Chekkalu / Spicy and crunchy rice and lentil flats

 
When I was young, this was one of my favorite snacks, spicy and crunchy. Looks like kids followed suit..they like them too, spicy and crunchy.
In days long ago, there was a lengthy way in making these...soaking the rice, grinding into rice flour, then cooking and mixing the rice flour with the other ingredients and then making them flat and frying them. We kids used to help our mom making them flat. I remember we used sit around during Diwali time, talking and laughing while making them, while my mom and grandmom frying them.
Now tho, my kids aren't that old enough that they would help me making them, but they will surely finish them including their Dad!
Now we don't go the long way, by making the rice flour and all...we just use the store bought rice flour. There is a little difference in the texture, but they still are yummy! This way saves us much time and only time required is making them flat and frying them.
They do have to fry on medium to low heat to golden brown, so frying them does take a long time. I sometimes put up 2 frying pans and fry them, so that it will be done quickly when making a lot. To make about 50 -75 it takes about an hour or hour and half. The size also depends on how many you get...I make about a golf ball sized ball of dough. And make it as spicy as you want.
I also use the tortilla press or roti press to press them...but you can surely do it by hand.
Use a plastic sheet and oil to lightly dip the ball in before pressing it.

Ingredients:

about 3-4 cups of rice flour
1/2 cup channa daal (chanaga pappu)
1/2 cup moong daal (pesar pappu)
1 tsp hing
2 tsp jeera
5-6 green chillies
5-6 dry red chillies
2-3 inch piece of ginger
6 curry leaves, broken
salt to taste
enough water to mix into dough
Oil for frying

Method:

Soak channa daal and moong daal for about 1/2 to 1 hour. Grind the jeera, green chillies, dry red chillies, ginger into a paste. Drain water from the daals and mix with the ground paste, hing, broken curry leaves, salt and rice flour using some water to make it into a soft dough. Heat oil on the side.
I use tortilla maker to flatten them out, but this can be done by hand too.If making by hand, I use a plastic sheet.
On the tortilla maker, put a plastic sheet, I use ziplock covers cut out. To make the zip lock cover not slip, put a drop of oil between the metal and the plastic which will make it stick.
Make golf ball size balls, dip into teeny tiny amount of oil, rub around the ball and flatten it either by hand or the tortilla maker. Drop them slowly into the hot oil and fry them to golden brown on both side by turning them over. Remove onto a paper napkin.
They will remain fresh as long as they are stored in an airtight container for about a month too. Serve as a snack with tea or coffee or eat it whenever you feel like it!!... Enjoy!!!