Namak para, also known as sakkarpara, namak-paarae or nimki, is a traditional Indian snack cracker. The crackers are deep fried, cut into stick shapes, and commonly served as an accompaniment for tea and coffee. The book "The Indian Vegan Kitchen" recommends serving namak para with mango chutney or hot and sour Indian pickles.
Calories
Although the exact calorie count varies based on the type of oil and flour used, generally namak para has about 110 calories per piece. According to "The Indian Vegan Kitchen," a piece of namak para made with canola or vegetable oil and all-purpose flour has 105 calories per piece, with 6 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrate and 2 grams of protein. That translates to 54 calories from fat, 48 calories from carbohydrates and 8 calories from protein.
Spices
Cumin is one of the main ingredients in namak para. Cumin has long been promoted for medicinal uses like blood sugar regulation, seizure prevention, eye infection treatment and bone strengthening, although these uses have not been medically proven to be effective. Some namak para recipes use a different type of spice called ajwain, also known as carom seed or bishop's weed. According to the book "Know Your Spices," ajwain is traditionally used in deep-fried Indian recipes to aid digestion.
Oil
The type of oil you use to make namak para also has a significant impact on its nutrition, since the crackers are deep fried. Some recipes, like the one in the book "Breakfast Specialties" by Neera Verma, use ghee for the deep-frying process. Ghee is a type of clarified butter that is commonly used in Indian cooking. According to Sally Fallon's book, "Nourishing Traditions," ghee is more digestible than regular butter since the milk solids have been removed. Other types of healthy oils to use include plant oils like peanut, canola and vegetable oils. Avoid tropical oils, which are high in saturated fat.
Flour
Namak para can also be made with different types of flour. Although most traditional recipes use refined flour, you could also use whole-wheat flour to make namak para a bit healthier. Whole wheat contains more vitamins and minerals than refined flour since it is made with the nutrient-rich germ of the wheat plant, which is removed in the refining process. Whole-wheat flour does have a slightly more bitter taste than refined flour, and it also has a heavier texture.
References
- The Indian Vegan Kitchen; Madhu Gadia
- The 1,000 Indian Recipes Cookbook; Neelam Batra
- Drugs.com: Cumin
- Breakfast Specialties; Neera Verma
- Know Your Spices; Tarla Dalal
- Nourishing Traditions; Sally Fallon
