‘Murukku’, a traditional South Indian snack, has its origin deep rooted in Tamil Nadu. ‘Murukku’ literally translates to ‘twist’ in Tamil. Owing to the progressive layers of twist, the dough acquires the name – ‘Murukku’. It is a very common sight in a South Indian household where before any special occasion womenfolk painstakingly make this crispy savoury and fill it in those tall stainless drums. Each house will have a fair share of story attached to the making of the murukku; though the recipe may be the same – there is more to it. Years of practice, deftness of hands and above all watchful eyes like a hawk that knows when exactly the ‘Murukku’ is done – all sums up for those “awesome, crispy murukkus”. Don’t get worried, today I’m going to hand you down an extremely simple recipe which does not need hours of preparation.
How to Make Mullu Murukku
The main ingredients of Mullu Murukku are rice flour and chana dal.
Ingredients
- Rice Flour – 1 cup
- Pottu Kadalai/ Roasted Gram flour – 1/4 cup (sieved)
- Butter – 1/4 cup
- Sesame seeds – 1tbsp
- Cummin Seeds – 1tsp (crushed coarsely)
- Asafoetida – a pinch
- Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – according to taste
- Oil – for frying
- Water – 3/4 cup (a little more than Luke warm)
How to Make Murukku
An essential gadget that you require to make ‘Murukku’ is the murukku maker. This is a handheld instrument comprising of two cylindrical compartments which slides one in to the other. The hollow part is where the soft dough is filled in, this has a small star-shaped hole at the base. The other cylindrical part is placed on top of this. As you apply pressure the dough squishes out through the hole, and when it is moved in a circular motion the ‘murukku’ takes its shape.
Combine all the dry ingredients such as Rice flour, roasted gram flour, sesame seeds, crushed cummin seeds, asafoetida, chilli powder and salt in a wide bowl. Just run through with the fingers so that the ingredients are well combined. Melt the butter and pour it along with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Now add hot water, little at a time and knead. Do not apply too much pressure. As and when you keep adding the water, you will notice that the mixture comes together and furls up into a ball. Let the mixture rest for atl east 20 minutes.
Take a small amount of dough, fill it in the mould and press them on a parchment paper or clean cloth or any surface from where you may find it convenient to slide them in to the oil. Always keep the rest of the dough, with which you are not working, covered.
Heat oil, check by just dropping a pinch of the dough. If it rises up instantaneously it indicates that the oil is ready for the first batch of “murukku”. It is very important that you handle it with care because the ‘murukku flowers’ are extremely delicate at this stage. Slide in the murukku along the sides of the skillet. Simmer the stove and leave them to cook for a while, turn on to the other side and remove from oil when they turn golden brown, using a perforated ladle.
Drain them on a tissue to remove excess oil if any.
Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. If you find that the dough has firmed up, sprinkle in some warm water and soften it.
Let them cool completely and transfer into airtight container.
This melt-in-the-mouth snack is sure to get polished within no time.
— Recipe and Images Shared by Gayathri Iyer