A festive table in our house is never only sweets. The plate that goes first is the crisp one, still warm, with chutney on the side.
That plate is chorafali. I make it with chickpea flour and urad flour, two parts to one, then beat the dough until it turns smooth. Skip the beating and the fry stays dense. Beat it properly and the sticks puff, then stay crisp.
You will also see this written as choraphali, chorafali fafda, or chorafali chakri. This batch is the stick shape. Roll every round thin, cut them into sticks, deep-fry, and finish with chilli powder and black salt.
If you have the two flours, let’s make it.
What is chorafali?
Chorafali is a Gujarati farsan: a crisp fried snack for chai and for Diwali plates. The dough is besan (chickpea flour) and urad flour (black gram flour), not soaked dal. Salt, a small measure of baking soda, and just enough water to make a stiff dough. The work is in the beating. The more you beat it, the fluffier the chorafali.
The names overlap, and they are not all the same cut. Choraphali is the same snack with a different spelling. Chorafali fafda means the stick shape, close to classic fafda. Chorafali chakri is what some kitchens call it when the dough is coiled into a spiral. I roll rounds and cut sticks. Same dough idea. This recipe is the stick, not the coil.
The chutney that belongs with it is chorafali chutney. Coriander, mint, ginger, and green chilli get ground with ice, then stirred into a cooled besan slurry with limbu na phool (citric acid crystals). The besan gives the chutney body. The limbu na phool makes it tangy without thinning it with lemon juice.
From my kitchen: A dough that only looks mixed fries dense in the middle. Keep beating until the surface is smooth. That extra beating is what makes chorafali fluffy. Extra baking soda will not do the same job, and it tastes soapy.
Why you’ll love this chorafali
- No soaking. Two flours, salt, baking soda, and water
- The beating is the step that makes the sticks fluffy
- Roll every round first, then cut, so the sticks fry evenly
- Chilli powder and black salt go on while they are still hot
- Chorafali chutney on the side, or eat them plain
- Vegan. Gluten-free if your besan and urad flour are labeled gluten-free
Besan and urad flour both bring protein and fiber, and urad flour adds a little iron. On a festive plate that is mostly fried snacks and sweets, that is the part of the plate that actually fills you up. This is still a fry. I am not going to pretend otherwise.
Perfect for
- A Diwali farsan plate
- Chai, the day you fry them
- A festive table with chorafali chutney
- Using a bag of urad flour that has been sitting behind the besan
If the kadai is already on the stove, vegetable pakora is the other besan fry I make for the same chai.
Beat it smooth, then roll every ball
Two things decide this chorafali. Everything else is frying and a sprinkle.
1. Stiff dough, then beat it. Mix 2 cups besan with 1 cup urad flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and salt. Add water a spoon at a time until the dough is stiff, closer to a firm ball than to chapati dough. Then beat it. Fold it, slap it, beat it again, until it looks smooth. The more you beat it, the fluffier the chorafali. Do not add more baking soda to force a puff. 1/4 teaspoon is the amount for this 2 cups of besan.
2. Roll all the rounds before you cut. Pinch even balls. Roll each one thin. Finish every round, then cut them into sticks. Cut as you go and the thin sticks dry out and crack before they reach the oil.
Deep-fry on medium heat until the sticks are golden and crisp, not dark. They should look dry when they come out, not glossy with oil. Sprinkle chilli powder and black salt while they are hot. Once they cool, the masala will not stick.
For the chutney, grind the herbs with ice so the green stays bright. Cook 2 tablespoons besan with 1 cup water, a pinch of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon limbu na phool, stirring until it just thickens. Cool that slurry fully, then stir in the ground paste. If the besan is still hot, the herbs dull and the chutney turns gluey.
