Jantikalu

A crunchy dry snack with afternoon tea/coffee.


Jantikalu Presser
1 cup Urad dal – Minnapappu
4 cups Rice flour
Chili paste
1 tsp Vamu
Butter stick
Oil to Fry

Dry fry Urad dal in a skillet and let cool. Add 1 tsp of vammu to urad dal and grind to a smooth flour in a Blender /Mixee. Leave butter stick outside for some time.

In a large bowl add rice flour, urad flour, salt, butter stick and chili-paste.
(This can be added according to taste, green chili karam tastes good in this rather than the red chili powder).

Mix all the ingredients using as less water as possible and make a chapati kind of dough. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and let sit for 2 -3 hrs.
Heat oil in a kadai (I personally prefer a traditional concave shape kadai for maximum usage of space with less oil) and never let the oil be screaming hot! It burns the first batch.

Drop a spoon of hot oil in the mixture; this will make the fried item light. A pinch of cooking or baking soda can also be used.

Take the Jantikalu presser (a special apparatus used for making jantikalu, murukulu ) and use a small holes washer. Fill it in with the dough and try one outside, to see if it is moving smoothly. Add water accordingly and then, try in the oil. This has to be done fast and brisk, as the oil is hot and hot steam comes across the hands. Be very careful.

Move in circles and empty the whole dough in the presser. Do not move the jantika in the oil immediately, this will mess the shape, after a few minutes (1 or 2) use tongs or a strainer and turn it the other way.

Remove when it is nice golden color.

Repeat the process. Place them on paper towels so the excess oil is absorbed.
Jantikalu have a good shelf life. Save in an air tight container. Gently press into jantika to make smaller pieces for easy storing and eating!