Kai Murukku
Kai Murukku
Kaim Murukku
Kai murukku is a tasty crispy rice flour based snack prepared specially for Janmaashtami the celebration of the birth of Shri Krishna. ( kai means hand )
The same flour dough can be put into a hand press and murukku can be pressed directly into hot oil.
But traditionally Kai murukku s made by using fingers to twist and make the twirls. It takes a bit of practice so dont be disheartened if you are not able to do this at first attempt. You can use the same dough to make murukkus with a hand press.
Both parboiled rice and raw rice are used, I used the raw rice to make these .
Ingredients
1 cup raw rice
2 tbsp whole udad dal
A generous pinch of asafoetida powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbsp butter
Salt to taste .
Method
Clean the rice, soak in water for 2 hours.
Drain water well, spread the drained rice on a clean dry cloth. Let the water from the soaked rice dry completely . Keep under fan.After it is dried, powder it well in a mixie . Sieve the powdered rice twice to remove lumps, the rice flour should be very smooth and no coarse grains to remain. Keep this sieved rice flour separately .
Roast the udad dal to a pale aromatic golden colour. When the dal cools down, powder In a mixie . Sieve this powdered udad dal also well .
Now take a bowl for mixing ingredients . Add the rice flour, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, udad a dal powder, salt .
Add butter And mix all ingredients completely well with fingers for the butter to coat well. Then add little water at a time to make smooth dough,the dough should not be sticky or too solid .
Test the dough by pinching off a small ball and try to make murruku spirals with fingers .
You should be able to make the twirls and turns without breaking and smoothly. Then it means the dough is ready .
Keep the bowl with dough covered with a clean soft cloth to prevent dryness.
To make the murruku , take a clean soft white cloth . Take a small,lemon sized ball of dough,fingers to be oiled or greasy to enable making twirls.
Take a small bottle lid, hold it with one finger , proceed to make the round twirls by pinching and turning dough around the lid , between the fingers gently taking care not to break off. Join the ends by pressing gently.
Make several such murrukus on the cloth and keep the oil for frying.
Pick up the prepared murukku s from the cloth with the help of a spatula and drop gently into hot oil taking care not to break the spirals.
Fry the murrukus on a medium flame turning both sides and fry till the oil stops sizzling .
Store well when cooled completely.
