Name: Maharashtrian Chirote
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup All-Purpose Flour; 1 tbsp Ghee, hot, for dough (mohan); ⅛ cup Water, warm, for kneading; ¾ tbsp Rice Flour, for sata (paste); ¾ tbsp Ghee, room temperature, for sata; ¼ cup Powdered Sugar, for dusting; ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom, mixed with powdered sugar; ½ cup Cooking Oil, for deep frying

1 hr 30 mintotal

1 hr hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: None

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Ingredients

½ cupAll-Purpose Flour
1 tbspGheehot, for dough (mohan)
⅛ cupWaterwarm, for kneading
¾ tbspRice Flourfor sata (paste)
¾ tbspGheeroom temperature, for sata
¼ cupPowdered Sugarfor dusting
¼ tspGround Cardamommixed with powdered sugar
½ cupCooking Oilfor deep frying

Quantities are for 2 servings.

The dough rests for 30 minutes so it rolls thinly, and the fried chirote must cool before sugar is dusted on top.

Method

In a large mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour. Pour in the hot melted ghee (mohan) and rub it between your palms until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the warm water gradually, kneading the mixture into a very resilient, firm dough. Shield it with a damp cloth to prevent desiccation and allow a 30-minute resting phase.
Make the sata (binding paste): in a separate bowl, whisk the room-temperature ghee and rice flour together vigorously. Keep whisking until the paste is stark white and very fluffy, like whipped cream.
Segment the proofed dough into uniform portions. Use a rolling pin to flatten each segment into identical, very thin, translucent circular sheets (rotis).
Place one dough sheet on your work surface. Spread a very thin, even layer of sata over it, then stack the next sheet and repeat until all sheets are layered.
Roll the layered stack tightly into a log and cut it into 1-inch thick discs.
Flatten each disc gently with your palm, then give it one light pass with a rolling pin. Do not over-roll or the inner layers will fuse.
Keep the frying oil on low heat. Fry the chirote in small batches, spooning hot oil over the top so the layers open like a flower.
Once they are brittle and pale golden, lift them out and drain off all the oil. While they are still hot, dredge them in the cardamom-flavoured powdered sugar.

How to tell it's done

The pastry should separate into thin crisp layers that flake when touched, with no raw dough in the center.

Getting it right

Tip

Fry chirote on low heat so the inner layers cook before the outside colors. Hot oil leaves the center doughy.

What to serve it with

Serve chirote at room temperature with powdered sugar for Diwali faral or with a cup of masala chai.

Common mistakes

The layers stay doughy.: Roll the sheets thin, spread the rice-flour paste evenly, and fry slowly on low heat.

Storing and reheating

Store cooled chirote in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Dust with sugar after cooling so it does not melt.

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