Chakli

Lore & Background

The earliest mention of a dish similar to chakli comes from ancient Ayurvedic texts, where it is known as saskuli, made from spiced rice flour dough with sesame seeds, pressed into a long thread-like design, and fried in ghee or oil. This early variation may have more closely resembled rice-murukku than the modern chakli. A recipe that some culinary historians consider a precursor to modern chakli appears in the medieval period cookbook Soopa Shastra, though its exact date is uncertain and the claim that it closely resembles the modern version made from a specific blend of flours is not universally established.

Chakli is made from flours of rice, Bengal gram, and black gram, along with ingredients such as coriander seed powder, cumin seed powder, sesame seeds, red pepper powder, turmeric powder, salt, asafoetida powder, and oil. Some variations include green gram and pigeon pea instead of black gram. The flours and seed powders are mixed with boiling water to make a dough, which is shaped into circular forms using a mould or extruder, then fried in hot oil until brown.

Chakli is known by various names across India, including Kannada: chakkuli, Marathi: chakali, Odia: dantkali, Gujarati: chakri, Telugu: chakralu or jantikalu, and Konkani: chakri or chakkuli. It is sold by street vendors and at neighborhood shops. In South Africa, maize flour is used instead of rice flour with the addition of salt and cumin as basic dry ingredients.

Reader's Guide

Chakli is a significant snack in Indian cuisine, with a history traceable to ancient Ayurvedic texts and a medieval cookbook from 1509 AD. Its variations across regions and among the Indian diaspora in South Africa highlight its cultural adaptability. The snack is typically made from rice, Bengal gram, and black gram flours, with spices like cumin and sesame, and is shaped using a mould or extruder before frying. Chakli is sold by street vendors and at neighborhood shops, and is also known by names such as chakali, chakri, and chakkuli in different Indian languages. Similar dishes include kadboli, which is shaped by hand, and murukku, a South Indian snack made with rice and black gram flour during Diwali. In Indonesia, variations of murukku and chakli are known as akar kelapa, popular among the Betawi. The snack's enduring presence in both traditional and commercial settings underscores its role as a staple savory treat in Indian and diaspora communities.

Did You Know?

• The earliest mention of a similar dish, saskuli, appears in ancient Ayurvedic texts.
• Akar kelapa is a distinct Indonesian snack, not a variation of chakli.