Kamranga Nimki
A crunchy spindle-shaped savoury snack—a great accompaniment to evening tea.
- Cooking time2 hours
Calories105kcal
Elo-jhelo nimki is a Bijoya staple in most Bengali households. It takes its whimsical name from its twisty-lacy structure. Also known as 'kamranga nimki' after the shape of the fruit by the same name, this deep-fried shortcrust pastry is characterised by its elegant spindle shape. A perfect nimki is not chewy but crisp; it breaks with a satisfying snap. In this video, we show you how to achieve nimki of the desired shape, colour, texture, and of course, flavour. It is best enjoyed with a cup of hot tea.
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DonateIngredients
Serves
16
- 200 g maida (all-purpose flour)
- 8 g salt
- 10 g sugar
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 2 g jowan (carom seeds)
- 50 g ghee
- 50–60 g water
- ½ tsp lime juice
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
- In a bowl, take maida, salt, sugar, baking soda, carom seeds, and ghee. Mix everything together, rubbing the mixture between your fingers until the flour resembles breadcrumbs in texture.
- Add water and lime juice. Mix until everything comes together. Be cautious not to overknead: this is supposed to be a flaky, shortcrust pastry; we don't want to develop gluten. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 20 g portions. Shape into uniform discs.
- Roll each disc to 10 cm diameter. Using a sharp knife cut parallel lines along the the diameter, leaving a 7 mm gap between each cut, as well as from the edge of the disc.
- Apply water on opposite edges. Pleat the two opposite sides and pinch to secure the folds. Now, hold the two ends of the nimki and twist once. For a visual reference watch this video.
- Heat vegetable oil (3-cm deep) in a kadai to at 150°C. Fry the nimki on low heat until it crisps evenly.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.
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