory snacks (must-haves) that my mom makes for Deepavali every year. Mixture is the next one and that one gets made in a big tin, about 5 kilos :)  Yes, Diwali used to be a wonderful time for me and my sis, as kids, where we get to give lists to mom (for sweets and savories) and dad (for fire-crackers), a month in advance :) Shopping at T.Nagar for Diwali clothes used to be a well-planned project, with me and my sis, short-listing the fashion-trend for that year, from "discussions" with our peer groups at school/college and competing to get the more-funky attire of the two! :P  Now, being a grown-up and far-away from family, Diwali celebration here is all about good food!!!

Thattai

I made Thattai for the first time during last Deepavali and it was a huge success. The Thattais were crisp, not-too-oily and tasted right! I decided to make Thattais this time as well, as we already have 2 packs of Murukku fresh from Grand Sweets Adyar when my dad-in-law visited us last week.

What You Need To Make Thattais -

Rice flour - 4 cups
Urad flour - 1/2 cup
White sesame seeds (Vellai Ellu) - a handful
Channa dal/ Bengal gram dal (Kadala paruppu) - a handful
Hing / Asafoetida (Perumgayam) - 2 pinches
Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (optional) 
Salt - ~ 3/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp or less (Please note -> Don't add too much thinking it will enhance the taste of your Thattais, they will instead turn out to be chewy and not crispy!)
Oil - for frying
Water - as required, to make the dough

How To -

• First, roast urad dal in a pan until slightly reddish (don't let them turn black please). Allow to cool and then powder using an electric mixer/ food processor. It should be fine.

Urad flour

• Take a glass of water and microwave it. Then soak Channa dal in warm water for about 15 minutes.

• Now, to the main step of making the dough. Take rice flour in a big bowl, add urad flour made and mix well.

• Then add sesame seeds, salt, red chilli powder, hing. Drain off water from channa dal and add the softened channa dal.

• Mix water gradually and make a dough. Add butter finally so that it's not crumbly and comes together as one mass. That indicates your dough is ready.

Dough is ready to make Thattais

• Take a plastic sheet (Ziploc cover works too), grease with a little oil. Take a small portion of the dough, about the size of a small lemon, flatten it and make a thin circular disc. Thattai should not be thick else it wont get crisp.
• I used the bag that Channa Dal came in. Later, oiled my palm and used that to make Thattai and slid them gently into hot oil.
• It's recommended to apply oil periodically on your palm/plastic sheet, else you'll see the Thattai breaking off before you can drop them into the pan/ kadai.

• Take a kadai and heat suffient oil for deep frying. When oil is hot enough, drop the discs carefully (about 4 at a time, depending on the size of your kadai) and deep-fry on low to medium flame. Turn them over when one side is done. Patience is the key to nice, crisp Thattais :)

• It takes about 5 minutes or so, to get well-crisp and ready to be drained from oil. Use kitchen-tssues to absorb excess oil from the fried goodies. Let cool and then store them in an airtight container.

You don't have to wait for Deepavali to make it. Thattais are great to munch with a hot cuppa masala chai, any day, any time :)

Crisp Thattais

Sending this to Khushi's My Diwali My Way , Anu's Diwali - Festival of Lights, Serve It- Festival Potluck
events .