Manupu / Murukku - Diwali Savory

Murukku is one of the favorite to all and for me also. It is very simple yet very delicious snack. It’s very common and popular savory snack which are prepared in their traditional method. In my childhood days my mom used to prepare this murukku for diwali and I carved for it especially the aravekadu murukku (half fried murukku) hmmm…it is simply adorable. Let’s go for the recipe…

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 3 cup
Roasted gram / pottukadalai powder - 1 cup
Water – 3 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Hing – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method:

• Powdered the roasted gram into fine powder and sieve it.
• In a heavy bottom pan, boil water by adding salt, sesame seeds and oil 1 tbsp.
• Once it starts boiling add the rice flour and mix well without forming any lumps and switch off the flame.
• Cover the pan and set aside for 30 minutes.






• Now add the roasted gram powder and hing to the rice flour mixture and sprinkle some water to it and knead well by adding 1 tbsp of oil until smooth dough.
• Make sure it has the right consistency to pass through the murukku pressure and use the single hole for preparing
• murukku.
• Now heat the oil for deep frying.






• Grease some oil in the murukku maker and fill the dough into it.
• Draw the circles and drop into the hot oil and deep fry until they are golden brown in colour.





• Drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil, let them cool.Store it in an air tight container.

Crispy and tasty homemade murukku is ready…

Enjoy munching with your choice of pickle.

South Indian Mixture (Chivda)

Mixture is a famous South Indian snacks especially prepared during celebrations of festive season. Usually for all diwali time we prepare this mixture and share to neighbours. By preparing at home can do in huge quantity and tasty too. The name mixture itself symbolizes the mixing various items to one, which are prepared with chick pea/Besan flour as base. Nothing can beat the taste of homemade mixture and best to have them as a tea time snack. In our family we all love this homemade mixture.

Ingredients :

For Kara Boondhi:
Gram flour – 11/2cups
Rice flour - 3 tsp
Chilli powder – 2tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt for taste
Oil for deep frying


Method:

• Mix gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, asafoetida and add salt together and dilute it with water like dosa batter consistency.
• Heat the oil for deep frying.
• Now take boondhi ladle or any other ladle which has big holes and pour the batter into it and rub quickly by hands or spoon gently.
• You can see round beads. Fry them until golden brown and crisp.
• Remove from oil and drain it well to remove the excess oil and keep it aside.
• Repeat the same process till all the batter is done.

Now kara boondi is ready.

For Omapodi/sev:
Gram flour – 11/5 cups
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Chili powder – 2 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt for taste
Oil for deep frying


Method:

• Mix gram flour, rice flour, Chili powder, asafetida and salt together by adding water to make smooth dough.
• Grease some oil in a murukku maker and use the omapodi disc.
• Fill the dough in it and press directly to the oil and fry well on both sides.
• Take away from oil once it turns golden brown and bubble sound ceases.
• Drain it well to remove the excess oil and keep it aside.

Crispy omapodi/sev is ready.

Other Ingredients:

Thin Poha / Attukulu – 150 gm
Cornflakes -150gm
Peanuts – 150gm
Roasted Gram/ Pottukadalai – 150gm
Cashew nuts – one handful
Garlic – few pods
Curry leaves – 2 springs
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chili powder - as per taste
Sugar – 2 tsp (Optional)
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp (Optional)
Asafoetida a pinch
Salt to taste




Method:

• Wash the curry leaves and dry well.
• Dry roast or deep fry the cashew nuts and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the peanuts and remove the husk and keep it aside.
• Dry roast the gram dhal and keep it aside.
• Crushed the garlic pods and deep fry in oil till golden brown and keep it aside.
• Now drop the curry leaves into hot oil and fry for a min and remove.
• Now deep fry the corn flakes until crisp and keep it aside.
• Finally deep fry the poha till crisp and remove from oil and drain them in a paper towel to remove excess oil, let them cool.
• Now comes to climax of the mixing part, take a wide bowl and mix one by one peanut, roasted gram, cashew nuts, corn flakes and poha and sprinkle some salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder, sugar and mix well and adjust the spicy level.
• To this mixture now add the deep fried items kara boondhi and Omapodi and mix well to combine all.
• To this season the mustard seed, cumin seed and asafoetida a pinch and add to the mixture.
• On top crush and add the curry leaves and garlic pods.
• Store the mixture in an air tight container after it attains room temperature.

Enjoy the mouth watering Mixture with tea or coffee!!

Note:

• Deep fry all the items after the oil heat well otherwise the savories will observe lot of oil.
• Even can add raisins or any other savories like murukku, maida biscuits as per your taste.
• Will be fresh for weeks in an air tight container.