Sorghum flour Namakpare (Baked, Super crispy!)| Sweet and Salty
Indulge in crispy, flavorful Sorghum flour namakpare (crackers), made 2 ways (salty and sweet) without frying for a healthier twist. This traditionally fried Indian snack is enjoyed by children and adults alike, now enjoy the baked version, guilt-free!
What flour should I use for gluten-free namakpare?
This recipe uses a combination of Sorghum flour (Jowar), rice flour and chickpea flour (besan) in a 1:1:1 ratio. This unique flour mix makes these gluten-free Namakpare crispy with a deliciously nutty flavor from chickpea flour and sorghum flour.
How to make Namak pare with jowar
Does sorghum flour bind well for namakpare?
Traditional namakapare use all-purpose flour (maida) and wheat flour that binds the dough. The most common challenge with using gluten-free flours is to achieve enough binding so that the dough can be rolled and shaped. After trying several gluten-free flour combinations, I’m truly thrilled to share this recipe as you don’t need any additional binding agent in this dough. The chickpea flour acts as the binding agent giving the dough the right consistency.
Are baked namakpare as good as the fried ones?
You bet! These gluten-free namakpare are super crispy without the excess oil! If you don’t mind a tiny bit of extra oil, you may spray the namakpare with some cooking oil spray for the glossy sheen. The best part is you don’t have to spend the time frying them, instead the oven makes them ready for you.
How can I make gudpare crispy?
The trick to making gudpare crispy is to:
1) Use the right amount of “moyan” fat to be mixed in the dough. I’ve used 2.5 tbsp of ghee mixed in with 1 cup of flour in this recipe.
2) Make sure not to add too much water while melting the jaggery. Just 1- 1.5tbsp is enough.
What other gluten-free flour can I use?
Other gluten-free options are:
- Quinoa flour
- Almond flour
- Corn flour
However, the ratio of water and fat would need to be altered.
What ingredients do I need to make Namakpare?
This super easy recipe just uses a few ingredients with an easy to remember ratio:
- 1/3 cup Sorghum flour (Jowar)
- 1/3 cup Rice flour
- 1/3 cup Chickpea flour (Besan)
Spices
- 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
- 3/4 tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves
- 3/4 tsp salt
Leavening agent
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Fat
- 2-3 tbsp Peanut oil (or any other cooking oil)
*Optional: Asafoetida powder 1/8 tsp
Step by step process of making sorghum flour namakpare
Preparation
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
Mixing it all up!
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve together the three flours (sorghum, rice and chickpea flour), baking soda and salt. Add about 1/4 tsp of hing/ asafoetida powder into the flour.
- With a spoon, give all the ingredients a good mix. Add in the red chilli powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Now make a well in the center and pour in the oil into it. Using a spoon or your hands blend the flour into the oil.
- Add 1/3 cup hot water into the mix and mix using a spoon. Mix for about 1-2 minutes, touch the dough to check the temperature, and knead it into a soft dough. The dough comes together very quickly. Add about 1-2 tsp of oil on the surface of the dough.
Rolling and Shaping:
- Divide the dough into 2 parts. Place one part of the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and tuck in the sides making a rectangle with the plastic sheet.
- Roll the dough approximately 1/4 cm in thickness into a rectangular piece.
- Continue shaping the rest of the dough and place on the baking tray.
Baking
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 12 minutes. Then, flip them using a spatula and bake them for another 5-6 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and let the Namakpare remain inside for about 2-3 minutes.
- Take them out, let them cool completely before transferring them into an airtight container.
- Your delicious batch of crispy, healthy gluten-free snacks is ready!
What ingredients do I need to make gudpare?
For both Namakpare and Gudpare I have used the same combination and ratio of the flours:
1/3 cup Sorghum flour
1/3 cup Rice flour
1/3 cup Chickpea flour
Sweetener
55 grams jaggery (you can increase it to 60 if you prefer slightly sweeter)
Fat
2-3 tbsp of ghee (or oil)
Leavening agent
1/4 tsp Baking soda
Flavor
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Step by step instructions for making gudpare
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a small pan on low-medium heat add 1 tbsp of water and the jaggery pieces.
- Keep stirring as the jaggery melts and comes to a soft boil, remove the pan from heat.
Making the dough
- In a mixing bowl sieve together the flours and baking soda. Add in the ground cardamom and using a spoon, mix well.
- Make a well in the center and add the melted ghee. Blend the ghee well. Add in the melted jaggery taking care to mix with a spoon making sure to mix the jaggery uniformly.
