Diamond Biscuits also called Diamond Cuts or Khara Biscuit are crisp and savory fried snacks made with flour, semolina and spices. These crunchy bites are flavored with carom seeds, cumin, crushed black pepper and salt. This khara biscuit recipe is made with whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and fine semolina for a crispy texture, and can also be made spicy with red chilli powder.
About Diamond Cuts
Diamond Biscuit is a popular tea-time and festive snack made in many Indian homes. These savory bites are shaped into small diamonds or squares and deep fried until golden and crisp. Depending on the region, they are also known as Maida Biscuit, Thukkada or Kalakala.
The word “khara” means savory or salty in many Indian languages. Unlike sweet Shankarpali, these khara biscuits do not include sugar and have a lightly spiced and salted taste from carom seeds, cumin, crushed black pepper and salt.
Both these Shankarpali and Diamond Cuts recipes are from my Mom, and she would often make them during festivals like Diwali and Krishna Jayanthi.
For this recipe, I have used whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and semolina to make the dough. The semolina helps in giving a crisp texture, while the whole wheat flour adds a nice nutty flavor.
I usually knead the dough with milk, but water can also be used. Likewise, I have used ghee here, though oil works well too.
One of the best things about this diamond cuts recipe is that you can easily change the spices to suit your taste.
If you want a stronger carom seeds (ajwain/omam) flavor, increase the carom seeds slightly and skip the cumin. To make jeera khara biscuits, replace the carom seeds with cumin seeds. You can also add red chilli powder for a spicy version.
For a more robust flavor, you can also add minced garlic or ginger, asafoetida, finely chopped curry leaves, green chilli paste or sesame seeds.
Once fried, allow the diamond biscuits to cool completely before storing them in an airtight jar. They stay crisp for a couple of weeks and make for a lovely tea-time snack.
You can also check this North Indian sweet Shakkarpara recipe where the fried bites are coated with crystallized sugar. If you prefer savory snacks, then do check Namak Para, a similar crisp and salty snack popular in North India.
More South Indian Tea Time Snacks
How to make Diamond Biscuit (Stepwise)
Make Dough
1. Take ½ cup of whole wheat flour, ½ cup of all-purpose flour and ¼ cup of fine rava (sooji) in a mixing bowl or plate.
2. Add the following spices and seasonings:
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain/omam)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ to ⅔ teaspoon coarsely crushed black pepper
- ½ teaspoon of salt or according to taste
3. Mix very well with a spoon.
4. In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil until warm.
5. Add the warm melted ghee or warm oil to the flour mixture.
6. First mix with a spoon. Then use your fingertips to rub or mix the ghee or oil in the flour to create a breadcrumb-like texture.
7. Take a portion of the mixture and press it in your palm. It should gather and hold itself like in the image below.
8. Add ½ cup milk in portions to the dough and mix first. Then begin to knead. The milk should be at room temperature.
You can also use water instead of milk. Add as necessary in parts.
9. Begin to knead.
10. Knead until you get a firm and stiff dough. Make sure the dough is not soft.
11. Cover the dough with a moist muslin or cotton cloth and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
12. Then knead again.
Assemble, Roll & Slice
13. Roll the dough into a log.
14. Then divide the dough into three parts and roll each into balls in the palm of your hands. Cover with a moist muslin cloth.
15. Now take one part and begin to roll it into a disc or circle.
16. The circle should be 6 to 7 inches in diameter with a thickness of 5 to 7 mm. Ensure that it is not too thick or thin.
17. Now with a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into diagonal strips of 2 to 2.5 cm.
18. Then cut again to make diamond or square shapes.
19. Separate the diamonds. Cover with a clean kitchen napkin and set aside while you begin to heat the oil.
Fry Khara Biscuit
20. Heat oil in a kadai (wok) or pan. To check the temperature, add a small piece of dough to the oil. It should come up gradually and steadily, which means the oil is medium hot and ready for frying.
If the dough comes up too quickly, the oil is too hot and the diamond biscuits can remain undercooked from the center. If it rises slowly or stays at the bottom, the oil needs to be hotter, otherwise the biscuits can turn oily.
When the oil is moderately hot, add the diamond cuts and do not overcrowd the kadai or pan. Add a few pieces at a time and fry in batches.
21. Fry one side of the diamond biscuits until light golden or golden. Use a slotted spoon to turn over and fry the other side.