Chorafali Recipe (Gujarati Choraphali)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Kadai or heavy pan for deep-frying
- Slotted spoon
- Blender or mixing jar
- Small saucepan
Ingredients
For the chorafali
- 2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
- 1 cup urad flour (black gram flour)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- salt to taste
- water a spoon at a time, until a stiff dough
- oil for deep-frying
For the dry masala
- red chilli powder to taste
- black salt (kala namak) to taste
For the chorafali chutney paste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves
- 2 inch ginger chopped
- 4-5 green chillies spicy
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- salt to taste
- ice cubes a few
- cold water as needed to grind
For the besan slurry
- 2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
- pinch salt
- 1/8 teaspoon limbu na phool (citric acid crystals)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Beat the dough
- In a bowl, combine the besan, urad flour, baking soda, and salt. Add water a spoon at a time and mix until you have a stiff dough. It should hold a ball and feel firm, not soft like chapati dough.
- Beat the dough until the surface looks smooth. Fold it over, slap it against the bowl, and beat again. The more you beat it, the fluffier the chorafali. If it softens too much while you beat it, knead in a spoon of besan.
Roll, then cut
- Divide the dough into balls of the same size.
- Roll every ball out thin. Do all of them before you cut.
- Cut each round into sticks.
Fry
- Heat oil for deep-frying over medium. The oil is ready when a small test stick rises and colors slowly. If it browns in a few seconds, lower the heat.
- Fry the sticks in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on a rack or paper so they stay dry.
- Mix red chilli powder and black salt, and sprinkle the dry masala over the chorafali while it is still hot.
Make the chorafali chutney
- In a mixing jar, add the coriander, mint, ginger, green chillies, black pepper, salt, and a few ice cubes. Grind to a chutney, adding a splash of cold water only if the blades need it. Set the paste aside.
- In a pan, add the 2 tablespoons besan, a pinch of salt, the limbu na phool, and 1 cup water. Mix until smooth, with no dry lumps.
- Set the pan on medium and stir the whole time until the slurry thickens slightly. It should coat a spoon, not turn into a dough.
- Turn off the heat and let the besan mixture cool.
- Stir the ground paste into the cooled slurry. Taste for salt and tang.
Serve
- Eat the chorafali the day you fry them or keep store it in airtight container. Serve with chorafali chutney, with green chutney, or plain.
Notes
What to serve with chorafali
I put the sticks out as soon as they can be touched, with chorafali chutney in a small bowl. They are also good with nothing on them if the black salt is already there. A plain green chutney works when I have not made the besan slurry.
This is a same-day snack. I do not pack it for the next day’s tiffin and expect the same crunch. Fry what you will finish with chai.
Chorafali FAQs
What is chorafali, and is it the same as choraphali or fafda?
Chorafali and choraphali are two spellings of this Gujarati snack. Chorafali fafda is the stick shape, which is what this recipe makes. Chorafali chakri usually means a spiral cut from the same kind of dough. I roll thin rounds and cut sticks.
Why did my chorafali turn out dense?
The dough was not beaten enough, or it was too wet. Beat it until smooth. If it feels soft, knead in a little more besan before you roll. Extra baking soda will not fix a dense fry.
How much water should I add?
Enough for a stiff dough, added a spoon at a time. I do not use one cup measure, because besan and urad flour do not absorb water the same way every batch. The dough should hold a firm ball.
Can I make the chorafali chutney less spicy?
Yes. Use 2 green chillies instead of 4 to 5. Keep the ginger, black pepper, and limbu na phool, or the chutney tastes flat. Cool the besan slurry before you stir in the paste.
How do I store chorafali?
Eat them the day you fry them. An airtight container keeps them until tomorrow, with less crunch. Store the chutney in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Is chorafali vegan and gluten-free?
The dough has no dairy and no wheat. It is vegan. It is gluten-free when the besan and urad flour are gluten-free. Read the labels. Some packaged flours are milled with wheat.
Fry them the day you want them crisp
Chorafali is the snack I make when the table needs something crisp next to sweets: two flours, a stiff dough beaten until smooth, thin sticks, and chorafali chutney. If you make this, tell me: do you eat them plain, or with the chutney?
Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram. I love seeing your kitchen creations!
