Hooray for Namak Paray

Namak+paray+is+the+perfect+taste+of+Pakistan.

Madeeha Akhtar

Namak paray is the perfect taste of Pakistan.

Madeeha Akhtar, Columnist

Salty fried dough, also called namak paray, is a Pakistani snack. It is much better than the traditional sweet fried dough most think of when it comes to fried doughs. In Pakistan, namak paray is an everyday snack that everyone enjoys. If you thought this couldn’t get better, this recipe only requires ingredients that you already have in your fridge.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cumin/ajwain
  • 55 ml water
  • Canola oil (for frying)

Directions: 

  1. Add the flour, butter, salt, and cumin into a bowl and mix.
  2. Add the water and knead until it becomes a hard dough. Let rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Roll out the dough, then divide into two equal portions.
  4. Roll out the dough to about 1 cm thick.
  5. Cut the dough into small diamond shapes.
  6. Fry the dough diamonds at medium-high heat.
  7. Fry until golden brown. It takes about 4-5 minutes. 
  8. Let it cool. 
  9. Enjoy!

After eating this snack, you might need something a bit more on the sweet side to overpower the saltiness. Namak paray goes especially well with tea. Nonetheless, it’s a great snack to eat on the go, and you will definitely come back for more.