Cheese Para
Cheese is produced and consumed throughout the world in various forms. Shakkar para or Namak para are very popular snacks served in India during Diwali season. Combing cheese with Namak Para has resulted into what I call "Cheese Para". The cheese adds a little zing to the Namak Para taking it to a whole new level.
Servings 5 people
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack cheese)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup water to knead the dough
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Method
- Grate the cheese finely. (Use the smallest size possible)
- Take cold butter and chop them into small pieces using a knife. Make sure the butter is straight out of the fridge and is not at room temperature. Using cold butter will make the cheeslings crisp and flaky.
- Mix salt, red chili powder, grated cheese and butter in the flour.
- Add water little at a time and knead the mixture into a firm but smooth dough. Cover the mixture with a damp cloth/ kitchen towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead the dough and divide this into 4 equal parts.
- Roll out each part into a circle of approximately 8-inch diameter.
- Cut into rectangular pieces such that each cheeseling is about l 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
- Heat oil on medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, drop the pieces and fry till they are golden brown. Do not fry them until brown else the cheese will taste bitter.
Notes
Tips
- Since the cheese is added directly to the flour while kneading the dough, make sure that it is finely grated else the cheese will separate while frying and will burn.
- For 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 50 grams of cheese is sufficient for a subtle cheese taste. However you can increase the amount of cheese in case you want the cheese to dominate the taste. Be careful while adding more cheese as it can separate while frying.
- You can substitute the red chilli powder with ground pepper as well.