Daal Seve (Nimko)

There is a reason daal sev turns up inside savoury mixes all over the trade: it keeps its crunch and its flavour among fried daals and peanuts where a fine strand would get lost. On its own at chai time it is firm and satisfying, a step heartier than plain besan sev because the daal gives it body. Set it next to bareek sev and the difference is obvious in one bite: that one is a topping, this one is a snack.

Same rate as the rest of the sev shelf. The three styles are compared closely in our sev and ghatiya comparison guide, and their place in the wider family is covered in the types of nimko guide.

Daal sev holds its crunch a little longer than the fine strands, but the storage rule is unchanged: airtight jar, dry spoon, away from the steam of the stove. If a pack softens, a few minutes spread on a tray in a low oven brings most of it back, as long as you let it cool fully before jarring. Fried and packed by Wahid Nimco in Quetta since 1990, delivered across Pakistan in 3 to 5 business days.

Daal sev or bareek sev for snacking? Daal sev. Bareek is a finishing strand for chaat; daal sev has the body to be the snack itself.

Does daal sev have more protein than plain sev? Somewhat, because daal is part of the dough rather than pure flour. It is still a fried snack, so enjoy it as a better snack, not a health food.

Is it very spicy? Middle of the road. The masala is worked through, so the flavour is even rather than sharp. See the whole shelf in the nimko collection.