Fara (Phara) is a snack and breakfast dish, this recipe uses rice flour, salt and water. The dough is made and then rolled out into sticks. This boiled and tempered dish is easy and filling. It is served alongside chutney. A simple dish that encourages you to reduce the waste of good food.
Also known as Faraa, is enjoyed as a snack or breakfast meal. There are no special occasions for making it.
Phara can be paired well with any kind of chutney, but I pair it with a curry, like a Dal Tadka Recipe. Next time, I can add them to this Dal Dhokli. The other dumpling recipe we enjoy is the Dal Fara.
Over the past few years, I had forgotten about Phara. Recently, at a Korean restaurant, we had Tteokbokki, and I remembered this simple dish. So Tteokbokki is also on the cards.
Fara reminds me of Ammani Kozhukattai or Sheet Laddu. Other similar dishes are patoli and modak.
I read up on Fara when I did the Blogging Marathon States years ago. I had mistaken it to be a dish only from Chattisgarh. But it is enjoyed in the neighbouring states of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Chattisgarh is the rice bowl of India, and most tribal food is made from rice, curds or yogurt and leafy vegetables.
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Ingredients
These are your ingredients; for quantities, please check the recipe card.
For Fara:
- Rice flour
- Water
- Oil
- Sesame seeds
- Green chillies
- Garlic
- Green coriander leaves
- Salt
For Chutney:
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Green chilli
- Coriander leaves
- Salt
Instructions
- Boil the water with salt. Add the rice flour. Stir and set aside. The flour will be lumpy and in some places dry. That’s okay. Cover with a lid and set aside.
- Once the rice flour is cool enough to handle, oil your hands and knead it. make small rolls or small logs or rolls.
- Make a paste of coriander leaves, green chilli and garlic with water. Set aside.
The first way to make Faraa:
- In a pan heat oil and add the sesame seeds.
- Add green chillies and the garlic and coriander paste. Stirfry till you nice aroma.
- Add ½ cup of water check seasonings and bring to a boil.
- Once the water starts boiling add the rice sticks, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- After about 5 minutes open the pan. Cook for another 2-3 minutes if there is any water left.
- Serve.
The second way to make Phara:
- Boil water in a pan and add some salt.
- Add the rice sticks to the boiling water. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Check on the boiling sticks.
- Once they float on water they are done. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
- In a pan, add oil and sesame seeds. Add the green chilli, garlic and coriander paste and stir fry till the raw aroma goes away.
- Add the fara sticks and mix well.
- Serve garnished with coriander leaves and chutney of your choice.
To make Tomato Chutney:
- Add all the tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chilli and salt to the mixer.
- Grind coarse. Your chutney is ready.
In place of just rice flour, you can add cooked rice too the proportion of flour and cooked rice is 1:½.
Substitutions
- In place of just rice flour, use add cooked leftover rice. The proportion of flour and cooked rice is 1:½.
Variations
- Stuffed: Generally a filling of lentils is added to the flattened disc of rice dough And steamed. But I guess you can stuff it in a filling of green peas as I used for making Siddu.
- In case you want meat or seafood you can also add filling made from chicken and prawns like it is done for momos. Will taste great.
- Ammani Kozhukattai: In South India, the rice dough is made into small balls and then steamed. For these steamed balls, make a tempering and flavour with chutney powder. Just like these idli bites.
- Dietary Restrictions: This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
- Flavor Profile Variations: I have shared the traditional method of flavouring phara.
- But you can use it to make tteokbokki.
- Make it like a flat disc and add coconut and jaggery filling(patoli or modak-like).
- Use herbs and sauces like basil pesto, arrabitta or spicy tomato jam.
- How about honey chilli flavour, pav bhaji flavour?
- Add in Dal and make something similar to dal dhokli. Makes a beautiful base for fusion recipe.
- Toppings: Keep it simple! I use chutney like tamarind leaf pachadi or coconut chutney. But the girls enjoy it with sweet and sour tamarind chutney or pickle.
- For a filling meal serve it with dal as we do for dal bafla of course, this is again a fusion I am suggesting. But if you like it go ahead.
- Spice levels: The amount of spice we can now eat is low so my cooking is almost bland. You can add more chillies to raise the heat or serve with a spicy chutney like this Kathiyawadi Garlic Chutney.
Equipment
- Pan
- Wok/kadhai
- Slotted spoon
- Plate
- Mixer grinder
Storage
- I have never tried storing these Fara. They are generally last-minute snacks or breakfast items we need. But I think the cooked fara will stay good for about 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- If you freeze the fara, please let me know how you do it and I will update my post.
Protips
- Use fresh rice flour to make the dough. It is more easy to knead.
- I use store-bought flour you can however make the flour at home.
- Use some mashed cooked rice (leftover is fine) with the flour in case you find it difficult to shape the dough. Especially useful if your flour has become old.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with Phara recipe:
This post I posted on 4-Apr-2014, updating it with pictures and a write-up reposting it today.
