Ari Murukku

 

              Some foods remind us of old days... our childhood days when we were boisterous kids looking for fun and never had a thing to worry about other than the strict orders to go to sleep from the elders when the mischiefs and gambols reach a level not any more bearable for them... The snacks we had enjoyed munching and crunching in between those games were really something to hang on. 'Murukku' is such a snack which brings a lot of childhood memories at unexpected hours. The other day when my son was jumping up and down on the bed enjoying himself immensely the thought of the snack came again as a bolt from the blue.. That was when I decided, I must make some for him so that he will have his own memories when he grows up. I had scribbled the recipe somewhere down which I got from some local magazines and went hunting for it and it turned out quite good in a quirk of fate! Just like those we used to buy from the shops.  It had specified that the flour should be super fine... should have no traces of coarseness. About that... I just hung to their words and made it quite fine by sieving a couple of times. And yes! it was an instant winner. The whole thing vanished without a trace in half an hour... when  both father and son competed on who is more good at wolfing down :)
    
         I am entering this dish to the  Recipe Swap Thursday Event at Prairie Story.

Coming to the recipe...

Things you need:

Fine, raw rice flour ( sieved 2 or three times in a fine mesh)- 600g
Black gram / Urad dal ( dry roasted and powdered)   - 150g
Black cumin seeds /Karimjeera                                 - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds                                                             - 1 tsp
Salt  to taste
Butter (optional)                                                        - 2 tbsp
Coconut oil / Veg oil                                                 - 1/2 Lr

Method:

   Mix every thing except veg. oil and kneed well with hands by adding cold water, until a dough with the consistency of chapatti dough is formed. The murukku must be made immediately. Pass the dough through a 'murukku press' on to a ladle fryer in a coiled fashion and dip it to the hot oil heated in a kadai. When the dough becomes hot it comes off easily from the ladle mesh. Shake it slowly to detach it and remove the ladle from oil. Fry the murukku until golden brown.Press another coil on to the ladle fryer and repeat the process until all the dough is used up.Store the fried murukku in an air tight container.

   Enjoy the crunchy delights!