Learn how to make Karnataka style crispy rice crackers Nippattu recipe with step by step pictures. Quick & easy spicy Nippat recipe is a perfect tea-time snack!

In today's Deepavali recipe series, I am sharing a simple yet utterly delicious crispy rice cracker recipe from Karnataka – Nippattu. After two back to back highly technical sweet recipes of Madatha Kaja & Athirasam, this recipe is an easy snack that can be made in a jiffy! Deepavali is incomplete without Murukku, Thattai, Omapodi or Ribbon Pakoda and this spicy Thattai recipe from Karnataka is absolutely brilliant.

Karnataka Special Nippattu – Spicy Rice Crackers

Kara Nippat is a crispy, golden & deliciously spicy cracker made with rice flour, fried gram, peanuts, dried coconut and sesame seeds. This is very similar to the Thattai (Tamil) or Chekkalu (Telugu) made with rice flour as Deepavali snack. I have already shared the basic Thattai recipe and Maida Thattai recipe before. Though Nippattu is also made with rice flour, it is very different because of all the other ingredients added.

Nippat Ingredients

With just a few ingredients that are readily available in every pantry, this golden delicious snack can be made easily.

Rice Flour – we need fine rice flour, both store bought and home-made flours work well. Use idiyappam flour if going for store-bought flour.

Maida & Chiroti Rava – both these ingredients makee it easier for us to us pat/roll the crackers and they are the binding agents. You can make it with just rice flour but to make to flaky & light, we add a little of maida & chiroti rava (fine semolina)

Fried Gram, Peanuts – mildly roasted peanuts and fried gram are coarsely ground before adding to the flour. These provide great texture to the thattai/nippattu.

Dried Coconut/Copra – we add a small amount of grated dried coconut/copra to this recipe and it really is the game changer!

Sesame Seeds – add to the crunch & flavor of the recipe.

Apart from these ingredients, we also add fresh curry leaves, red chilli powder, asafoetida hot oil along with water to make the dough.

Tips and Important Notes to make perfect Nippattu

Although nippat is one of the easiest Deepavali snack recipes, here are some of the tips and important notes to get the texture, color and taste perfectly.

To get the nippattu/thattai flaky, it is important to add hot oil to the flour before making the dough.
This recipe makes 20 nippat and if you are doubling the recipe, don’t knead all the dough at once. Keep the dry mix ready and add water as needed to make smaller batches of dough. I learnt this tip from amma and it helps to keep the dough fresh & from drying out.
There are a few ways to make the nippat. I like to make small balls of dough and pat each one down to a thin circle. You can roll out a large circle, cut into desired sized smaller circles. I don’t prefer this approach as the dough is not so easy to roll without cracks. With the first approach, you can make the nippattu as thin as possible and adjust the cracks if any.
Pat the thattai on parchment paper or a damp white kitchen towel (or dhoti). I made two at a time on parchment paper squares and there is no need to grease them. As a batch was getting fried, I got the next set prepared.
If the dough gets stiffer or the nippat is cracking while patting, wet your fingers and adjust as needed.
Maintain the temperature of the oil medium-high at all times. The dough should raise up immediately when dropped into the oil.
Once the nippattu changes to deep golden-brown remove from heat and the color will further change on cooling down.

Storing & Serving Suggestions

Store the golden fried nippat in an airtight container once they come to room temperature. I always line my container with a kitchen tissue at the bottom and top to retain freshness. Nippattu can be stored for upto 15 days at room temperature. Serve as evening snack with a hot cup of tea/coffee.

Check out other Deepavali snacks recipes

Nippattu Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

Add ¼ cup Fried Gram & ¼ cup Lightly Roasted Peanuts in a blender and coarsely grind them.

In a mixing bowl add 1 cup Rice Flour, 2 tablespoon Maida, 1 tablespoon Chiroti Rava, 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder, ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida, 2 tablespoon Finely Chopped Fresh Curry Leaves and salt as needed.

Now add the coarsely ground peanuts & fried gram along with 2 tablespoon Dry Coconut/Copra Grated.

Mix everything together and add 1.5 tablespoon Hot Oil. The flour mixture should sizzle, this will get flaky nippat.

Incorporate the oil into the flour and now add water little by little, to bring the dough together.

Knead it into a soft, pliable but firm dough.

Make lemon sized balls from the prepared dough.

Heat peanut oil for deep frying on medium flame. Pat each ball of dough on a parchment paper as thin as possible. If it is cracking, wet your fingers and adjust as needed. Make 2-3 thattai at a time depending on the size of the pan.

Once the oil is hot (test it by dropping a small piece of dough and it should raise up immediately), carefully remove the nippat from parchment paper and drop into hot oil carefully. You can fry 2-3 nippattu at a time.

Don’t disturb them for a minute as there is a chance of breaking. As they raise up and take a form, flip them around carefully.

Cook them on both sides until deep golden brown and when the bubbles in the oil subside considerably.

Remove from oil and drain them on kitchen tissue.

As they come to room temperature, store them in airtight container for upto 15 days.

Recipe Notes

You can use unroasted or lightly roasted peanuts in this recipe. If you use roasted peanuts, they can get burnt while frying.
Adjust spices as per preference.
Dry coconut and sesame seeds are optional but recommended.
You can use any cooking oil to fry them, but peanut oil enhances the taste.

Recipe Card

📖 Recipe

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Nippattu | Spicy Nippat