Baked Nimki | Namak Paare | Savory Diamond Cuts | No Butter No Ghee Indian snacks

Diamond cuts are my all time favourite, but of late I am starting to love the savory ones. During my last visit to Amma's place she made me masala diamond cuts and boy I was so so excited, the deepfried kind. I still have those clicks sleeping in my draft I've been waiting for Amma to pass me the recipe. So the otherday my hands were itchy to bake, yea yea you read it right :P once you are a baker you seem to think that anything can be baked, I mean you talk and dream about baking. And I for sure am a bit nutty baker, I dream and have sleepless nights about what to bake, how to bake, what combination, which frosting :P sounds funny? well I think its absolutely normal to understand this if you are a baker too. So I thought my not do a baked version of savory diamond cuts and the result was superb. Mind you no maida (APF), no ghee, no butter and I still managed to bake decent looking and great tasting diamond cuts or Nimki or Namkeen or Namak Paare. I spiced the dough up with crushed peppers and it tasted fantastic. So during this festive season so something a little guilt free for the one's who cannot take the deep fried and no sugar goodies.

BAKED SAVOURY DIAMOND CUTS 

Recipe Source - Own
Makes - 2 cups diamond cuts or serves 3 people generously
Prep time - 10 mins
Bake time - 25 mins (batched of 2)

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour/ atta - 1 and 1/2 cup
Koanji seeds/ onion seeds - 2 tsp
Peppercorns - 10 crushed using a motar coarsely 
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Canola/ Olive oil - 1/4 cup
Water - 3 tbsp ( or as required to form a dough)
Salt - to taste 
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch

Method

• Add all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well - atta, salt, kalonji, crushed peppercorns, turmeric, baking powder. To this add oil and mix well, the dough will resemble bread crumbs. Add water little by little to form a stiff dough. Cover and set aside for 10 mins

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/ 350 F for 10 minutes. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin into a thin sheet and using a knife cut into diamonds. Place them on a lined baking tray with parchment. Using a folk prick the surface of the diamond cuts. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and flip side if required. Remove from oven and let it cool down for 10 minutes

Serve warm along with a cup of tea or coffee :-) 

Cooks Wisdom 

- Do not over knead or add too much water to the dough. For the above measurements the dough will be a little challenging to handle but you can flatten with a rolling pin and manage to cut diamonds
- For a non vegan option you can use ghee to form the dough, alternately you can also brush ghee on top before baking, I have not brushed oil/ghee before baking