Bengali Kucho (little) Nimki and Ginger Cardamom Tea

From the kitchen of: Nina Mukerjee Furstenau

These days, I think of my mother's simple Bengali nimki she made to nibble on with afternoon tea while she relaxed. Nimki are "jar" snacks, common in homes throughout Bengal, but hard to find anywhere in Kansas while I was growing up. Mom always made these quickly, cut them into meticulous diamond shapes, fried them to a flaky texture with a substantial feel to them. I was never a salty-snack fan as a child, but now, I see the allure. If you combine this recipe with cardamom ginger tea, you'll be hooked.

Bengali Kucho (little)
Nimki & Ginger Cardamom Tea

Makes enough Nimki to store, or for 6-8 people

Ingredients 

• For Kucho Nimki:

  • 2 cups flour (maida)

  • 1 tablespoon nigella (kalongi) or cumin (kala jeera)

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

  • Water as needed

  • Vegetable oil for frying

• For Ginger Cardamom tea:

  • 2 cups water

  • 4 cardamom pods (elaichi), crushed

  • 2 tablespoons grated or crushed fresh ginger

  • 2 teaspoons Assam tea leaves (or other black tea)

  • 1 cup milk

  • 4 teaspoons sugar (or to taste)

Instructions:

For Nimki:
In a large bowl, mix flour, nigella or cumin, salt, and oil. Knead with your hand for 5 minutes. Add water, slowly, to make a medium, not too soft, dough. It should form a ball without leaving pieces on the sides of the bowl.

Cover the dough and bowl with a towel to rest for 20 minutes. Next, divide the dough into two balls. Roll one out to about 10-12 inches in diameter. It will be about 1/8 thick or a little thicker. With a knife, cut the rolled out dough into 1/2-inch strips and again in the other direction to form a 2-inch diamond pattern.

Heat the oil in a small deep pan or wok. Fry four or five pieces at a time. When the nimki is golden brown, remove them from the heat with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. When completely cool, store in a sealed container.

Kucho Nimki is tasty served with hot tea.

To make ginger cardamom chai:
Heat the water, tea, ginger, and cardamom pods (with their slightly crushed peels) in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add the sugar and simmer another 2-3 minutes. (Note: the longer you simmer the chai, the stronger it will taste.)

Add the milk and bring back to a simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain the tea through a sieve and pour into cups to serve hot.