Have you tried making murukku at home?
Which variety murukku or chakli is your favorite?
Few more days left for Diwali am sure you will be busy in kitchen preparing both sweet and savory dishes to add flavor to the festival of lights.
Today I am going to share with you the traditional murukku recipe or chakli recipe that is prepared in Tamil Nadu during Diwali.
My brother and I used to stay in the school hostel for our schooling. We used to wait eagerly for Diwali to come. Diwali vacation for us was a chance to go home and enjoy home cooked food till our hearts content.
We used to write long letters to amma with a list of snacks that we craved for. She, with much love, would prepare all the snacks and sweets by the time we reached home for the Diwali celebrations. Reaching home my brother used to run straight to the kitchen to munch on his favorite snacks.
Murukku (a snack similar to chakli) was the one snack that topped our list always. Amma used to prepare murukku during Diwali and pack big packets of murukku for us to take back to the hostel and distribute among friends and teachers. Amma's murrukku recipe was a big hit in our school and hostel
As I sit to write down the recipe for murruku all those nostalgic childhood memories fill my thoughts. Now I am married and have two lovely kids. Needless to say murukku is the favorite of my daughter too. Whenever my amma comes to Chennai she will prepare this murukku especially for us. This will be in my snacks container most of the time.
Murukku can be prepared in different varieties like garlic murukku, urad dal murukku, butter murukku, millet rice murukku, rice muruku etc. but the one prepared by amma is my all time favorite it's a combination of rice and roasted gram (pottukadalai).
So now let me answer the " how to prepare murukku? " question in the simplest way.
Step by step traditional murukku recipe at home:
This is not an instant powder type of murukku. The recipe I am going to share is the traditional recipe with freshly made dough and is suitable for kids above one year. (Note- If your kid has not mastered chewing properly don't give this murukku)
Take one and a half cup of idly rice and soak it in water for two hours. After the rice is soaked well grind the rice along with ¼ tablespoon of hing, five red chilies and salt to taste.
Once grinded it must become a fine smooth paste like consistency much thicker than an idly batter in consistency. Powder one cup of roasted gram (pottukadalai) and sieve it well.
Mix the rice paste, one tablespoon butter, one tablespoon sesame and roasted gram powder and knead it well. After kneading it will form soft dough.
Now heat enough oil in a deep-bottomed pan. Take a murruku maker and put the bottom plate with the big holes.
Fill the murukku maker with prepared muruku mixture and press it to make murukku shapes. You can squeeze it directly into the hot oil or squeeze the shapes to a greased plate and then flip the murruku shapes into the hot oil.
Fry batch by batch, like 2-3 murruku at a time, till golden brown. Take it to a tissue paper and let the extra oil be absorbed by the tissue paper.
Crispy crunchy murruku is ready. Store it in airtight containers.
Traditional Murukku Recipe
Notes:
- You can adjust the red chilies according to taste.
- Usually we use groundnut oil and sesame oil for cooking, its better to use this oil instead of using refined oil.
- The shape I prepared is little complicated so one can go for simple shapes too.
- Once you make the batter don't delay to prepare the muruku.
- The dough may dry fast if you keep it for long. If the dough is dry you can spray little water and knead again when required.
- I have pressed the murruku shapes onto big greased spoon with holes. Instead you can use greased plates too
- You can try with little millet rice to prepare this muruku.
So this is my amma's traditional tamil nadu murukku recipe. Try this at home. Though it seems difficult it is pretty simple if you follow the steps carefully.
Just with few ingredients this murukku snack will earn you appreciation for your cooking skills.
Do you prepare murruku at home? What variety murukku/ chakli recipes do you prepare for diwali? Please share the recipe in the comments.
Happy Diwali to all lovely readers.
