Pottukadalai Murukku is usually made in South India as snacks. These murukku are also known as thenkuzhal murukku which is made especially during the Krishna Jayanthi. It makes good evening snack for tea. They taste salty and crispy but perfect as crunchy snack.
Pottukadalai Murukku
There is no stop for making murukku, you can make them with any flour your have, but the base of a muruku would be rice flour. If you have that on hand, you can make murukku with anything.
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This is a basic murukku made with rice flour and pottu kadalai podi. So easy to make but turns out extremely tasty. You can check out my mullu murukku variation.
About Pottukadalai Murukku
Every mom has their own version of murukku. This one is a bit different since it has pottukadalai powder in it, which help achieve crispy murukku. This murukku does not need any complex methods and also uses everyday ingredients in the kitchen. If you have pottukadalai flour and rice flour readily available then your work is half way done.
This version can be made very quickly. Sesame seeds, a little amount of hing, crushed black pepper and a little amount of ghee is also mixed with the rice and pottukadalai flour. Water is added slowly into the mix to form a soft dough. The dough is then put into a murukku press and pressed straight into hot oil.
As it fries in the oil, the kitchen is filled with a heavenly flavor. Once the murukku gets cooled completely, store in an airtight container and they will be fresh for a few days. They are the perfect combination with evening tea/coffee, especially when your kids come straight after school. And the best thing is it's not store bought. It's homemade so you know what all is added in it, you can eat it without feeling guilty.
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Why Does This Recipe Work?
The dough feels very light because of the pottukadalai powder and gives the crispness to the murukku. A little amount of ghee gives that smooth and melt in mouth feel, without being hard and dry. Roughly crushed black pepper is added to the mix to give a nice warm and spicy touch to the murukku. Sesame seeds gives a nice flavor in each bite of murukku and finally hing enhances the taste of murukku.
Murukku is Nostalgic - This murukku is my favorite since it is easy to make, constant, and makes me feel at home. It's the kind of food my amma would prepare in the afternoon and put in a big box and keep on the table. Myself and my sister will take it as a snack for school and will share it with my friends. They will always compliment my amma for the murukku. You can also customize the murukku according to your preference and likings. You only need some time and ingredients to make these perfect snacks.
Ingredients
Rice flour (Arisi Mavu) - Rice flour adds the crunch, we can add it with any kind of murukku. You can use good store bought rice flour or you can prepare your own at home.
Pottukadalai (roasted split gram dal) - This is grinded to a fine powder, which gives the murukku its lightness. It softens the hard texture of the rice flour and gives a somewhat crispy and light feel.
Sesame Seeds - These when fried, give a nice nutty flavor and a good taste.
Coarse black pepper - The roughly ground pepper gives nice spice and heat to the murukku. It is a nice alternative for red chillies and also gives a different taste.
Ghee - This gives a nice flavor to the dough and makes the murukku soft on the inside. It is added into the flour before adding water.
Hing (asafoetida) - Only a small amount is added. It improves digestion and balances the taste and helps with digestion.
Hacks
- Grind the pottukadalai powder and keep it ready before kneading the dough. This gives the fresh feel and taste to the murukku.
- If the dough cracks when pressing it, then you can add a teaspoon of water or oil and mix it again.
- Do not skip to add hing, even only a small amount is added to the dough, it balances the whole flavor and gives a balanced feel. It also improves digestion.
- Do not add too much murukku at the same time in the kadai. Keep on medium heat and add 2- 3 at a time and fry it.
Pottukadalai Murukku (Step by Step Pictures)
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| Take all your ingredients |
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| Take pottu kadalai in a blender |
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| make it into a fine powder |
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| Take rice flour in a bowl |
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| sieve in the pottu kadalai powder |
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| now mix this well |
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| add in sesame seeds |
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| some pepper powder |
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| add in some asafoetida |
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| some salt |
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| and some ghee |
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| rub it well |
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| now it is coarse |
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| add water |
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| shape it into a soft dough |
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| take your favourite murukku press |
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| fill it with dough |
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| press to make thenkuzhal |
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| time to fry |
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| drop it in hot oil and fry till golden |
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| drain it |
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| ta da.. |
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| enjoy |
Expert Tips
Tip 1: Do not add all of the water at once. The dough for murukku should be soft but not too sticky or too hard. Add water slowly and mix the dough until you get the desired consistency.
Tip 2: Always put one murukku first. Fry it and check the taste and texture before going with the entire batch.
Storage: Once the murukku gets completely cooled, put the murukku in a clean, airtight box. They can stay crisp and fresh for up to ten days at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions: These are a perfect side for tea or coffee, and can also be served as part of a South Indian meal.
FAQ
Q: Can I make this without using murukku press?
You can make it using a hand like round thattai, but the press gives the ideal murukku appearance and shape for frying.
Q: I don't have pottukadalai, what to do?
You can use urad dal flour (ulunthu ) in small amounts, but the taste will be different. Pottukadalai gives it a light feel.
Q: Can I use butter instead of ghee?
Yes, you can use unsalted butter, but ghee gives a taste and flavor.
Variations
Red Chili Version - For a more brilliant color and stronger kick, replace black pepper with ½ teaspoon red chili powder.
Ajwain (Omam) Murukku - Add ½ teaspoon of ajwain seeds to the dough for a good digestion and a flavor.
Multiflour Murukku - You can mix a little amount of besan or urad flour with rice flour for a healthier version. It will be an ideal snack for kids.
More Murukku Recipes
📖 Recipe Card
Pottukadalai Murukku Recipe
Equipment
- Deep Frying Pot
- Murukku Press
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice Flour
- ¼ cup Roasted Split Gram Dal (Pottu Kadalai )
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder Coarsely Ground
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Take pottu kadalai in a blender and make it into a fine powder.
- Take rice flour, pottu kadalai powder, sesame seeds, salt, asafoetida, pepper powder and ghee in a bowl and rub with your hands, so the ghee is mixed in properly. Now add in water and knead it to a soft dough.
- Heat oil for deep frying.
- Now fill the dough in your favorite murukku press and make thenkuzhal.
- Make many thenkuzhal and deep fry it in oil till the shh sound stops from the oil. Drain and allow to cool completely.
- Now store this in a air tight dappa and serve.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Gunashankari
Hi Aarthi,
I just tried this Muukku for Diwali... it came out really well.. Thanks for ur Videos... it means a lot to us..