"Urad Dal and Rice Chakuli (Murukku)" ... a traditional crispy spiral shaped deep fried snack; a popular delicacy from GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine prepared almost in every home all round the year/ during festive times ... it is always a joy to relish these with family and friends with hot cup of kapi (coffee) or ginger tea (adraki chai) ... tastes great served dunked in sambar/ rasam too ... prepare it this Diwali, sure to be loved by all, especially children ... Yummilicious ...
** Chakuli as known in GSB Konkani Saraswat community and murukku as known in southern parts of India are deep fried spirals prepared in combination of lentils and rice flour. These crispy deep fried snack are enjoyed almost by the young and old alike. Children are very fond of this and they are finished in no time.
** Chakuli also referred to as Chakli, Chakri, Chakralu, Murukku etc. are all the same, with just names referred to in different regions as per the religion. There are plenty of recipes in which you can prepare chakuli and the basic one is the one shared here which is usually prepared with roasted urad dal flour+ rice flour etc.
** Preparing Chakuli is a little bit tedious if it has to be done alone not to mention a little bit boring, well you can always switch on some music for company. As for me I usually prepare them when Amma comes over to stay as I am always partial to her dishes, she prepares them the best and I still need to perfect by cooking skills.
** Cooking any dish is a joy when you have a helping hand as it can then be finished not only quickly but with enjoyment too. But how much ever the part of work it involves, during the festival of Diwali there are plenty of snacks and goodies etc. that are a must to be prepared and relished in almost every household.
** In my Amma's home festive season was like a marriage time with plenty of goodies, savories, dishes etc. cooked in plenty as we had lots of relatives and friends dropping by and Amma's kitchen was always bussing with activity, sometimes I really wonder how she managed such a huge task with smiling face.
** As ours was a large family Amma always prepared snacks and sweets many times round the year and we siblings always helped her a little bit while we kept munching on the freshly fried snacks. We always helped Amma in the making of sun dried items, snacks, goodies and we also helped Aanu in his official work.
** When we accomplished the work, we were always rewarded with a dinner at Moti Mahal (restaurant) and a movie too. My childhood days was the happiest days of my life, not only did we learn the kitchen and home skills from Amma, but got official training from Aanu too, which I guess prepared us for lifetime management.
** Initially I never enjoyed the chakuli making process as I had to toil alone. I would prepare these when mom came over to stay. This time too the major credit goes to my dear Amma, who helped me in making these. She literally pushes me away and wants to do it on her own. Ahha Mother’s never will believe our ability.
** She always doubts I will mess up, maybe its their love towards children that simply gives them pleasure in making them for us. At the age of 83 yrs, she still manages all work just with some help from us and may God Bless her with good health always and a life with happiness to her credit as she has toiled a lot for family.
** This time I was in for a luck from different front, hubby was home and as he too like me is a big foodie, he was all for lending helping hand to us and surprisingly accomplished it so well. He learned the task of pressing chakuli and to me that means we can share the burden of preparing these together henceforth.
** Amma's Tips : If the chakulis tends to break while making, it means the kneaded dough is dry and will have to be a little smoother. Sprinkle some more water/ coconut milk and knead the dough well again. Now, put it again in chakuli pressing machine and press into making the chakuli again and it will come out perfect.
** The chakuli dough should come out of the pressing machine in a nice single thread without breaking and should be able to be shaped. I suggest you watch the process from a family friend/ neighbor who are well versed in the process for best knowledge or you can check on You Tube for the same for method of the preparation.
** Deep fry the pressed chakuli in hot oil keeping the heat constant and then when they cool to room temperature, store them in an airtight containers. You can enjoy them as snacks along with some hot coffee/ tea or dipped in a cup of steaming hot rasam/ sambar, it tastes wonderful especially during monsoon/ winter.
** I always prepare chakuli rasam/ sambar whenever I prepare chakuli as we simple love them this way. I just love to sit on my rocking chair and sip on the hot rasam and bite on to the crunchy dunked chakuli when its pouring heavily, its simply wonderful feeling. Off course you can just enjoy them anyway you wish.
** Definitely a good time pass snack too, especially to carry if you are travelling or on tour as it lasts for days. Go ahead, try it it and enjoy it with your family and friends. You can just nibble it in between breaks if that tummy growls especially during those tiring Diwali home cleaning days. Sure to share more choice in coming years.
** Here is my recipe for "Urad Dal and Rice Chakuli (Murukku)" ... my style, which I learnt from my Amma; its awesome, just perfect ....
** Ingredients :
Urad Dal/ Black Gram Split Dal : 250 gms.
