Ari Murukku (Serves 8-10)

Murukku, a traditional, simple, South Indian snack, has tickled the palates of the young and the old for ages. It will be hard to find a South Indian who haven't had a taste of this snack. There are several varieties of murukku , but none of them can beat the taste of the all time favorite - the traditional, home made "Ari Murukku". So here we are with this simple, crunchy snack, for you to enjoy with your family and friends....….

For the dough

Rice flour 1 cup, roasted
Urad dal powder ¼ cup
Butter/Oil 1 TBSP
Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp
Red chilly powder 1 TBSP
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Asafetida a pinch
Salt as needed
Water as needed
Oil to deep fry

Preparation

Combine rice flour, urad dal flour, red chilly powder, cumin powder, fennel seeds, asafetida and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter or oil and mix well with hands for 3 minutes. Now add water little by little to form smooth dough. The dough should not be too tough or too loose.

Heat oil in a pan for frying. Divide the dough into equal portions. Put dough into a ‘Murukku maker/press’ (Sevanazhi), and press onto a parchment paper by coiling them to form a spiral shape. Wet your hands and carefully take the coiled murukku dough and drop into oil. Deep fry until murukku attain a light brown color. Repeat until done. Cool the murukku and store in an airtight container. A perfect, crispy tea time snack is ready.

Makes approximately 20 murukkus with 4-5 spirals.

Enjoy........

Tips

It is important to take murukku at a light brown color as it attain a darker color when cooled
Add black/white sesame seeds to enhance murukku’s taste