Tukdi | Diamond Cuts
Among all the snacks and nibbles that constitute the Mangalorean Kuswar Platter, the Tukdi is the easiest to make. To explain in plain simple terms, a dough made of seasoned flour is rolled thin and cut into diamond shapes and deep fried. Tukda means “piece” in Hindi and Tukdi means “a small piece”. This snack is made up of little diamond shaped bites, and it probably explains the reasoning behind its name. These are also known as Diamond-cuts in English.
How to make Tukdi
I use a blend of wheat flour and all-purpose flour for this recipe but if you desire, you can use only all-purpose flour too. Add a little semolina to this flour blend. The addition of semolina is optional but highly recommended. Next comes the seasoning. I have used kashmiri chilli powder, ground cumin and salt. You can experiment with your choice of seasoning and also vary the proportions. Sift all these ingredients together into a large enough mixing bowl. Add thick coconut milk and using a hand held mixer, knead the seasoned flour into a soft pliable dough.
Do not rest the dough! Transfer it immediately to a floured surface and divide it into lemon-sized balls. Roll the dough balls into a thin chapathi/ tortilla of about 2-3 mm thickness. Now this rolled dough needs to be cut into diamond shapes. Before doing that, in a large enough pot, bring the oil up to medium heat. While the oil comes up to temperature, run a pastry wheel through the dough lengthwise, making parallel lines about half an inch apart. Follow this by making diagonal parallel lines about half inch apart to get he desired rhombus shape. Separate the pieces.
Drop these little dough diamonds into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Take out to an absorbent kitchen towel and let them cool to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container and enjoy these Tukdi at tea-time.
Tukdi
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Hand-held mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry wheel
- Medium sized Pot
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- ½ cup Wheat Flour
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Semolina
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin powder
- Salt, as per taste
- Coconut Milk
Instructions
Making the Dough:
- Sift together the wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina, chilli powder, cumin powder and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl
- Add the coconut milk in parts and mix and knead all the ingredients into a soft pliable dough
- Divide the dough into balss and roll them out flat (like a chapathi) to about 3mm thickness
- Using a pastry wheel (or knife), cut the rolled dough into rhombus of about 1.5 inch length (see notes)
- Heat the oil to medium heat and fry the cut out dough until golden brown
- Take them out to an absorbent towel and drain the excess oil and allow them to cool completely
- Store in an airtight box
Notes
- Run the pastry wheel through the dough lengthwise, making parallel lines about half an inch apart. Follow this by making diagonal parallel lines about half inch apart to get he desired rhombus shape. Separate the pieces.
- If you don’t have a pastry wheel, you can use a sharp knife instead
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