- Add about 1-1.5 tbsp of hot water and keep mixing with a spoon. When the dough cools down, bring the dough together into a soft dough.
- Apply 1-2 tbsp of ghee to the dough to keep it soft while rolling.
Rolling and shaping
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and place one half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the dough ball making a rectangular shape.
- Roll the dough into about 1/4 cm thickness and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into rectangular, diamond or square pieces.
- Continue this process for the remainder of the dough and transfer the pieces onto the prepared baking tray.
Baking
- Place the baking tray into the middle rack of the oven preheated to 350 deg F. Optionally, coat the surface of the gudpare with cooking ghee spray or melted ghee.
- Bake for about 12-14 minutes and flip them using a spatula.
- Bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the gudpare turn aromatic and beautifully golden.
- Turn off the oven and take out the gudpare.
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Sorghum flour Namakpare and Gudpare (Baked, Super crispy)| 2 recipes!
Indulge in crispy, flavorful Sorghum flour namakpare (crackers), made 2 ways (salty and sweet) without frying for a healthier twist. This traditionally fried Indian snack is enjoyed by children and adults alike, now enjoy the baked version, guilt-free!
Equipment
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
For Namakpare (salty cracker)
- ⅓ cup Sorghum flour
- ⅓ cup Chickpea flour
- ⅓ cup Rice flour
Fat
- 2-3 tbsp Peanut oil
Leavening Agent
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
Spices
- ¾ tsp Dried fenugreek leaves
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Red chilli powder
- ⅛ tsp Asafoetida (hing) powder
For Gudpare (Sweet Crackers)
- ⅓ cup Sorghum flour
- ⅓ cup Rice flour
- ⅓ cup Chickpea flour
Fat
- 2-3 tbsp Ghee
Sweetener
- 55 grams Jaggery (Gur)
Leavening agent
- ¼ tsp Baking soda
Flavor
- ½ tsp Ground cardamom
Instructions
Preparation (For Namakpare)
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
Mixing it all up!
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve together the three flours (sorghum, rice and chickpea flour), baking soda and salt. Add about 1/4 tsp of hing/ asafoetida powder into the flour.
- With a spoon, give all the ingredients a good mix. Add in the red chilli powder and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Make a well in the center and pour the oil into it. Using a spoon or your hands blend the flour into the oil.
- Add 1/3 cup hot water into the mix and mix using a spoon. Mix for about 1-2 minutes, touch the dough to check the temperature, and knead it into a soft dough. The dough comes together very quickly. Add about 1-2 tsp of oil on the surface of the dough.
Rolling and Shaping
- Divide the dough into 2 parts. Place one part of the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and tuck in the sides making a rectangle with the plastic sheet.
- Roll the dough approximately 1/4 cm in thickness into a rectangular piece.
Baking
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 12 minutes. Then, flip them using a spatula and bake them for another 5-6 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and let the Namakpare remain inside for about 2-3 minutes.
- Take them out, let them cool completely before transferring them into an airtight container.
Preparation (For Gudpare)
- Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a small pan on low-medium heat add 1 tbsp of water and the jaggery pieces. Keep stirring as the jaggery melts. In about 5-7 minutes when the jaggery melts and comes to a soft boil, remove from the heat.
- Microwave the ghee for 20 seconds or melt the ghee over the stovetop.
Making the dough
- In a mixing bowl sieve together the flours and baking soda. Add in the ground cardamom and using a spoon, mix well.
- Make a well in the center and add the melted ghee. Blend the ghee well. Add in the melted jaggery taking care to mix with a spoon making sure to mix the jaggery uniformly.
- Add about 1-1.5 tbsp of hot water and keep mixing with a spoon. When the dough cools down, bring the dough together into a soft dough. Apply 1-2 tbsp of ghee to the dough to keep it soft while rolling.
Rolling and shaping
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and place one half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the dough ball making a rectangular shape.
- Roll the dough into about 1/4 cm thickness and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into rectangular, diamond or square pieces.
- Continue this process for the remainder of the dough and transfer the pieces onto the prepared baking tray.
Baking
- Place the baking tray into the middle rack of the oven preheated to 350 deg F. Optionally, coat the surface of the gudpare with cooking ghee spray or melted ghee.
- Bake for about 12-14 minutes and flip them using a spatula. Bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the gudpare turns aromatic and beautifully golden.
- Turn off the oven and take out the gudpare.