Thattai

In a large bowl, combine rice flour, roasted urad dal flour, chili powder, hing, and salt.

Add the soaked chana dal and finely chopped curry leaves to the dry professional-grade mixture.

Incorporate the softened butter and rub it into the flour until it reaches a professional crumbly consistency.

Add water little by little and knead into a smooth, stiff professional-grade dough that holds its shape.

The stiffness of the dough is the absolute secret to achieving an intensely brittle and professional thattai.

Take a small ball of dough and place it on a greased plastic sheet or a clean professional banana leaf.

Gently flatten it with your fingers into a very thin circular disc; the thinner the disc, the more crisp the result.

Prick each disc with a fork to prevent it from puffing up like a puri during the professional frying process.

Carefully peel off the disc and deep-fry in medium-hot oil until it turns a beautiful golden-brown and crisp.

Drain on paper towels and allow them to cool completely to achieve the final signature professional snap.