This is an old post that I am updating with newer pictures and a write-up as a part of the group Foodies_RedoingOld Post.
Summary: Fara or Phara is an easy recipe that can be adapted to suit your tastes and ingredients. You can make a quick snack or breakfast dish with basic pantry ingredients.
Make this easy Fara and let me know how you enjoyed it! Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on our newer recipes.
Easy Fara Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Pan
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- Plate/tray
- 1 chutney jar of mixer/blender
Ingredients
For Fara:
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoon oil + extra for oiling
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds til
- 2 green chillies crushed
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander paste dhania
- salt to taste
Tomato Coriander Chutney:
- 2 Tomatoes
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 Green chillies
- 1 cup Coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
For Fara:
- Boil 1 cup water with salt.
- Turn off heat, add rice flour, stir, and cover and set aside. Lumps and dry flour are okay.
- Crush green chillies, coriander, and garlic. Set aside.
- Mix cooled rice flour with oiled hands,
- Shape the dough into sticks or rolls.
Method 1:
- Heat oil in a wok, add sesame seeds, green chillies, garlic-coriander paste. Stir.
- Add ½ cup water, check seasoning, bring to a boil.
- Add rice sticks, cover, boil 5 mins.
- Uncover, cook 2-3 mins till water evaporates.
Method 2:
- Boil water with salt in a pan.
- Add fara sticks, boil 5 mins till glossy.
- Transfer to plate, let cool.
- Heat oil, add sesame seeds, green chilli, and coriander leaves. Stir-fry.
- Add cooked fara, mix, check seasoning.
- Serve fara with tomato coriander chutney.
Tomato Coriander Chutney:
- Blend tomatoes, garlic, green chilli, coriander leaves, and salt into a coarse paste. Set aside.
Srivalli says
I was almost going to make these as well Archana..you have got the dish so well..
Sapana Behl says
It looks lite and healthy ! Must be delicious ...
Saraswathi Tharagaram says
Love this savory version kozhukattai..Most of the recipes are similar with slight changes...
Padmajha PJ says
New recipe Archana.Bookmarked it to try...
vaishali sabnani says
That's a lovely dish..I tried too but somehow I did not post it..the pics were bad..and you have made it do well feel like taking a bite.
The Pumpkin Farm says
wonder where i was researching not having found such beautiful recipes..this looks so easy to make and very similar to what i make from gujarathi cuisine
Priya Suresh says
Wow, very different and delicious dish, faraphara is just inviting me.
Varadas Kitchen says
Very interesting recipe, I thought it was a tuber not rice flour. Looks pretty good.
Farin Ahmed says
Phara looks different!!! sounds interesting dear!!!
Harini-Jaya R says
When I first saw the picture elsewhere, I thought it would be another version of dhokla! Good one!
Kalyani says
Same pinch ! I mafe this too, although a lil differently .. Looks yum
Jayanthi Padmanabhan says
fara looks a nice and easy recipe. nicely made
Gayathri Kumar says
Delicious looking Fara Archana. It looks so much like kozhukattai...
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
so much like the kozhukattai we make here!!! fara looks so nice!!
Pavani N says
That is a very interesting dish. Looks delicious.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I also saw this recipe and was debating between this and kusli...Finally kusli won the battle in my house. Looks so tempting!
Usha says
This sounds like a nice snack. I am liking all those green chilies dhania that went into that paste & the fara..
Chef Mireille says
yummy and healthy snack
Priya Srinivasan says
That is one delicious and a healthy snack!!! Imli chutney topping sounds too good!!!
Nalini's Kitchen says
Sounds healthy and delicious one..
Sreevalli E says
Temping fara's.. Almost tried making them but at last min. changed to kadhi.. Love to make them soon.
Suma Gandlur says
Looks delicious and is healthy. I was trying to figure out what vegetable went into the dish until I saw the recipe. It looks like the Tamilian kozhukattai.
Mayuri Patel says
Fara reminds me of ammini kozhukattai and the Gujarati papdi no lot or khichu. The difference is we add the chilli and spices in the dough and steam it. A healthy and delicious snack which I've had the opportunity to taste as my daughter's MIL makes it often. When stored in the fridge it goes a bit dryish.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Mayuri evein I think of kozukattai when I make it. Yet to try Gujarati papdi. Thanks will check that out.
Renu says
Such a healthy and a filling dish I would say and one can make this with any type of flour. Loved it.
ArchanaPotdar says
Thanks, Renu.
Kalyani says
Been ages since I made Farra at home. I think the husband man would like this as its a steamed, light snack. Thanks for the reminder...
ArchanaPotdar says
😀
Jayashree T.Rao says
Fara is quite new to me, would love to try it soon with your recipe. I keep ammini kozhukottai but not this one.
ArchanaPotdar says
😀