Muruku / Chakli

Now, these guys are the show stopper..no one celebrates Diwali without these. One particular savory cookie prepared for Diwali in our house by my mom used to be Murukku. It is a dough made of rice flour,urad dhal; mixed with sesame seed and cumin, ghee and salt.  Pressed out in a mould and fried. We love it so much and it finishes so fast that my mother did and stored these in huge air tight containers. Absolute bliss! I miss sitting around, having my mom prepare those as and when I craved for it. Times have changed - Now I am the one preparing this as and when my family craves for it.  Though it takes time and patience, this is one thing that I make every year for my family and each time I make this, it brings back memories of how me and my mother would hang out in kitchen while she makes it. I miss my mother so much and hope that my kids will hold on to tradition and someday make it for their family.

Ingredients

3 cups rice flour (sifted well - also make sure there aren't any stones/debris etc)
1 cup Urad dal flour ( pan fry without oil and grind in dry grinder)
2 tsp. melted butter
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sesame seed, toasted
Salt to taste ( it varies from family to family - apprx. 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp or as per taste)

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
• Adding water little by little, form a stiff dough.
• Now there are two ways to go about making these Murukku using the Murukku maker ( yes you need this to make  murukku ) Among different attachment that you get for this maker - you will find 1 star and 3 stars plates. 
• Take the 1 star attachment and fix it to the maker. Alternatively take a damp clean cloth and lay it on the counter. Or use plastic sheet lightly brushed with oil/butter. Take a small amount of dough and place it inside the maker - the one which has narrow hole in it
• Now place the other mould which is used to press the dough through the hole on top.
• Press the dough on the plastic sheet and you will find the dough coming out shaped as per the one star attachment. Slightly rotate the maker round and round until you make a circle.
• You can make as many spirals as you please.
• Just remember that you would have to remove it from the plastic to your hands and then drop it into the hot oil.
• With practice it gets easier to retain the shape of the circle while dropping into the oil.
• You can completely skip the plastic/cloth for this attachment and if you are comfortable enough, just press the dough right on top of the oil. Press it until a sufficient amount has dropped into the oil and break off the rest of the dough from dropping - just stop pressing the maker.
• Now fry them until done - You can make it red, light brown or golden as per preference.
• Drain them on paper towels. Let them cool and store in air tight containers. 

Muruku mould..