Today I will share with you the recipe for an Indian savoury snack that is always eaten for Diwali, but that we also like to eat during the rest of the year at tea time: murukku – முறுக்கு (also known as chakali or chakli). Murukku is a Tamilian word that means “twisted” and even though these snacks are very popular in the South of India, they are eaten all over the country. They are wheel shaped savoury cookies made with rice and gram flours, spices and carom seeds… and then deep fried! I particularly like the taste that the carom seeds give to them and the fact that even though they are deep fried, they are not oily at all! Italians don’t usually have savoury food at tea time, but I happily make an exception for murukku. There is nothing better than biting into these crunchy and slightly spicy “cookies” while sipping on a cup of hot Indian Chai (click here for the recipe!), especially on a rainy day! Enjoy!
Murukku - Chakali
Murukku - Indian wheel shaped savoury snacks perfect to have while sipping a cup of hot chai.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice flour
- ½ cup Bengal Gram flour Urad dhal flour, roasted
- ¼ cup Gram flour roasted
- ¼ tsp Carom Seeds Ajwain Seeds
- 2 tsp butter
- ½ - ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups water as needed to make the dough
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
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Put the flours, chilli powder, salt and carom seeds in a bowl and mix them well.
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Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with you fingers so that it gets well incorporated into the mixture
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Add the water little by little and knead until obtaining a soft dough. Make it into a ball and cover it with a wet cloth. Keep it aside.
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Heat the vegetable oil for deep frying.
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Fill the cylinder with some of the dough and press it into a spiral onto the back of a slotted spoon, to create a murukku/chakali.
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Gently place the murukku/chakali in the hot oil and fry it on both sides until golden brown and the bubbles around the murukku/chakali in the oil subside.
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Remove it from the pot and put it on a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
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Allow it to cool down completely and serve with a hot cup of chai!
Recipe Notes
Store in an air-tight container.
Hey Manu …. beautiful pics. I love chakalis …. I was wondering if you picked up your Murukku press in Sydney. If you did, where did you buy it? I’ve been looking for one.
Hi Trisha! Thanks! 🙂
I got my press in Harris Park… I don’t remember the name of the shop, but I think it was on Wigram or Station Street. 🙂
Was wondering about these since I saw them in your picture with the Chai recipe. They look great! Thanks for the recipe Manuela!
Oh those are so beautiful!!
hi 🙂
one question….have to roast Bengal Gram flour & Gram flour individually? for rice flour no roasting required?
Hi!
I have bought mine already roasted at the local Indian store, but if you don’t find them ready, roast them separately just to make sure nothing burns. No roasting is required for the rice flour. 🙂