The Complete Cheer Food: Murukku

An easy version of murukku made out of split channa dhal and rice flour, with the slight variation in my Mother’s recipe, makes the snack time more special. It’s one among the snack varieties made on special occasions like Diwali celebrations. She soaks rice, wet grind it and mix it with split dahlia (Pottukkadalai ) powder. I tried simply using the dry rice flour instead of wet grinding it. Murukku comes as same as the crunchy, yummy flavor and taste. So I continue doing it over and over using the rice flour, since after my marriage…

Ingredients: yields 15-20 murukku
Rice Flour – 2 cup
Split Channa dhal (Pottukkadalai) – 2 cup
Chili Powder – 2 tsp (to taste)
Salt – 1 tsp (to taste)
Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp, preferably black seeds, just to enrich the look. White seeds can also be used instead.
Water – approximately 1 cup
Oil – for deep frying
Ghee – 2 tsp (Optional)

Preparation:

Dry grind split channa dhal into a fine powder and sieve. Add it to rice flour (always sieve rice flour for quality testing).

Heat ghee or little oil, say 2 tsp, and mix it well in the rice-dhalia powder. Ensure each powder particle gets evenly mixed with the ghee/oil.

Add salt, chilli powder and sesame seeds, and mix. Note: Too much ghee will make the murukku so light and brittle…
Add water little by little to the flour and mix well until you feel it is easy to use it with the murukku presser. Too much water consumes more oil while frying… Make it consistent.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Meanwhile, make murukku shapes. I usually use small plates to make my murukku shape. I invert the plates and coat the bottom of the plates with oil and make murukku shapes using the murukku presser. Try a pinch of murukku mix into the oil to check for the temperature. If it sizzles up, the oil is ready. When the oil is hot enough, carefully invert the murukkus in it. Just a gentle tap with the plates, at the sides of the pan will do that.