Thenkuzhal Murukku

Ingredients

• Raw Rice (I use IR20..This is called mavu arisi and is available at the grocery store) - 1.6 kg (8 cups)
• Urad Dal - 600 g (3 cups)
• Ghee - 12 tsp
• Oil - 12 tsp for the dough
• Cumin Seeds - 4 tsp
• Salt- as required
• Hing - 3 tsp
• Water - as required
• Oil - for frying

Preparation

To make the flour: Dry roast urad dal until it just get heated. Switch off the stove when you can smell the dal and before it changes colour. Now combine the rice and dal and grind to a fine textured flour (I get this ground at the flour mill).Spread out the flour on some paper to release the heat.

• 8 cups raw rice
• 3 cups moong dal

Now sieve the flour to remove the unwanted particles. It is important to sieve the flour to also remove any coarse particles in the flour. (These coarse particles will later cause the oil to splutter and spoil the murukku). Divide the sieved flour into 6 parts (If you mix all the flour together the last batch of murukku become dark and do not taste too good.)

Procedure

The flour has been divided into 6 equal parts. Now on we will work with one part. The same steps must be repeated for each part. The ingredients listed hereon will also be just for one part. Add cumin seeds, hing, ghee, hot oil and salt to one part. After mixing the contents add water to knead into a dough. (You can add red chilli powder in the dough as per your taste if you want the murukku to be spicy)

• 1 part flour
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp ghee
• 2 tsp hot oil
• 1/2 tsp hing
• salt as per taste
• chilli powder as per taste (optional)

Use the plate with three small smooth holes in the pressing utensil. Grease the utensil and stuff it with the dough.

Grease a laddle with oil. Use the utensil to press out the shapes shown in the picture on the laddle. Press out 3-4 of these shapes on laddles one after the other and keep it so as to be able to cook them simultaneously and not waste gas.

Heat oil in a kadhai on a medium flame.(Make sure the flame is not high else the murkku will turn hard and brown) To check if the oil is hot enough, drop in a small piece of the dough. If it rises immediately, the oil is in the correct stage to be used. Drop the murkku into the oil one after the other. After a minute turn each piece around. When the sizzling siezes, take the murukku out of the kadhai. Continue to do this until all the dough has been used. After this is done, proceed to follow the same steps for the second part of dough.

• 12 tsp oil

The murukku is ready! I made about 120 medium sized murukku with these proportions.. Save these in an airtight container for over a month and they can add crunchiness to whatever you eat :)