Popular to south India, this fried snack is made with rice flour, urad dal flour and a handful of spices. It is then deep fried to a crispy, crunchy snack, which is usually made and served during festival seasons. 'Murukku' as it it natively known in south India pairs well with tea, as well. Though there are many variations, here's a quick 25-minute recipe you can use to try at home!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 3 cups uncooked rice, powdered
- 1 cup black gram (urad dal), powdered
- 3 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 400 ml water
- Salt to taste
Method:
Step 1: Thoroughly wash and clean the black gram (urad dal) in running water. Allow it to dry.
Step 2: Using a heavy pan, dry roast the urad dal. Keep stirring it continuously till it turns slightly golden in colour. Turn the flame off and transfer on to a plate. Let it cool at room temperature.
Step 3: Grind the urad dal to a fine flour using a blender. Sift through the flour using a sieve, so that you get a fine powder. Set it aside.
Preparation of Rice flour
Step 1: Wash and clean the rice thoroughly and soak it in water for three hours. Drain the water and transfer the rice on a dry kitchen towel for about 30 minutes to remove the excess water.
Step 2: Grind the rice to a fine powder using a blender. Sift through the rice flour using a sieve.
Step 3: Dehydrate the rice flour for about 4 minutes by lightly frying it (ensure you do not over fry it).
Making Dough for Murukku
Step 1: In a pan, combine the urad dal flour, three cups of rice flour with sesame seeds, cumin, asafoetida, baking soda and salt to taste.
Step 2: To another pan, heat clarified butter or ghee and pour it into the flour mix. Mix well.
Step 3: Pour water in equal parts and knead the flour till you get a smooth and non-sticky dough.
Step 4: Lightly grease the murukku mould or a stainless steel idiyappam (string rice flour hoppers) maker, fill the mould with dough. Turn the mould's handle to one side to release the dough in a spiral shape onto a greased plate.
Frying of Murukku
Step 1: Heat oil in a heavy pan as required for deep frying. Keep the flame on a medium-high. Once heated, fry the string dough using a stainless steel spatula. Fry it on a medium flame till the murukku turns light golden in colour. Flip over each side so that they are evenly fried.
Step 2: Fry the murukku till it becomes crisp and golden. Remove the murukku from the oil and place it on a kitchen towel to drain out any excess oil. Fry the murukku in batches.
Notes:
- Instead of preparing rice flour, one can buy ready-made “pattiri podi”, “Idiyappam podi” or “paalappam podi”.
- If the dough is sticky and soggy, it will absorb a lot of oil. If it's too dry, then the murukku will break while frying. The amount of water used for kneading may vary.
- Store murukku in airtight jars for longer shelf life.
Step 3: Serve and enjoy!
