Masala Sticks

Dynamite sticks of flavor

An experiment that turned out into a really good snack. An absolute flavor bomb. I had something called methi sticks once and it was terrible. There was a little flavor but the ingredients used were of really bad quality. The smell of stale oil killed it. So I wanted to try something like those fried sticks but with some quality ingredients. Of course, a little improvisation and some messing around led to these Masala Sticks.

The ingredients are very universal. A flour base with some freshly crushed spices. Almost all the ingredients can be substituted with what is locally available and there are a few options listed at the end of the post. The highlight of this snack is the flavor and that comes from the freshly crushed spices. The pre-packed spice powders can also be used but don’t have the same punch.

This is an easy one. Deep fried & delicious.

Masala Sticks Recipe

Ingredients

• Refined Flour: 1 cup
• Clarified butter / Ghee / melted butter: 2 tbsp
• Crushed Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
• Crushed Black Pepper: 1 tsp
• Kasuri Methi powder: 2 tsp
• Baking soda: 1/4 tsp
• Water
• Salt
• Oil: 2 tsp + for deep frying

Preparation

• Take the flour in a large bowl and add the ghee or melted butter
• Heat 2 tsp of oil & pour over the flour. Once the oil cools down, start mixing
• When pressed, the flour should come together. A brittle ball. If not, add some more ghee and keep mixing
• Add the spices (cumin, pepper, kasuri methi), baking soda and salt. Mix well
• By adding small amounts of water, mix all the ingredients to form a firm dough. Set aside for about 30 mins

Cooking

• Take a small portion of the dough and using a rolling pin, flatten it into a rectangle
• Now fold the rectangle at the center & then again to get layers
• Flatten it again and then cut out long strips. Keep the strips aside
• Repeat the same with the rest of dough
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying
• Once the oil is hot, reduce down the heat and fry the dough strips in batches
• Keep the heat at medium and ensure that the sticks are fried evenly on both the sides
• Once done, remove the sticks from the oil & place them on a absorbent paper
• Start munching

Substitute ingredients

The flour, fat and the spices can be easily substituted with other ingredients. Here are a few alternatives.

• Ghee: Butter / Vegan Butter / vegetable shortening
• Pepper: Red chili powder / chili flakes
• Flour: Whole wheat flour / Millet flour (with some wheat flour) / Chick pea flour (gluten-free)