Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Chola Fali - A gujarathi snack


Last year it was around Deepavali we moved to this country. We moved in to the empty apartment that very evening, purchased frugally and set up the house. Two days into Lagos, it was Deepavali. I had to be content with a simple home pooja and offering fruits. However, friends who live in the building invited us over to join in their celebrations and we had a good time.

One of my neighbours is a young mother who hails from Gujarat. She had prepared many typical Gujrati farsan and we were treated to. The chola fali is one that I liked very much and had requested her to teach me making the same. The opportune time did not come by until errr....yesterday, yes, a year later :(

I would be not doing justice if I did not introduce her to my readers. Did I mention 'young mother'? oh yes, I did! Rekha Adodra is a great cook who has trained her Nigerian maid to make perfect, thin crisp Khkaras among many other indian dishes, an artist who paints as a hobby and undertakes assignments too.


She paints pots and gifts them to friends - I have two of them adorning my home now!



All these, while she takes her three year old toddler to play school, gives in to the little girl's fancies and plays with her among many more regular duties as a parent.

Having said that, I shall also tell you how randomly we chose to make these chola falis. I asked her to be taught some traditional fare that she makes at home for trying and sharing in my blog.
She said I can walk in any time and we can have fun cooking up anything I decide to. She usually has stock of necessary ingredients. Thus yesterday evening about 5 PM I walk up to her apartment and we decide on Ghathiyas...as we chat up I say that we make kara sev and tell her that it has gram flour as base and spiced with carom seeds. She said then the recipe is similar and we shall try it some other time.

Then I asked her if she can teach me the same savoury treat I had at her place last year and that decided what I will learn...and oh yes, learn it, I did! And what is use of knowledge if not shared?
That is the purpose of the post!

Simple ingredients, some time on hand and loads of patience with the dough gives you this excellent snack which can be as versatile as you can make it. Today's recipe is basic enough for people not familiar with this.

It tastes like the pappadoms that we deep fry. Spiced with black salt and paprika, it keeps you picking at those strips one after the other. It takes all of your will power to stop snacking.

She used store purchased Mathia flour, a readily made mix of Urad dhal powder and Moong dhal powder. However, people who do not find it in your area can powder the dhals and mix them.

Ingredients:
2 cups gram flour
2 cups mathia flour (alternately, mix 1 cup each of powdered urad dhal and powdered moong dhal)
2 tablespoons ghee
1/8th of a teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda (cooking soda)
Salt as required (dry roast the salt until warm prior to adding to the flours. Do remember to add lesser salt than required as you will be sprinkling black salt mix on top)
4 tablespoons oil for pounding the dough and to grease the surface on which you will roll the dough.

Oil for deep frying

For sprinkling on top:

3 teaspoons red chilli powder
3 teaspoons black salt

Method of preparation:

Sieve together the flours and soda-bi-carb, to mix well.
Heat the pan in which you will deep fry the chola falis. When the pan is warm, drop the salt in it and toss for a few minutes. When the salt has been roasted, add it to the flour mix.
Add the ghee to the flour. Mix well.
Add very little water and make a stiff dough. The dough should be so stiff that you may feel it crack.
Rest the dough for a few minutes.
Clean a portion of the kitchen floor / counter top (or better if you have a granite mortar/ aattukkal, ammi kal).
Divide the dough in smaller portions. Using a pestle, beat the dough down on the clean surface adding few drops oil every now and then. Repeat the fold / beat/ grease/ fold operation until the dough feels light and elastic and acquires a lighter shade.
Repeat with the entire portion of the dough.
Keep this dough covered while you pinch out small balls off it and roll out thin discs.
No flour is used for dusting the surface. You will have to grease the surface with very little oil and roll as thinly as possible. (My friend rolled out so thin that the dough looked transparent.)
Keep the rolled discs also covered to avoid drying by exposure to air.


Keep the oil for deep frying on.
Cut out strips off the dough.
Meanwhile, mix the black salt and red chilli powder in a bowl and keep ready.
Deep fry the strips, few at a time in hot oil.
They have to puff well. Fry them until they are crisp.
Remove from the oil with a slotted ladle and transfer to a dish.


Check for the crispness and sprinkle the chilli-salt mix on top immediately while the falis are warm.
Serve them as a snack and enjoy!

Notes:
They dough has to be prepared very stiff.

