Manapparai Murukku ~ Tamil Nadu Special | How to Make Manapparai Murukku | Indian Cooking Challenge - June

Manapparai is a small town in down south of Tamil Nadu and is famous for the Murukkus that are made there. The article talks so well about the author's exposure and experience of eating these murukkus on landing in the place. 

Murukkus are same as chaklis, the same snack called as Murukku in south, is called as Chaklis in North. The press used also is the same. However the traditional murukku maker available in south is slightly different from the chakli maker. You can see how the press looks as shown in the Jantikalu, another version of murukku that we did for ICC previously.

Finally getting everything as a smooth, soft dough

Pressing out as small discs. Double roasting the murukkus

Manapparai Murukku

adapted from TheHindu

Ingredients Needed for Manapparai Murukku

Rice flour: 1 cup
Urad dal flour - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asofida / Hing - 1/4 tsp
Ajwain / Omam - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Hot oil - 2 tsp
Salt - 3/4 tsp (start from 1/2 tsp)
Water - 3/4 cup (start from 1/2 cup)
Cooking oil for deep frying

Chakli/ Murukku press needed - Single Star / 5 Circle holes

How to make Manapparai Murukku:

Dry roast the urad dal and when it is cool, grind to a smooth powder. sieve to make sure you have smooth powder.

Dry roast the rice flour if using store bought. When both the flours are down to room temperature, add all the spices, hot oil, mix together. Add the hing to the water and mix well.

Then slowly sprinkle over the flour and knead to a smooth dough.

Heat a pan with oil for deep frying.

Fill the dough into the murukku press, when the oil is hot, reduce to medium, press out small discs. And gently drop into the hot oil.

Cook on both sides. Cook for 5 mins, remove and continue with the entire batch. Once all the murukkus are fried, drop in again to roast once more.

Drain and stor in air tight container when it is down to room temperature.