Air-fryer Chakli is here; right at the time of Diwali. This unique, tasty, and popular savory snack is a popular dish often made during Diwali. However, I have a non-fried version of this popular spiral snack from India.
This is crispy, tastes exactly the same, and is equally satisfying. And it’s made in the Instant pot Vortex air-fryer. Presenting my Diwali special air-fryer Chakri or chakli.
Traditionally deep-fried, Chakli is a calorie-loaded snack. However, air-frying cuts back on the calories drastically. This recipe is dependent on the dough you make.
If the dough is not right, your air fryer chakli will be either hard or soft. Here are some tips to make the chakli crispy!
- Use hot oil and massage it with the flour mixture.
- Once the oil mixes well with the flour, add hot water a spoon by spoon till a soft dough is formed. Since we are not using any gluten-based flour, the dough will be sticky if you add more water. Remember, we are aiming for a soft but not sticky dough.
- Spice up well. If you want spicier chakli, just beef up the spices. The more chilies in there, the spicy your chakli will be.
- These air-fryer chaklis are easy to make, delicious, and a perfect healthy snack to try.
What is Chakli or Murukku?
Chakli, is a spiral crunchy snack from India. It is usually spicy, savory and almost always fried to perfection. In south India, chaklis are also known by the name “murukku,” and often made from urad dal flour.
The deep fried spiral snack can be made from a combination of gluten-free flours such as rice, chickpea or lentil flours.
How To Make Air-fryer Chakli?
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice flour
- ½ cup Chickpea flour)
- ½ cup sour yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (lightly crushed)
- 1 tablespoon White Sesame Seeds
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Hing
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 2-4 tablespoon water, as needed
- 2 tablespoon hot cooking oil
- 2-4 Lukewarm Water to knead the dough
- Oil for spraying
Method Of Making Air-fryer Chakli:
In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, gram flour, and hot oil.
Use a spoon to mix the oil with flour and then rub the flour-oil mixture with your fingertips or between your palms. Add seeds, spices, and salt. Mix well.
Add warm water gradually and knead the dough until a smooth and soft dough is formed. Rub the dough with little oil and keep it aside. Just cover it with a wet cloth, so the dough doesn’t dry out.
Divide the dough in to small equal parts. We will use a chakli maker to shape chaklis. If you don’t have one, use a cookie press with a star/shaped disc or a cake icing bag with a regular nozzle. Those using the chakli maker, start with greasing the barrel with a little oil.
Take a part of the dough and place it inside the chakli maker. Press the chakli maker to make swirls on a parchment paper. I prefer to add the parchment paper directly inside the air fryer. If your air-fryer has racks, then add the chaklis directly on the racks.
Preheat the air fryer at 350F for 10-minutes. Now brush or spray the chaklis with oil and place them in the air fryer basket.
Air Fry these chaklis at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 12- to 15-minutes. Do not forget to turn the chaklis half way through and brush them with little more oil. Based on the thickness of the chaklis, they will take max 15-minutes to cook perfectly.
Follow the same process to make more chaklis from the remaining dough.
Allow the chaklis to cool down.
Serve the air fryer chaklis with tea or coffee.
📖 Recipe
Air-Fryer Chakli
Equipment
- Instant Pot, Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice flour
- ½ cup Chickpea flour)
- ½ cup sour yogurt
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon White Sesame Seeds
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Hing
- 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 2-4 tablespoon water, as needed
- 2 tablespoon hot cooking oil
- 2-4 Lukewarm Water to knead the dough
- Oil for spraying
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, gram flour, and hot oil. Use a spoon to mix the oil with flour and then rub the flour-oil mixture with your fingertips or between your palms. Add seeds, spices, and salt. Mix well.
- Add warm water gradually and knead the dough until a smooth and soft dough is formed. Rub the dough with little oil and keep it aside. Just cover it with a wet cloth, so the dough doesn’t dry out.
- Divide the dough into small equal parts. We will use a chakli maker to shape chaklis. If you don’t have one, use a cookie press with a star/shaped disc or a cake icing bag with a regular nozzle. Those using the chakli maker, start with greasing the barrel with a little oil.
- Take a part of the dough and place it inside the chakli maker. Press the chakli maker to make swirls on a parchment paper. I prefer to add the parchment paper directly inside the air fryer. If your air-fryer has racks, then add the chaklis directly on the racks.
- Preheat the air fryer at 350F for 10-minutes. Now brush or spray the chaklis with oil and place them in the air fryer basket.
- Air Fry these chaklis at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12- to 15-minutes. Do not forget to turn the chaklis half way through and brush them with little more oil. Based on the thickness of the chaklis, they will take a max of 15-minutes to cook perfectly.
- Follow the same process to make more chaklis from the remaining dough.
- Allow the chaklis to cool down.
- Serve the air fryer chaklis with tea or coffee.
Mayuri Kesa
Hi, I have tried these, they turn out simply wonderful. However after a few days the oil has a rancid smell (I’m using sunflower cooking oil)
Any suggestions ?
Sophie
Nut-based oils do leave a rancid smell sometimes. I never had any such problem. I would suggest to reheat the chalklis in air-fryer before eating the rest.