Crispy, thin, spiral-shaped rice and sesame crackers deep-fried until golden — the traditional festival snack of Telangana made specifically for the Sankranti harvest festival. The spiral shape is created by squeezing the dough through a mould.
Ingredients
2 cups raw rice — soaked 4 hours
1/2 cup sesame seeds — dry roasted
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
salt to taste
water for grinding
oil for deep frying
Method
Soak the rice: Wash 2 cups raw rice. Soak in 3 cups water for 4 hours.
Grind with sesame: Drain soaked rice. Grind in a mixer with dry roasted sesame seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain and salt. Add water gradually while grinding — about 1/2 cup. Grind for 4 minutes to a smooth, thick batter. The batter should be thick enough to hold a shape when piped.
Check batter consistency: The batter should be similar to a thick cookie dough — hold its shape when a small amount is piped onto a surface. If too thin, the sakinalu will not hold their spiral shape. If too thick, they will be dense.
Fill the mould: Use a murukku or chakli press with a star-shaped hole attachment. Fill the press with the batter.
Heat oil: Heat oil in a wide kadai on medium. Test: a small piece of batter should rise and sizzle within 2 seconds.
Pipe spirals into the oil: Holding the press above the oil, press the plunger while moving the press in a spiral circular motion — start from the centre and work outward. This creates the characteristic spiral shape about 8 to 10 cm in diameter directly in the oil.
Fry on medium heat: Fry the spiral without moving for 1 to 2 minutes until the bottom sets. Flip carefully with a slotted spoon. Fry 1 to 2 minutes on the second side.
Drain: Remove when golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Cool completely: Sakinalu continue to crisp up as they cool. Let cool 5 minutes before tasting.
Store: Once fully cool, store in an airtight container. They stay crispy for up to 2 weeks.
Note: Sakinalu is the traditional harvest festival snack of Telangana — specifically made during Sankranti (mid-January) and distributed among family and neighbours as a festival gift. The spiral shape symbolises continuity and abundance. In Telangana villages, making sakinalu during the days before Sankranti is a communal activity where women gather in each other's homes to make large quantities together.