Murukku

Snacks may be a sweet or a savory, which is generally had between lunch and dinner. Some of them are made fresh and others can be prepared in advance!!
Some sweet treats and savories are made for special occasions, festivals and weddings. Generally the dry sweets and savories can be stored in airtight containers to keep fresh for a week to 10 days.
Some snacks are served as ‘entrees’ while others are had for breakfast or at teatime in the evening to suit the individuals’ taste
This particular savory can be prepared in advance – even a week earlier-

My preference is to have atleast one or two entrées/snacks/desserts on the menu that can be prepared in advance to reduce the pressure of cooking on that day even if it is a small gathering!!!
this way the energy levels can be spread over a few days hence giving more time to socialise!!!!!!

Festive occasions are in abundance in Indian households and the families need no excuse to dish out savories and sweets on the auspicious days!!
One such snack is Murukku made predominantly out of rice and lentil flour deep fried in oil.
The beauty of these type of snacks is that it can prepared a week or so in advance and tucked away ready to be eaten whenever as it tastes as good as well as eaten on the day that it is being made!!

This can be also served as a snack with drinks or a snack at tea time!!

Ingredients

2 Cups  Rice Flour
½ Cup Yellow Moong Dal
½ Cup Channa Dal or Yellow Split Peas
2 Tbs  Butter or Margarine
½ Cup Water ( approximately )
1-2 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Asafoetida Powder OR
(a pinch of solid asafoetida can be soaked in warm water a couple of hours before preparing the Murukku)
2 Tbs White Sesame Seeds or Cumin Seeds
3 Cups Oil ( to deep fry)

Preparation

Dry roast the moong dal and the channa dal separately till it turns into a golden brown colour giving out a roasted flavour

Grind into a fine powder and  mix the rice flour, salt, asafoetida and butter
Divide it into fist size portions and keep aside.
(Sprinkle some water little by little only when necessary on a portion of the mixture and mix it to form into a soft but firm consistency)

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan on a medium flame.

Place the small plate or disc in the bottom portion of the Murukku maker ( see picture below)
Take a handful of the mixture and place it in the bottom portion of the murukku maker
Place the top of the maker above it.

Hold the two sides of the maker with both hands, slightly above the pan of hot oil, pressing firmly the top portion and moving it gently in a circular movement straight into the hot oil.
The soft mixture goes easily through the *small plate of the murukku maker” – for this type of Murukku, the sedated plate is used.
(Individual plates or discs are replaced based on the snack to be prepared – there are different types of snack makers in the market today)

Fry the murukku till it turns golden brown on both sides. Drain it on a paper towel.

Repeat this process for the remaining mixture.

Note: The *small plate or disc to be used for this recipe should have thorn like serrated holes for the soft mixture to get through.
The oil should not be too hot – the temperature of the oil should be such that the murukku  batches take at least three minutes to turn to a golden brown colour! YOu may also try Ompodi or Sev and Ribbon Pakoda using the Murukku maker with different plates!