Crispy, spiral-shaped, and full of warm spices, chakli is the snack everyone reaches for first on a Diwali faral platter. Traditionally, it’s made with bhajani, a roasted flour that takes time to prepare. This instant chakli uses rice flour and besan instead, so you can make it any day with pantry staples. Mine were gone in just a couple of days! 😋
Recipe at a Glance
Instant chakli is a crunchy Maharashtrian snack made with rice flour, besan, sesame seeds, and spices, shaped with a chakli extruder and deep-fried. It makes 17 medium chaklis in about 30 minutes, using a mixing bowl, extruder, and kadhai.
What makes it different: No bhajani to roast or grind. Everyday flours give you the same crunch in about 30 minutes.
Quick facts: Makes 17 chaklis · about 30 minutes · vegetarian · vegan
Why You’ll Love This Chakli
- No bhajani needed, just rice flour and besan from your pantry.
- Crisp, light, and perfectly spiced.
- Ready in about 30 minutes.
- Stays fresh for 2 to 3 weeks, so you can make it ahead of Diwali.
Ingredient Notes
Rice flour: This gives chakli its crunch. It fries up light and crisp instead of chewy.
Besan (gram flour): It adds a nutty flavor and helps bind the dough. A little goes a long way; too much makes chaklis dense.
Hot oil (mohan): This is the secret to a light, crisp bite. Hot oil coats the flour evenly, which cold oil can’t do.
Peanut oil: I use peanut oil for both the mohan and frying. It handles high heat well and keeps the chaklis tasting clean. Sunflower, canola, or any neutral oil works too, especially if you’re cooking for someone with a peanut allergy.
Sesame seeds: They add a toasty flavor and little pops of crunch.
Kashmiri red chili powder: I use it for a lovely color without too much heat.
Coriander, cumin, turmeric, and hing: These give chakli its classic savory flavor.
Ajwain: Rubbing it between your palms releases its aroma. It’s also traditionally added to fried snacks to help with digestion.
Warm water: Warm water helps rice flour hydrate faster and makes a smoother dough.
How to Make Instant Chakli
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients.
In a wide mixing bowl, add the rice flour, besan, sesame seeds, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, hing, ajwain (rubbed between your palms), and salt. Mix well. A wide bowl gives you room to rub in the oil evenly in the next step.
Step 2: Add the hot oil (mohan).
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan on medium heat until it’s shimmering and just starting to smoke. Pour it over the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon first, then rub it in with your hand once it’s cool enough to touch. When you press a little in your palm, it should hold together. If it crumbles, rub a little longer so the oil spreads evenly.
Step 3: Make the dough and fill the extruder.
Add the warm water gradually. I used ¼ cup + 3 tbsp, but you may need ½ tbsp more or less. Rice flour soaks up water differently depending on the brand, how finely it’s milled, and how fresh it is. Knead into a soft, smooth dough that isn’t sticky. Shape it into a cylinder and fill the extruder. Keep the rest covered with a damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
Step 4: Heat the oil and shape the first batch.
Heat the oil in your kadhai on medium-high heat. While it heats, press out 3 spirals onto a parchment-lined baking tray, making 4 rounds for each chakli. Press the end of each spiral firmly onto the outer circle, or it will unravel in the oil. The parchment makes each chakli easy to lift with a turner.
Step 5: Test the oil and fry.
Drop in a small piece of dough. When the oil is ready, it will sizzle and float steadily up to the surface without darkening right away. Gently lift a chakli off the tray with a flat turner and slide it into the oil. Raise the heat to medium-high for a moment, then immediately lower it to medium-low. The quick boost stops the oil temperature from dropping, and medium-low cooks the chaklis through without browning the outside too fast. Don’t touch them for 1 minute so they can firm up. Then flip and fry until almost all the bubbles are gone and they settle near the bottom. Three chaklis took me about 2 to 2½ minutes. While one batch fries, shape the next.
Step 6: Drain and cool.
Lift them out with a spider and place them on paper towels. Let them cool completely before storing. Any warmth trapped in the container turns them soft.
Serving Suggestions
Chakli is perfect on its own with a hot cup of chai. For a full Diwali faral platter, pair it with my crispy oven-roasted poha chivda. Add something sweet, like my saffron and cardamom suji halwa, for a balance of savory and sweet.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Store cooled chaklis in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay crisp and fresh for 2 to 3 weeks. You can make them a week or two before Diwali so they’re ready when guests arrive.
Instant Chakli (No Bhajani) FAQs
The hot oil, called mohan, coats the flour so the chaklis fry up light and crisp instead of hard. Hot oil spreads through the flour more evenly than cold oil. Just don’t add more than the recipe calls for, or the chaklis can turn oily and fall apart in the kadhai.
There are usually three causes. The dough may be too soft, so knead in 1 tbsp rice flour and try again. The oil may not be hot enough, so test it with a small piece of dough first. Or the chaklis were moved too soon, so leave them untouched for the first minute until they firm up.
The dough is too dry. Sprinkle in warm water, ½ tbsp at a time, and knead until smooth. Keeping the extra dough covered stops it from drying out between batches.
Instant Chakli (No Bhajani)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a wide mixing bowl, add the rice flour, besan, sesame seeds, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, hing, ajwain, and salt. Mix well.1 Cup Rice flour, 1/4 Cup Besan, 1/2 Tbsp Sesame seeds, 1 Tsp Coriander powder, 1/2 Tsp Cumin powder, 1/2 Tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1/8 Tsp Turmeric, 1/8 Tsp Hing, 1/4 Tsp Ajwain, 3/4 Tsp Salt
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan on medium heat until it’s shimmering and just starting to smoke. Pour it over the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon first, then rub it in with your hand. Pressed in your palm, the mixture should hold together.1 Tbsp Peanut oil
- Add the warm water gradually and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Shape it into a cylinder and fill the extruder. Keep the remaining dough covered with a damp cloth.1/4 Cup + 3 Tbsp Warm water
- Heat the oil in a kadhai on medium-high heat. While it heats, press out 3 spirals of 4 rounds each onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Press each end firmly onto the outer circle.Peanut oil
- Test the oil with a small piece of dough. It should sizzle and float steadily to the surface without darkening right away.
- Gently slide the chaklis into the oil using a flat turner. Raise the heat to medium-high for a moment, then lower it to medium-low. Don’t touch them for 1 minute.
- Flip and fry until almost all the bubbles are gone and the chaklis settle near the bottom, about 2 to 2½ minutes per batch of 3. Shape the next batch while one fries.
- Drain on paper towels. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Water: Rice flour absorbs water differently by brand and freshness, so you may need ½ tbsp more or less.
- Size: Fewer rounds make smaller chaklis; more rounds make bigger ones. I made 4-round spirals and got 17.
- Storage: Stays crisp for 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container.
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