Chakuli

Crispy pressed rice flour spirals — rice flour mixed with urad dal flour, sesame seeds, cumin, dried red chilli powder, asafoetida, and salt into a smooth, firm dough with water, loaded into a chakli press (a cylinder with a star-shaped die), and pressed in a circular spiral directly into hot oil, deep-fried until uniformly golden and completely crisp throughout. The chakuli must be made with rice flour that is fine and dry; the fat-to-flour ratio in the dough determines the crispness. Eaten as a standalone snack with tea; also placed on the meal plate during festivals as a crunchy textural element. The Udupi chakuli is thinner and crispier than the North Karnataka variety and uses sesame seeds prominently — the sesame provides a roasted nuttiness in each bite. Made in bulk for Deepavali and stored in airtight containers; the chakuli at its best lasts two to three weeks without losing crispness.