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Being the perfect host who serves home-cooked food is never easy. Not only do you have to select and cook up the most scrumptious dishes in your kitty, but also ensure that there’s enough to go around—you don’t want your guests leaving hungry after all! Truth be told, this often leads to a huge amount of work and pressure. An easy way to reduce said pressure is to have a few basics or sides ready to go beforehand. Yes, this means getting your meal prep on point.
If you are setting up for a party at home, then lavash crackers can always come to your rescue. Lavash or lavosh, literally meaning ‘to knead’, is a kind of Middle-Eastern flatbread. The most popular version is the cracker one, which you can flavour according to your needs and make in large batches days ahead of time. Lavash can easily be stored in airtight containers till you need them, making them a brilliant, filling snack to satiate your cravings on any day, and on any occasion.
These crispy crackers go really well with all sorts of dips, whether it’s a hummus or a cheesy dip with olives, or even a salsa if you want to pair the lavash with something beyond the Middle East. Honestly speaking, I’ve even whipped up a panch phoran-flavoured lavash and served it with the Bengali tomato and dates chutney, and it’s been a crowd pleaser! And if you’re making a charcuterie board for the party, then Spiced Lavash Crackers will be an automatic highlight on it.
So, the potential is limitless and only depends on your imagination. Here’s a basic recipe for Spiced Lavash Crackers for you to try.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup refined flour or maida
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
2 dried red chillies
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
Salt, to taste
Water, as required
Method:
1. Place a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add the cumin, fennel, caraway and coriander seeds along with the dried red chillies.
2. Dry roast the spices while stirring continuously, until they darken slightly and turn fragrant. Don’t let the spices burn.
3. Shift the spices out of the pan and let them cool before grinding them into a fine powder.
4. In the same pan, toast the sesame seeds and set them aside for later use.
5. Place the whole wheat flour and refined flour in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and the sesame oil. Mix these well.
6. Add the ground spices and the toasted sesame seeds, and mix well again.
7. Now gradually add the water to made a slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough for five minutes, or more, until the dough stops sticking to your hand.
8. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven at 180 degrees.
9. Once the dough is rested, divide it into three-four equal parts. Take one part. Apply sesame oil on a rolling surface and your rolling pin. Now roll the dough as thinly as possible.
10. Cut the rolled-out dough in any shape you want. Triangles and rectangles work best, but you can go for circles or oval as well.
11. Line a baking tray with a baking sheet and transfer the cut lavash dough onto it. Don’t overcrowd the tray. You can simply bake the lavash in batches.
12. Bake the lavash dough at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Keep a lookout while the lavash is baking to ensure the crackers don’t burn.
13. Once baked, transfer the lavash crackers onto a cooling rack. Once cooled, you can store them in airtight jars or serve them fresh.
