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Thattai
Lot of Time
Thattai - a thin, crisp savoury rice cracker studded with lentils, shaped flat by hand and deep-fried.
Rice flour dough with urad dal and kadalai powders, soaked channa dal and butter, patted thin by hand and fried till crisp.
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AMMAMMA'S NOTES.
Rice flour
2 cups
Urad dal (powder)
6 spoons
Puttukadalai (powder)
3 spoons
Butter
2 spoons
Chilly powder
1 spoon
Salt
to taste
Asafoetida
1/4 tsp
Channa dal
2 spoons
Hot oil
as needed
01
Fry the rice flour for a few minutes, and soak the channa dal in water for 1/2 hour.
02
Mix all the ingredients well, strain the water from the channa dal, then add hot oil and mix with water into a dough.
03
Apply a little oil on a plastic sheet, take small portions of dough and flatten into thin round shapes by hand.
04
Fry in hot oil until crisp.
Thenkuzhal
Rice flour and roasted urad dal dough with jeera, hing and butter, pressed into rings and fried till crisp.
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Diwali Mixture
A savoury and sweet snack mix, traditionally prepared ahead of Diwali
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WE DISCOVERED I LIKED THATTAI A LITTLE LATER ON, SO I DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH. THE ONE YEAR AMMAMMA WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, WE GOT IT STORE BOUGHT. I FLAT OUT REFUSED TO IT, LIKE I DID WITH MOST THINGS THAT I KNEW SHE COULD MAKE BETTER.
YAMINI VENKATESAN
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH, 2026