22. When both sides are light golden or golden, flip a couple of times for even frying. Do not brown them too much.
23. Once they turn golden and crisp, remove the khara biscuits with a slotted spoon.
24. Drain the fried diamond biscuits on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
Once cooled, store them in an airtight container or jar. These keep well for a couple of weeks in an air-tight jar.
25. Serve Diamond Biscuit or Khara Biscuit as a tea-time snack.
Helpful Tips
- Knead a firm dough. A soft dough can make the diamond biscuit absorb more oil and turn less crisp.
- Do not skip rubbing the ghee or oil into the flour mixture well. This step helps in getting a crisp and flaky texture.
- Roll the dough evenly. If the dough is too thick, the khara biscuit can turn slightly chewy from the center. Very thin dough can make them hard.
- Fry on medium heat. Very hot oil will brown the outside quickly while the inside may remain undercooked.
- If you prefer a stronger ajwain or omam flavor, you can increase the carom seeds slightly and skip the cumin seeds.
- To make jeera diamond cuts, replace the carom seeds with cumin seeds.
- You can make a spicy version by adding red chilli powder or crushed green chillies to the dough.
- Let the diamond cuts cool completely before storing. This helps them stay crisp for a longer time.
- Store the khara biscuit in an airtight jar or box at room temperature for a couple of weeks.
Preparing Dough
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Take the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and fine rava in a mixing bowl or a large tray or plate.
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Add carom seeds, cumin seeds, crushed black pepper and salt. Mix very well with a spoon. Set aside.
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In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons ghee or oil until warm.
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Add the warm melted ghee or warm oil to the flour mixture.
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First mix with a spoon. Then rub the ghee or oil into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Press a small portion in your palm. It should hold together and not crumble.
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Now add milk in parts and begin to mix. The milk should be at room temperature. You can also use water instead of milk. Add as needed.
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Mix and knead to a firm, stiff dough. Do not make the dough soft.
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Cover the dough with a moist muslin or cotton napkin and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
Assembling & Making Diamond Cuts
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Then knead lightly again. Roll into a log and divide the dough into three parts. Shape each part into a ball using your palms.
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Take one dough ball and roll it into a disc or circle of about 6 to 7 inches in diameter and 5 to 7 mm in thickness.Make sure the rolled dough is neither too thick nor too thin.
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Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips of 2 to 2.5 cm width.
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Then cut again to make diamond or square shapes.
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Separate the pieces and cover with a moist muslin or kitchen napkin. Set aside while you heat the oil.
Frying Diamond Biscuit
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Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan over medium heat.
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Before you begin frying, drop a small piece of dough into the oil to check the temperature. The oil should be medium hot. If the dough piece rises gradually and steadily to the top, the oil is ready for frying.
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If it rises too quickly, the oil is too hot, so reduce the heat. If it rises slowly or stays at the bottom, the oil needs to heat more, so increase the heat. Very hot oil will cook the khara biscuits from outside while leaving the center undercooked.
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When the oil is medium hot, add the diamond biscuit dough pieces. Turn over with a slotted spoon when one side becomes light golden or golden.
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Fry the second side until light golden or golden.
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Flip a couple of times for even frying and an even golden color.
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Once they turn crispy and golden, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
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After cooling, store the diamond biscuits in an airtight container or jar.
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Serve as a tea-time snack.
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Khara biscuits keep well for a few weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
- You can reduce the spices slightly to suit your taste. Avoid adding too many carom seeds as they can make the khara biscuits slightly bitter.
- For a more robust and flavorful taste, you can add red chilli powder, minced garlic or garlic paste, ginger paste, green chilli paste, asafoetida, sesame seeds or other preferred spices and herbs to the dough.
- If using red chilli powder, add ½ teaspoon for a mildly spicy taste. You can increase it to 1 teaspoon for a spicier version.
- Knead to a firm and stiff dough. Do not make the dough soft, very hard or dry.
- Fry on medium heat for an evenly cooked and crisp texture.
- Roll the dough evenly. Thick dough can turn chewy from the center.
- Cool the diamond biscuits completely before storing so that they remain crisp.
- The recipe can easily be scaled up to make a larger batch for festivals and special occasions.
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 1mg | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 1mg | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2mg | Vitamin B6: 1mg | Vitamin B12: 1µg | Vitamin C: 1mg | Vitamin D: 1µg | Vitamin E: 3mg | Vitamin K: 1µg | Calcium: 32mg | Vitamin B9 (Folate): 37µg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 22mg | Phosphorus: 75mg | Zinc: 1mg