You're Never Too Old to Enjoy Murukku!!

Pretzels, potato chips, and Chex Mix are some examples of crunchy and fun snacks we all enjoy!

However, have you ever tried Indian snacks? Most Indian snacks are also gluten-free. Some examples are Murukku or Chakralu, Pappuchekkalu, Corn Flakes Mixture, and nutty pakoda. 

Whenever my relatives from India visit, they always bring these tasty and spicy snacks for us. It feels like Christmas but instead of presents, we receive snacks! I'm a big fan of edible presents any day! 

Murukku is a pretzel-like Indian snack. I love murukku because they are light and crunchy. Besides using gluten-free flours, you can also add ajwain seeds, whole cumin, or sesame into the mix. Every ingredient adds more flavor and taste to these snacks. 

Aren't you curious how we make this snack? Let's take a look:

Ingredients for the Dough:
- 3-1/2 cups rice flour

- 1 cup Roasted chana dal, finely powdered

- 1 tbsp Ajwain or Carom seeds

- 2 to 3 tsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 pinches of Hing (Asafoetida)

- 5 tsp salt

- 3 tbsp Vegetable oil, lukewarm (to mix into the dough)

- Water (as needed to mix flours into a tight dough, not sticky or wet)

Utensils needed:

Kitchen Press (use the single star disc in the press)

Large mixing bowl

Frying pan

Slotted ladle

Mesh strainer

Ingredients for Frying:

- 2 to 3 cups Vegetable oil 

Procedure

1) Sieve together rice flour and chana dal powder into a large mixing bowl, and then add the dry ingredients as listed above. Mix well and adjust the salt and chili powder at this time by tasting a pinch of the mixture. 

2) Next, add the warm vegetable oil into the mixture and coat it well. Slowly, add water to the flour until it forms into a soft and tight lump, but it's not sticky. Keep the dough covered. 

3) Insert the single star disc into the kitchen press. Take a handful of dough, and form a log and insert it into the press cylinder and then close the cylinder with the screw-on cap. 

Make murukku in spiral design starting from the center and then circling and towards outward circle to the desired size on a greased plate or on wax paper. Cover all the spirals with a towel until you have made 10 to 15 or so to fry.  

4) Heat the oil for frying until you feel the heat when you place your palm at a safe height above the frying pan. Test the heat by dropping a small ball of dough into the oil. If the ball sizzles and surfaces to the top, then it is ready. 

Slowly insert approximately 10 murukkus (reduce the number based on your frying pan size) into the oil and fry them until golden brown by turning them over in between for uniform frying. 

Remove them from oil using a slotted ladle and put them into a mesh strainer for the oil to drain further. Later transfer into a container. 

5) Cool them for 10 to 15 minutes to attain the proper crunchiness to serve. Store them in a tight lid container after it is cooled for 1 hour. Makes approximately 30 to 40 murukkus. It is best to store this snack in a tight lid container and can be enjoyed for 15 to 20 days. 

I like stacking my murukku or chakralu as high as I can before I pop them into my mouth. How do you enjoy murukku? 

I'm Nutty for Pea'Nutty Pakoda

For father's day, my mom made one of my dad's favorite snacks, peanut pakoda.

Why?

Because my father REALLY likes nuts and nutty snacks. He has a Costco sized nuts box at work and at home. I've gotten his routine down packed: After he gets home from work, he usually gets a handful of nuts and eats them while he enjoys a hot cup of tea or coffee. He also likes cookies with nuts.

I wish it was daughter's day...I couldn't stop eating these pakoda. They were so good. Don't take my word for it, try the recipe for yourself and let me know.
 



Ingredients
- 1 cup peanuts (soaked for 2 hours and drained)
- 1 cup besan/chickpea flour (sieved to remove lumps)
- 1/3 cup rice flour
- 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp crushed green chilies
- 1/4 tsp chili powder (as per taste)
- A pinch of hing (asafoetida powder)
- 1 tsp salt (as per taste)
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 3 Tbsp oil (for forming dough)
- Water for forming dough, as needed

- 1 to 2 cups oil for frying (based on pan size)

Procedure

1) Using a medium size mixing bowl, mix together: besan, rice flour, chili powder, hing, and salt.  Warm the oil for dough (about 3 Tbsp) and add into the dry mixture and mix well.

2) Now add ginger-garlic paste, crushed green chilies, coriander, and drained peanuts. And mix well.

3) Add water little by little mixing the dough to bring it all together. The dough should hold all the ingredients and somewhat dry but not crumbly, like cookie dough. Taste a pinch of dough to adjust salt and chili powder to your liking. 

4) Heat oil for frying in a frying pan (or wok) on low to medium heat. When you feel the heat on the palm of your hand, test it by adding a small morsel of dough. If the bubbles start immediately and the dough floats to the top, the oil is ready for frying.

5)Take a lemon sized piece of the dough in your hand and bring small morsels of dough between your thumb, index and middle fingers and drop them into  the oil slowly. Make sure the peanuts are included in every bit. Add 10 to 15 morsels (pakodas) at a time and fry them on low heat until golden brown. Collect them with a holed ladle and drain excess oil. Next, transfer in to mixing bowl that has a paper towel in it to collect any extra oil.

6) Sprinkle some chat masala on the hot "peaNutty pakodas for a more chat-pata taste.

Allow these pakoda to cool down and enjoy with your favorite beverage like tea or coffee. The spicy and crunchy flavors also go well with cool drinks like beer.  I had to stop myself from eating too many of these since they were for my dad :(

Did you like this recipe? You'll go "nuts" for these other Indian snacks: Corn Flakes Mixture, Indian Trail Mix, Peanut poppers, Crunchy Cashews, Pappuchekkalu . 

Indian Trail Mix

HUNGRY?  NEED A YUMMY SNACK? 

Indian Trail Mix or poha mixture is just the snack for you. This snack has everything: nuts, dry fruit, spices, potato wafers, and flattened rice. And, it's easy to make. Check out the recipe below:

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs Thin Poha (Flattened Rice)
• 1 cup Peanuts
• 1/2 cup Roasted Chana dal
• 1/2 cup Craisins or raisins
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Dhan-Jeera powder (Coriander/cumin powder)
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Citric Acid Powder
• 2 Tbsp Confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup Potato wafers (fried or microwaved), optional
• 2 Tbsp Salt
• 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

Procedure:
Heat oil in a big wok or skillet on medium heat. Add peanuts and fry them for 5 minutes. Then add dhan-jeera powder, chili powder, turmeric, citric acid and salt. Stir for 30 seconds and then add poha or flattened rice. Mix well and continue to roast the mixture on Low/ Medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until the spices and turmeric are mixed uniformly.

Transfer the mixture into a big microwavable glass container, add Chana and microwave for 5 minutes at 70% power level (for 1100 Volts unit, adjust time based on your microwave voltage). Remove and mix well and microwave for another 3 minutes.

Remove the container and sprinkle the confectioner’s sugar using a tea strainer for uniform distribution. Mix in the sugar and finally add craisins and potato wafers. When the mixture cools down, store in an airtight container and use within 3 weeks.


LOVE SNACKS? Check out our Corn Flakes mixture as well.