Nippat / Nippattu

Nippat or Nippattu is an age old recipe passed on by grandmothers n mothers.. crisp crunchy and a quick to make savory item made of rice flour. This dish doesn't need a whole lot preparations! Its made of ingredients which are commonly used in our kitchens. Nippat is made during festivals like Krishna Janmashtami / Diwali and other festivals. It can be made in a jiffy and a perfect tea/coffee partner.

To make approximately around 30-40 nippats [depends on the size.. smaller the size more in number]

Ingredients:

• Rice flour [500 gms]
• Chiroti Rava or Fine Semolina [2 tbsp]
• Ground Nuts - 50gms
• Fried Gram - 30gms
• Dry Copra [Finely Chopped to small bits] - 1 cup
• Curry Leaves [dried and finely chopped, optional]
• Red Chilli Powder - 3-4 spoons [can vary with requirement] 
• Hing/Asafoetida - a generous pinch [if its a paste] or 1-2 tsp [if powdered]
• White Til - 1 tbsp
• Ghee / Clarified Butter 2 teaspoon for mixing
• Salt to taste
• Hot Oil - for deep frying [out of which 1-2 tbsp while mixing the dough]

How to prepare:

• In a mixer jar, add raw ground nuts and fried gram and run it for just 2-3 seconds! Yes.. not more than that as we don't want a fine powder. Coarse mix is good to go. Set aside.
• Heat a kadai or wok and heat oil for deep frying.
• Take a large mixing bowl. Add the rice flour, chiroti rava, ground nut and fried gram's coarse mixture, fine bits of dry copra, dry curry leaves [optional], red chilli powder, hing, white til, ghee, salt and give it a good mix by hand. 
• To this add heated oil about 1-2 tbsp and carefully mix. Add water occasionally  to bind the ingredients together. The dough will come together and looks and feels like chapathi atta. 

• Take about a lemon sized ball of the dough and pat it on a parchment/butter paper or any non stick sheet. It should be even and about the size of a bangle.

• Meanwhile the oil should be hot and ready to fry the nippat. Reduce the flame to medium low Carefully pick the dough from the sheet and slide it inside the kadai.
• You can fry about 3-4 nippats in one go and this has to be done in low heat as it has to cook through. The colour should be golden brown and thats when its crisp.

• Take it out on a kitchen towel and drain out the excess oil. Let it cool. [honestly... who has the patience to wait that long!! i pounce on it right away!! yummmm ;)]

• This can be stored in air tight containers for about 10 days. Enjoy this yummilicious snack rfect for tea/coffee accompaniment.