Switching from regular to low-sodium salt could prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths annually

As the sacred festival of Diwali approaches, preparations begin in homes for cleaning, as well as for creating various dishes and snacks. Often, low-quality oils and chemical substances are used in packaged snacks sold in stores, which is not healthy.

Instead of treating guests with store-bought snacks during Diwali, it is recommended to prepare homemade, tender, and delicious green lentil chakli. This snack is not only very tasty but also light and crunchy.

The following ingredients are required for preparation: 1 cup of yellow green lentils (soaked for 2-3 hours), 2 cups of rice flour (to give the chakli a crispy texture), 1 teaspoon of white sesame seeds, half a teaspoon of ajwain or cumin seeds, 2 pinches of asafoetida, red pepper or black pepper to taste, half a teaspoon of turmeric, salt to taste. For coating (moyan), 2-3 tablespoons of hot oil or melted ghee will be needed, and clean oil for frying.

When grinding the lentils, try to use as little water as possible or grind them without water to obtain an absolutely smooth paste so that the dough does not become too wet. Adding rice flour to the green lentils ensures that the chakli has an excellent crunchy texture (Crunch) and prevents it from crumbling in the oil.

First, the soaked green lentils must either be boiled or ground in a blender until a uniform paste is obtained (the lentils can also be lightly boiled and then mashed).

Next, in a large bowl, mix the rice flour with the ground lentils, white sesame seeds, ajwain, asafoetida, red pepper, turmeric, salt, and 2 tablespoons of hot oil, mixing thoroughly.

After this, knead a soft dough, similar to chapati or roti dough, by gradually adding warm water. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.

A special machine (mold) with a star-shaped grid is used to shape the chakli, which is pre-greased with oil. A small portion of the dough is placed into the machine.

Then, on a paper towel or cotton cloth, the machine is rotated, forming spiral-shaped (Spiral Shape) chakli.

In a deep pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Carefully place the chakli into the hot oil and fry on low or medium heat until golden and crispy on both sides.

After cooling, the finished chakli should be stored in an airtight container. This results in a delicious and crunchy green lentil chakli.

Throughout 2023, 2.54 million cases of accidental poisoning from various substances, including carbon monoxide, were registered worldwide. Of these cases, 69,805 people died.

A significant portion of the poisonings was related to carbon monoxide: it accounted for 641,932 poisoning cases and 30,890 deaths. Data analysis published in The Lancet Public Health showed that the highest incidence of such poisonings was observed in the regions of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in Central Asia.