Sesame Rice Crackers

Ever craved a deep fried snack that’s also heart healthy. Then you have to try baked thattai. These rice sesame crackers are a traditional deep fried snack that can take a while to make. I tried a quick and easy baked variation. The result is a delectable treat that has the stamp of approval of even the most discerning tambrams (Tamil brahmins) !

Ingredients
1 cup rice flour (SOS Srilankan stores sell the freshest rice & urad flour, they even ship from Canada to California.)
1 tsp roasted urad flour

Spice Mix
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp soaked yellow split peas
1 tsp curry leaves, shredded fine
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
pinch asafoetida, optional
salt to taste

Preparation time
20 minutes

Serves 4

Pots n pans
Your hands
Oven

Method

Soak the split peas in water about 1/ hour and then drain water.
Heat butter in pan, add sesame seeds, curry leaves, split peas, chilli powder & saute in pan so spices are no longer raw.
Mix spice mix with dough and a bit of water to make a stiff dough.
Pinch 1 ” pieces of dough & place on greased tray.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees C. Dip hand in cooking oil & flatten dough with fingers to thin rounds or desired shape, pressing down on greased tray.
Pierce with a fork to ensure even cooking.
Bake for 15 mins turning once. When you turn them, brush them lightly with oil.

SOS I like these crackers round and rustic so didn’t use any cutting tools. In my loaner oven I could make 12 flat rounds 1.5 “across. Pair it with saffron ginger tea or anytime you crave that afternoon snack for a healthy and delicious option.

Health benefits
Sesame is well known in ayurvedic circles, if you have ever gone for an indian massage treatment, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Sesame makes up about 40% of their healing cures. Sesame oil is called the “king of oils.” It is a powerful tonic, and applications of sesame oil often result in a calmer state of mind. Try to introduce this crunchy seed with its high calcium content in your diet as a great bone builder.

Fun facts
Sesame is probably no stranger to anyone who has ever had a hamburger-these seeds dot your sandwich bun and the United states is a huge importer of sesame seeds, at last count approx 102 million pounds just to give you an idea of how much wanted this spice is.