Kaaram Appaalu

Kaaram Appaalu

Appaalu is a traditional Telangana snack usually made during festive season. It is also called 'Chekkalu' in Andhra. Though this dish has many names, it is a simple and savory version of rice crackers. These are so good that you cannot just stop with one or two. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 4 cups
Chana flour (besan) - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Crushed peanuts - 1/2 cup

Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 3 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for deep frying
Water - to make the dough

Method:

1. Soak the raw chana dal in water for half-an-hour.
2. In a large bowl, take the rice flour, chana flour(besan). Mix them well.
3. To this add the red chilli powder, salt, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, chopped curry leaves, soaked chana dal and the crushed peanuts. Mix well crushing with your fingers till all the peanuts and the chana dal is coated with the dry flour.
4. Now heat the 3 tbsp oil till its warm  enough. Add this oil to the above flour mixture. Mix all the ingredients well. Be careful the oil you added in is hot. Try mixing it with a spoon if its too hot for you. The goal here is that the flour should soak up all the oil. The mixture now looks like a pastry crust, dry but the flour still comes together when pressed between two fingers.
5. Now heat some water in a microwave for 2 minutes. Add this water to the above mixture slowly as you keep mixing it with a spoon. When mixed well the dough should be of a chapati dough consistency. 
6. Cover it with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
7. In a kadhai, heat the oil to deep fry the appaalu.
8. Take a small golf-ball size dough, while pressing between your palms, make it into round disc. 
9. In a small bowl take some oil. Dip this disc in some oil. 
10. To make the pooris you need a Poori-press (refer to the picture below)  
    

    

    Tortilla Press
    

11. Place a plastic sheet inside the poori-press to avoid the dough from sticking to the poori press. Apply some oil to this sheet as well. 
12. Place the dough disc inside the poori-press and press it till its thin poori like shape.
    

    

    Tortilla press
    

13. Don't worry if the poori tears, press it with your fingers to cover any imperfections. 
14. Deep fry it in the oil on a low flame till golden brown and crispy.

Tasty tip:

1. Appaalu goes excellent with a hot cup of Indian tea. One crunchy bite into this appaalu and a sip of hot tea is a tea lovers delight.
2. Poori press is sold as 'Tortilla Press' in US.  I bought mine at Target for $15.