Beating it down well ensures that the falis puff well.
Also rolling them very thin makes them perfectly enjoyable. Thick strips will become soggy.

Caution should be exercised while adding oil also during the process of beating the dough don and rolling. Do not be tempted to add more oil. The end result will be oil dripping falis.

The roasting of salt in the same pan aids a small addition of salt to the oil, which ensures that the deep fried stuff does not become oily.

Serve them as such, serve them as chaat, serve them with dips and your party is on fire from the starters :)

I will soon be making them and adding my own twist...stay tuned!

25 comments:

  1. This snack is very new to me,wish I have some now with coffee :) And the art works are amazing,wish I too use my leisure time like this :)

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  2. Looks so delicious Lataji..thanks..:)

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  3. Love these crispy snacks. A treat to the eyes.

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  4. wow...
    looks crispy and delicious..
    convey my wishes to rekha, all her works are wonderful :)

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  5. Crispy gujarathi snacks looks fabulous..

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  6. hmmmmmmmmmm I sure can make out how crispy and lip smacking this snack should be.I t looks very very tempting to have an evening snack.
    indu srinivasan
    kattameethatheeka.blog spot.com

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  7. That's one lovely post. Thanks to you and your friends for this post. Dry roasting the salt is a new trick for me. Love these kind of traditional fares. Looking forward to your version.

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  8. Wow, they look fantastic, so you will be treating us with lot of gujrati food soon :), I will stay tuned!, My sis lived in Umbergoan she also makes loads of things, and keeps going back their, I went and stayed there for few days enjoyed the people and place so much, what a beautiful piece of art, tell her they are all gorgeous looking ones especially the pots are eyecatching and of course the painting too.., thanks for sharing the recipe... looking forward to your twist :)

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  9. One of my friend made this for potluck and I tried this once after that.. We loved it a lot.Yours looking very perfect. Way too tempted. The art piece and pots are absolutely beautiful.

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  10. Wow, those look so crispy. Its times like these that I wish for a magic wand that could convert my monitor into a thoroughfare and I could simply pick up whats on your plate.

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  11. Beautiful art work :) Convey my wishes to her. She is rocking :)

    The snack looks very tempting too :)

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  12. lovely paintings!!...yummy crunchy snack

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  13. Wow lovely snack. Looks so crisp and nice color.

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  14. OMG the Ganesha Painting makes me flip! She is a wonderful artist and kudos with a little gal :)
    The snack is perfect with cuppa of chai!

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  15. I don't think I've ever tasted these but they look so delicious.. How very talented your friend is akka... those are some lovely works of art.

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  16. How nice to have a neighbor/friend where you can walk in and both of you can cook up anything! And do tell her that her art work is terrific - she is real talented!And love the chola falis. I have these too here and enjoy them a lot. They look so perfectly done with the sprinkling of red chilli powder!

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  17. Hey love this recipe and the clicks you have posted.. Wonderful blog u have :) Following you now

    Please accept the awards waiting for you at my space :)

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  18. this is a lovely tribute to your young friend - kudos to her and to you for recognizing a good thing when you see it :)

    Looks very temping and delicious

    Cheers,
    Priya
    Do check out my blog anniversary giveaways

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  19. Hi Lata,

    I was in lagos for about 2 years and lived in Victoria Island.

    The background for the vase so looked like where we stayed, I had to comment as well..

    Be assured I am trying this recipe for the ICC as well as diwali..

    As long as you r there , do you think you could find me the recipe for a local drink called Chapman!!

    Thanks so much

    Andy
    mailandynow@gmail.com

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  20. look amazing ! I have been reading about your posts thru Srivalli's blog , and only today jumped right in !! loved ur space n happy to follow you !

    Cheers
    Kalyani
    Join me in a 100-day Global Food Festival here
    Event ending Sep 30th: Fasting Foods(Vrat ka Khaana Special)

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  21. My family luv this savoury..Its crispy ,yet oil-free snack...I used to buy some from nuts n spices...Thank you for sharing the recipe,lataji..

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  22. The works of art are soo pretty! So is the chola fali :)

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  23. Lovely collection of recipes!!! Have been on your space for the 1st time... n now connected via GFC :) Happy to be here...

    Visit me @ www.cookingwithsj.com

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Hello,
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Hope we shall interact often.
Thanks once again,
Lata Raja.