What’s Murukku?

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Murukku is an Indian savory snack most popular in the southernmost states of India. It is made by combining rice flour and black bean flour into a paste. The cooks form a dough into a spiral or wheel shape, then fry it in oil. Most murukku are spiced with chili, cumin or onion powder. It is a staple of most South Indian homes and is also widely available for sale from roadside vendors across India. Some commercial manufacturers have also begun marketing factory-made versions of the snack, both in India and in Europe and North America.

Indian food culture offers a wide range of snacks and appetizer type dishes. Savory snacks, such as murukku, are known as chaat. Simple to make and easy to carry, Murukku is a traditional treat associated with the Hindu Deepavali or Diwali festival. Deepavali is a five-day “festival of lights” held every year in late October. It’s mostly a time for families to come together, and sharing snacks and sweets is a big part of most celebrations.

Most Indians eat murukku all year round, not just during the festival. Families tend to have favorite ways of preparing the snack, which is often served with tea, packed into children’s lunches, and offered to visitors. The ingredients may vary slightly, but the shape – usually a tight spiral – is one of the most distinctive features of this chaat.

The ingredients of Murukku typically include rice flour, black bean flour known as urad flour, butter, water and salt, and other spices. The most traditional way of obtaining these flours is to slowly roast rice and beans, then grind them into a powder. This can be time consuming and as a result, many cooks buy the flour pre-ground. All ingredients are combined into a pasty paste.

Early versions of the snack were rolled by hand, first into long snakes, then into flat spirals. More modern cooks often use specially made murukku molds or presses. These tools compress the dough into rough strings, which can be dropped directly onto the spiral trays by simply twisting the mold or tray. The finished products are then fried, usually in coconut oil, until crispy.

The possible variations are almost endless. Many cooks add green lentils or other beans to the snack, bringing it more in line with traditional legume dishes. You can also add chopped greens, especially hot peppers and hot peppers. The finished products can also be sprinkled with sesame seeds or coarse salt immediately after being removed from the oil.

Murukku is a snack loved by Indians all over the world. Indian communities in the United States, Canada and across Europe have introduced the snack to a very diverse group of people. In some areas, particularly the UK, commercially produced murukku is often sold alongside crisps and other processed snack foods. Most UK consumers are familiar with both chakli and the processed and fresh forms of the snack. Chakli is the Gujariti word for murukku.

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