Murukku / Chakli recipe and Winners of Giveaway

    Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Diwali. I had a great time too and celebrated this diwali with my family and loads of sweet and snacks. Before moving to today's recipe i would like to thank all the readers and friends who participated in the Giveaway. And sorry for the delay. And the winners are Nupur of UK,Rasoi n Me and Priya Sreeram of Bon Appetit. Congratulations to both of you. Please send me your contact details to my mail Id.

   Now coming to the recipe, this Murukku is almost prepared at every house during Diwali time. It is a famous, traditional, delicious and crunchy South Indian Snack recipe. It is also s a perfect tea time snack, just perfect for this cold weather. Here is the recipe, enjoy it :)

Makes 40 to 50 Murukkus

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups ( 1 cup = 8oz) of Rice (Parboiled Rice/ Pulungal Arisi)
• 450 gms of Split Roasted Gram Dal (Pottukadalai/ chutney dal)
• 60 gms of Butter, bring to room temperature
• 10 Dry Red Chillies
• 2 tbsp of Black Sesame seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil for Deep Frying (need 1 litre of Oil )

Method

1. Wash the rice and soak in warm water for about 3 hours.
2. Also wash the sesame seeds and soak in another bowl for half an hour.
3. Powder the roasted gram dal finely with the help of a mixer/food processor and keep aside.
4. Drain the water from the rice.First place 1/4 cup of rice and dry red chillies in a wet grinder and grind it so that the chillies are ground finely. Then add the rest of the rice to the grinder again and grind it by adding little water. ( do not add too much water, add water little by little in additions). If you feel the dough is very tight add little water again and grind it to a fine paste.
5. Finally add salt and butter to the dough and grind again till they are evenly mixed up.
6. Drain the water from sesame seeds and keep aside.
7. Remove the dough from the grinder and transfer to a bowl and add the powdered gram dal and sesame seeds to it and mix well with the help of hand.
8. Heat oil in a large, wide opened, heavy bottom Kadai/wok. Take a small potion of the dough and fill in the murukku press/maker. Place another mould on the dough and gently press, you will find the dough coming out of the holes. Before pressing the murukku, grease little oil on the back side of the ladle and press the dough on it. Move into a circular motion to form murukku. Drop the pressed murukku gently into the hot oil, repeat with the remaining dough in murukku press/maker.
9. After few minutes flip it over other side and fry this till it becomes light golden brown in color. repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Notes:

• Once the dough is ready, murukku should be made immediately, otherwise it will ferment and gives a sour taste.
• Dough consistency should not be very tight nor very loose.