The festival of lights, Deepavali is just a few days away and I have been cooking up a storm in my kitchen. And thatβs how I remember this festival from my childhood years. Even days before the festival, we would bug Amma so much about the special sweets and snacks. Every day coming back from school, we would run straight into the kitchen looking for any hints of Diwali preparations π Deepavali was an excuse to make delicious food!
On the day amma prepared her Murukku, we could catch a whiff of it right at the house door and our joy knew no bounds. Amma would serve us the savories hot from the stove and we would keep munching them all through the day and for many days later π
Deepavali also means great family time. It is one time of the year we all sat together preparing the sweets. Dad would make special plans with extremely delicious sweets and we implemented them in our small kitchen together! Those were great times and now that I think about it, times like those are the foundation to everything that I am today. For instance, I never cook alone and kitchen time is the best family time for us even now π
This recipe of Omapodi or Karapoosa is a delicious savory snack that can be prepared in less than half an hour and this is something that I strongly can relate to Deepavali. This is a subtle, not too spicy yet extremely addictive snack that goes really well with hot coffee or tea. Although I love it so much, I have never tried it myself. So when I wanted to give it a try, I duly called up Amma and got the recipe. It was a huge success and am sure going to make it a lot in my kitchen π
I made a recipe video for the first time β do check it out below. Please share your feedback and subscribe to my new YouTube channel π
To make Omapodi | Karapoosa
What I used β
- Gram Flour/Besan, 2 cups
- Rice Flour, Β½ cup
- Ajwain/Omam, 2 tsp
- Red Chilli Powder, Β½ tsp
- Water, Β½ cup or more as needed
- Salt, as needed
- Oil, 2 tbsp + for deep frying
How I made β
1. In a pan, dry roast ajwain/omam for 2-3 mins on low flame until warm. Add Β½ tsp salt and grind it into a smooth powder. Add Β½ cup water and blend smooth. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, add 2 cups besan/gram flour, Β½ cup rice flour, red chilli powder, salt as needed and strain the ajwain/omam water. Add 2 tbsp hot oil. Mix everything together. Add extra water as needed and knead into a smooth dough.
3. The prepared dough should soft but firm. If it is too tight, it might be hard to press it into hot oil. So adjust and knead accordingly.
4. Take a big ball of dough and set it into the murukku press with the plate having tiny holes. Meanwhile, heat oil for deep frying. Once hot, set it on low flame. Press the dough into hot oil going around in a circle, for only one layer.
5. After 10-20 secs, flip it to the other side and fry until golden yellow on both sides. Carefully remove it from hot oil and strain the extra oil. Remove onto a paper towel. Repeat the process with rest of the dough.
6. Once Omapodi/Karapoosa has cooled down, store in an air tight container for up to ten days.
Note β
- Dry roasting and adding salt with grinding Ajwain/Omam helps in smooth grinding.
- If you can make a smooth powder of ajwain/omam, no need to add water. Directly add it to the dry ingredients. But if there is even one ajwain/omam, it gets too difficult to press the dough.
- Red chilli powder is optional.
- The dough has to be tight and firm. If it is hard to press, add 1-2 tbsp water. If the dough is too watery, it will absorb too much oil.
- The temperature of the oil is very important. Once hot, put it strictly on low/medium flame. Frying Omapodi takes only 30-40 secs per batch. It has to be golden yellow and with hot temperature, it can turn brown too quickly.
- Usually Omapodi/Karapoosa is crushed before storing/serving.
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Taking this to much at Fiesta Friday #142. The co-hosts this week are Elaine @ foodbod and Michelle @ O Blog Off π
I loved your video!
The step by step photos are really helpful too!
Your recipes always look so fun to make and eat!
Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Michelle
Crunchy omapodi… love it
ahh yet another fav of mine. great video…
I love reading about your memories and traditions around Diwali, and this recipe looks great, it’s so cool!! Thank you for sharing this with everyone at Fiesta Friday xx
Oh my god! Your food blog has grown so amazingly! Loved the video. Sorry to have missed so many of your posts. π Ompudi is mom’s favorite. π All the best and wishing you a very Happy Deepavali
Oh my god! Your food blog has grown so amazingly! Loved the video. Sorry for having missed so many of your posts. π Ompudi is my mom’s favorite. π
All the best and wish you a very Happy Deepavali!