Crispy South Indian Murukku
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Murukku is a crisp South Indian snack seasoned with cumin, sesame and chilli, with a light texture that is easy to bite. Rice flour and chickpea flour provide lasting crunch, while piping the dough directly into hot oil ensures quick, even frying. Serve it with tea or as a savoury party snack; it also keeps well in an airtight container. • If the dough breaks while piping, the finished murukku will be fragile. Knead in 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the dough pipes in an unbroken strand. • Oil that is too cool will make the murukku greasy, while excessively hot oil will brown the outside before the centre dries and crisps. • Pure gluten-free asafoetida is uncommon; to keep the snack gluten-free, check that yours is not blended with wheat flour. • Do not stack the murukku while warm, as trapped steam will soften it. • Replace the Kashmiri chilli powder with 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. • Replace the white sesame seeds with the same quantity of black sesame seeds. • If you do not have a murukku press, use a heavy-duty reusable piping bag fitted with a star nozzle; a thin disposable bag may split. • Omit the asafoetida and add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder instead, although the flavour will be less traditional. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days. Refrigeration is unnecessary. If the murukku softens, arrange it in a single layer and heat in a 150°C oven for 5–7 minutes, then cool before serving; freezing is not recommended.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 240 gfine rice flour
- 60 gchickpea flour (gram flour)
- 2 tbspwhite sesame seeds
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- 1 tspKashmiri chilli powder
- ¼ tspground turmeric
- ⅛ tspground asafoetida
- 1 ¼ tspfine salt
- 30 mlvegetable oil, hot
- 180 mlwarm water, plus more as needed
- 1 tsplemon juice
- 1 lvegetable oil, for deep-frying
Instructions
- 1Combine the rice flour, chickpea flour, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, chilli powder, turmeric, asafoetida and salt in a large bowl, mixing until evenly distributed.
- 2Heat the 30 ml vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking, about 1 minute. Carefully pour it over the flour mixture and stir with a spoon. Once cool enough to handle, rub the mixture between your fingertips until fine crumbs form.
- 3Add the lemon juice, followed gradually by 160 ml of the warm water. Knead for 2–3 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, pliable and not sticky. If it cracks when pressed, add the remaining water 1 teaspoon at a time. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.
- 4Fit a murukku press or sturdy reusable piping bag with a 5–6 mm star nozzle. Cut 10 squares of baking paper measuring 12 cm. Fill the press with some of the dough and pipe an 8–9 cm spiral onto each square, leaving a little space between the coils rather than pressing them tightly together.
- 5Pour the frying oil into a wide, heavy-based pan to a depth of at least 5 cm and heat to 175°C. Set a wire rack over a baking tray. Keep the remaining dough covered as you work to prevent it from drying out.
- 6Lift a spiral by its paper, invert it close to the oil and carefully peel away the paper. Fry 2–3 spirals at a time without crowding the pan for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until the bubbling subsides and the snacks are golden and firm. Keep the oil between 170–180°C.
- 7Transfer the murukku to the wire rack with a slotted spoon. Return the oil to 175°C between batches and continue until all the dough is fried. Cool completely for at least 20 minutes before serving or storing; the murukku will become crisper as it cools.