Name: Nimki
Yield: Serves 4–6
Ingredients: 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting; 1⁄8 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji); 1½ tsp. salt; 3 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter or ghee; 6 Tbsp. cold water; Vegetable oil, for frying

Crispy nigella seed Nimki snacks on a ceramic plate.

Photo by Laura Edwards

Before mass-produced Western-inspired snacks hit the shops (which happened a few years after I left India), a snack like nimki—or regional variations of deep-fried spiced dough, such as namak para and mathri—was what most of us would eat with tea. Nimki can be stored in an airtight container and kept for a few weeks. In my house it barely lasted a day. We rarely made this at home and would buy it from a roadside stall; my favorite was the chanachur wallah (snack vendor) in Park Circus market, who had a bewildering collection of fried snacks in glass jars and display cabinets.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Ammu' by Asma Khan. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2022.

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