Murukku:

Murukku, Chakaralu, Indian Prestles.

Ingredients:

Raw rice 500 grams
Urad dal 100 grams
Black or brown sesame seeds 4-6 spoons
Tymol seeds/ajwain/omam/oma 1-2 spoons
Tymol seeds powder 1 spoon
Chili powder 2 spoons
Baking soda less than 1/4 spoon
Ghee or clarified butter few spoons
Warm water 1 cup
Sesame oil or any vegetable oil for frying around 750 ml.

Method:

Soak rice in water for about 5-6 hours. Then drain and strain them without any water. Now spread these rice over clean white sheet/cloth without any water. Sun dry them for about 2-5 hours. That is till the rice is brittle without any moisture in it. Now in a rice mill…..grind it to very fine powder.

Or one can simply use ‘rice flour’ from store….any commercial brand.

In a wok dry toast the urad dal until golden to reddish color and finely powder them too.

In a wide bowl, bring this mill-ground rice flour, urad dal powder and mix them thoroughly.

Further add…..chili powder, ajwain powder, whole ajwain and sesame seeds. Mix them using hands.

In a cup of warm water, add salt and baking soda. Let them dissolve completely.

Now add, this water little by little to the above flour mixture. Bring them to dough like consistency. Finish with ghee.

Now load this dough in a ‘Murukku equippment’ or simply load them in ketchup bottle, with one nozzle.

Heat oil, in a wide shallow skillet. Let it come to smoky hot. Maintain the stove over medium to high heat.

Now held right over the hot oil the ketchup bottle(inverted position) Slowly releace the dough into fine ‘murukku’ maybe into 3-5 irregular circles. Repeat it for atleast 3-5 murukkus at a time. Shallow fry them till golden to reddish brown color. Remove them with slotted spoons and leave over kitchen tissues for few minutes.

Now repeat the same for each batch. Never crowd the oil. Fry over medium heat. After each batch…give enough time to heat the oil for regular temperature.

Serve them hot as evenning snack or T.V time snack. For storage….allow the ‘Murukku’ to cool down to room temperature and then store them in air-tight container. It can be stored for as long as 4-6 weaks.