Also known as murukulu, these are a South Indian deep fried snack made with rice flour and urad dal flour. These are crispy, light, aromatic and delicious. These are also known as jantikalu or chakralu in Andhra.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12 · 12 murukku
  • Category: Snack
  • Cuisine: South Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice flour ((good quality fine flour)
  • 4 tbsp urad dal ((or 3 tbsp roasted gram flour or pottukadalai))
  • 1 tbsp hot oil
  • ¾ tsp sesame seeds
  • ¾ tsp carom seeds (or ajwain or omam or vaamu)
  • ½ tsp salt (or as needed)
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (or as needed (optional))
  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida (or hing (optional))
  • 2.5 to 3 cups oil for deep frying

Method

Preparation

  1. You can use urad dal or roasted gram for this recipe. If using roasted gram, just blend 3 tbsps and use only 3 tbsps powder in the recipe.
  2. If using urad dal, dry roast 4 tbsps urad dal on a medium heat until lightly golden.
  3. Cool and make a fine powder. If the powder is not fine then sieve it.
  4. Use only 4 tbsp flour from this. You will be left with little more.
  5. Grease the murukku mould with little oil. Also grease the star shaped plate.

Making murukku dough

  1. Add 1 cup rice flour, 4 tbsps urad dal flour (or 3 tbsps roasted gram flour), ¾ tsp ajwain, salt, ¾ tsp sesame seeds to a bowl and mix well.
  2. Next heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan and pour it to the flour. Mix well.
  3. Pour water little by little, just enough to make a smooth dough.
  4. Do not add too much water at one time. Too much water in the dough will make the murukku absorb lot of oil.
  5. Mix the flour to dough and do not knead. The dough has to be non sticky & without crumbs.
  6. After mixing the dough it has to be used immediately do not rest it otherwise murukku will absorb lot of oil.

How to make murukku

  1. Heat oil in a kadai on a medium heat. (Pls refer to tips in the post intro)
  2. Fill the mould with dough.
  3. Press the mould to make spirals either on a cloth, butter paper, foil or flat holed ladle.
  4. Set the flame to medium high.
  5. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of the dough to the hot oil.
  6. The dough must not sink but has to rise steadily without browning. This is the right heat.
  7. If the oil is not hot enough murukku will turn soft after a day or two.
  8. Place the murukku laddle in the oil or remove the murukku and slide it gently to the hot oil.
  9. Fry until golden and crisp on a medium high flame.
  10. Drain them on a kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.
  11. Cool the murukku completely. Store murukku in a airtight jar.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.