Crunchy ragi fritters are a great twist to the classic rice nippattus. They have a beautiful cocoa hue and the aroma of chilies, peanuts, sesame and sabsige/dill leaves.
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yields: About 20 medium sized nippattus
Ingredients
1 cup ragi flour
2 cups rice flour
1 cup kadale hittu/Besan flour
2 Tbsp peanuts, roasted, skinned and lightly crushed
2 tsp finely crushed, sun dried chilies
1 tsp coconut powder
1 Tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup dill/sabsige soppu leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp hing/asafoedita
1 Tbsp sizzling hot melted butter
1 and 1/2 to 2 cups warm water
Salt to taste
3 cups of vegetable oil, to deep fry
Dry roast the flours until aromatic, about 4 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Cool completely. Mix all the powders, chili flakes, cumin, sesame, dill and salt together. Pour a Tbsp of sizzling hot melted butter on the mixture and mix thoroughly.
Now add lukewarm water little by little and mix into a soft and pliable dough. Make little balls and roll them flat into little discs, about 2 inches in diameter. You can grease a plastic sheet as the surface, or use wax paper to pat down the nippattu.
Heat oil in a deep fry pan on medium-high. When the oil starts to smoke, add a tiny ball of dough; if it sizzles and rises to the oil surface, the oil is hot enough. Reduce the heat to medium; gently peel away the nippattus from the wax paper and lower them into the oil. They will sink, and foam at first, then come up to the surface quickly.
Flip them over to the other side and let cook to a golden brown. Drain the savories on a paper napkin or sieve over a bowl. When the savories are completely cool, store them in airtight boxes in a cool dark place. They will stay fresh for a few days. Enjoy!