Kodubale / Kodbale

My visiting parents, kids and their schools, unannounced guests, vacations and all the mundane things and chaos of a 'normal life' kept me so engrossed for the past few months that I needed a break from blogging. Now when I am sitting alone at home, books and blogging seem to be the only things that can cheer up my mood. And so I am here again. :)
I am starting my CFK - Festive Foods with a savory version.My 9- year old daughter is not a great fan of mithai and she is not tempted even if I place a bowl of sweet assortments at the table. However she would be with me whole time in the kitchen if something savory is being prepared. Here are kodubale, one of her favorite snacks.
Kodubale happens to be one of the crunchy snacks from Karnataka, enjoyed by kids / adults alike. Kodu = horn and Bale = bangles / bracelet in Kannada and probably this deep fried snack is named so because of it's shape.
Usually kodubales are prepared with rice flour and maida and my mother used to follow the standard recipe until we bought some kodubales once from a local vendor. They were so crunchy and delicious that my mother got the recipe from the cook and shifted to it ever since. This recipe uses peanuts and this makes all the difference resulting in yummier and crunchier kodubales than the regular version.
I assure you that this kodubale recipe is a foolproof one, if you follow the directions correctly. If you haven't tried kodubales yet, it's time to try. :)

Ingredients:

• Rice flour *
• All-purpose flour
• Peanuts
• Salt and chili powder to taste
• For tadka: 2-3 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida / hing
• Oil to fry

* This recipe uses rice flour : peanut powder : all-purpose flour (maida) in the ratio 4:1:1
For each cup of maida and peanut powder used, 4 cups of rice flour is used. Steaming the flour and preparing the peanut powder can be done well in advance.

Preparation of the dough:
* Steam all purpose flour in a pressure cooker with out adding any water and with out the weight on, for about 10 minutes. Cool the flour and sieve it if needed.
* Toast and skin the peanuts. Then grind them finely.
* Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and hing. When the seeds start to splutter, remove from heat.
* Combine the flour, peanut powder, rice flour, salt and chili powder in a big bowl. Add the tadka and mix well. Then slowly add water and form firm dough.

Making kodubales:
Take a small lime sized dough and on a greased surface, knead it into a log of about 1/4 inch thickness and shape into a coil. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough.
Heat about 3 cups of oil in a kadai or deep based pan. Put a pinch of dough into the pan to test whether the oil is done. If the dough sizzles and comes to the surface, then the oil is ready.
Now carefully drop the dough coils into the oil with out overcrowding and fry them on low - medium heat till they turn golden brown both sides. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towel covered plates.