Janthikalu

Those who know the name 'Janthikalu' does not require any introductions for this dish. It is a tasty, easy to make and great snack. Only problem is, it requires a specific instrument which I have shown.

Preparation time: 45 min.

Ingredients:

Rice flour: 3 cups

Split black gram (urad dal): 1 cup

Tapioca (sabu dana): 2 tbsp

Carom seeds (Ajwain/ Vamu): 3 tsp

Unsalted butter: 2 tsp

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Grind Tapioca into smooth powder.

Dry roast black gram until the gram turns light golden brown. When it cools grind into a smooth powder. We can also get gram flour from groceries. It saves time and energy.

In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, carom seeds, butter, salt and tapioca flour.

Mix well.

Make it into a smooth paste with consistency between semi smooth to thick.

Heat oil.

Take the 'Janthikalu maker'. It contains different variety of plates with holes. Select one of them. Fix this plate in the bottom of the maker.

Keep the dough in the bottom vessel.

When oil is hot, place the top vessel on the bottom vessel as if placing a lid with very light pressure.

Now keeping this maker above the hot oil, press hard so that the dough leaks through the holes.

Move the maker in a small circle while simultaneously pressing the dough.

If this seems to be hard, grease a plastic wrap/ aluminium foil, press the dough onto it. Carefully transfer this into oil.

Remove this circular dough after it turns golden brown from oil.

These are called Janthikalu.

When they are cool, transfer them into an airtight vessel.

Do not refrigerate.

They would be fresh for a week.