Spicy Chakri Mix

"In Sanskrit, chakri literally means "disc." Snack-ily speaking, chakri are savory wheels made of extruded rice and chickpea flour dough that is spiraled into circles and fried until super crispy. In parts of India, there are entire stores devoted to snack mixes known as namkeen, which often contain chakri. After experiencing namkeen and specifically chakri for ourselves in India, we decided to engage our top supplier of Indian meals to create a special version just for Trader Joe's. In our Spicy Chakri Mix, the chickpea and rice flours are made into a traditional dough and similarly forced through a mold to make a spiny design. But, instead of spiraling this dough into discs, ours is cut into pieces then fried. The result is little sticks with that same crazy crunch as the spiraled version. We've added some textural interest and flavor contrast by adding peanuts and some fried curry leaves. The Mix is finally tossed in a moderately hot seasoning that includes red chili & jalapeño powders; fennel, coriander, mustard, & ajowan seeds; cumin, turmeric, and salt. Trader Joe's Spicy Chakri Mix is ideally paired with a hoppy IPA or crisp lager, and its savory flavor also goes very well with cubes of a mild, creamy cheese (we recommend Trader Joe's Double Cream Gouda)."