Basmati or any Rice Flour : 500 gms.
Coconut Milk/ Narla Rosu/ Nariyal Doodh : 100 ml
Homemade White Butter/ Loni/ Benne : 50-75 gms,
White or Black Til/ Seasame/ Tilu : 2-3 tblsp
Jeera/ Cumin Seeds : 2 tblsp
Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste
** Plenty of refined oil for deep frying.
** For Udidache Hurna : Roast urad dal dry on a thick bottomed kadai/ pan until light brown/ reddish in colour over slow heat. Remove and let it cool completely, then grind in a mixer to a fine powder WITHOUT adding water.
** Sieve through a fine sieve, add back the sieve remnants back into mixer grinder again and grind to fine powder and once again sieve it. You can prepare this powder before hand and store it and use as and when required too.
** This powder is called Udidache hurna in GSB Konkani Saraswat Cuisine which is easily available in stores in Southern parts of India. But in Mumbai we do not get it, so we need to prepare it at home, well, its easy, not an issue.
** Add sieved urad dal powder in a large bowl (approximately around 250 gms). To this add in the rice flour, coconut milk, butter (room temperature), til, jeera and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients with fingers until it forms into crumbs.
** Now water little by little and bind to a stiff dough. It should come to a ball consistency. If not keep sprinkling some water and continue the procedure till all kneaded dough can be made into a smooth ball (check pic. collage).
** Now keep plenty of oil in a deep wide mouthed kadai and keep on low heat. By the time the chakuli are pressed and ready, the oil will heat up. Once again somoothen the dough well and prepare into required sized balls for pressing.
** Press chakuli on a news paper (any paper) spread wide enough and kept ready. Once half the chakuli dough is pressed, increase the heat of the kadai to high so that the oil is hot and ready by the time all the chakuli are pressed.
** Continue the chakuli pressing till you finish all the prepared dough. Check to see if the oil is hot you can add a small piece of dough into the hot oil, if it sinks down immediately and comes up to surface with bubbles, its ready.
** Gently tilt and remove each pressed chakuli from the paper and slide it smoothly into the oil from the side of kadai. Keep adding until there is space in the kadai. See to it that you add the chakuli gently while keeping them whole.
** The chakuli should fry evenly without breaking, so do not overcrowd the kadai, nor make the heat slow. While frying the chakuli the heat should be kept at high constant temperature, also avoid flipping with spatula immediately.
** Remember to let the chakuli to cook for some time before you flip them with a slotted/ ringed spatula. After a few minutes stir them in between cooking, flip and cook until the chakuli turns brownish red in colour and are crisp.
** Remove the evenly fried chakuli with the help of the ringed spatula so that the oil drains back into the kadai. Put the chakuli on a holed vessel or large spatula with a plate or tava below it. Let the excess oil drain onto the tava.
** Meanwhile proceed frying a new batch of chakuli by adding in some more of the prepared one from the paper. Do not lower the temperature, try keeping the heat at the same level. Or else the chakuli will not become evenly crisp.
** Remove the fried and kept chakuli from the holed plate and put it on an absorbent paper for further draining of excess oil if any. Prepare all in similar pattern as mentioned above by frying, draining and placing on absorbent paper.
** I have shared a collage with pictures for reference which I am sure will be useful to you if newbie. You may notice that there is hardly any traces of oil on the absorbent paper which means that the chakuli are perfectly done.
** Let the chakuli cool to room temperature before you store them away in airtight dabba/ tins. These have a good shelf life and last fresh for atleast 3-4 weeks, that's if they remain for that long, however best enjoyed within 2 weeks.
** "Urad Dal and Rice Chakuli (Murukku)" is done and ready to be served. If you have prepared them on auspicious occasion you can make an offering to God as Naivedyam too and then serve to family.
** Serve chakuli to friends and family during festivals or for get together as a snack. You can enjoy them as snacks dipped in a cup of steaming hot rasam/ sambar during monsoon/ winter when its pouring heavily or there is chill in air.
** In my home we love chakuli rasam/ sambar and whenever I prepare chakuli we relish it that we and also serve guest which they love. There are a few restaurants like woodland in Mumbai that serve chakuli-rasm as appetizer.
** There is always no hard and fast rules to enjoy snacks, so just go ahead and relish the same any way you and your family prefers them. A lovely snack to nibble in between breaks if that tummy growls. Do try it out and enjoy with family.
** I will make a separate post on Chakuli- Rasam and different types snacks soon. So do keep a keen watch out for this space and follow my recipes and if time permits it would be lovely to have a feedback, it means a lot to me. Thank you.
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