Chakli recipe | Chakralu | How to make instant chakli

Chakli recipe with video & step by step photos – Chakli is a spiral shaped snack made with rice flour, gram flour, spices and herbs. Murukku & chakkli are the terms used synonymously to mention these fried snacks. This recipe will yield you light, crunchy and delicious chaklis that you can make them instantly for your tea time snack or during festivals like Diwali.

Murukku is the term used very much in Tamilnadu, kerala and only in some parts of Andhra. While chakli is a term used in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In Andhra Pradesh some call them chakralu.

However based on the regions different ingredients are used. Each family may have their own recipe of chakli and murukku to suit their taste.

These days many people even make these with wheat flour, ragi flour etc. This recipe of instant chakli is from my mom. It needs only a handful of ingredients apart from the rice flour.

Many people prefer to mill the grains to flour as they yield the best tasting chaklis. I have used store bought rice flour to make these.

Step-by-step photos

Making dough for chakli

1. Powder the ¼ cup fried gram in a mixer jar. We need only ¼ cup of fried gram flour for this recipe. Make sure you measure the flour and use only ¼ cup. You will be left with some excess flour which you can use for stir fry veggies.

2. To a mixing bowl, add
1 cup rice flour
½ to ¾ tablespoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 pinch hing
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon carom seeds

3. Mix all of them well. Then heat little butter in a pan. Measure 1 tablespoon hot butter and pour it here. Mix this up very well again.

4. Then pour water little by little to form a dough. Begin with 3 tablespoons water and add more as required.

5. Make a tight dough. The dough has be non sticky and not dry or crumbly either. If the dough turns sticky then you can also sprinkle some flour and mix it again.

How to make chakli

6. Before making the chakli, pour oil to a deep fry pan and begin to heat on a medium flame. Meanwhile grease the chakli maker or mould. I used a single star plate. If you do not have a mould, then you can use a plastic bag. But you will get plain chakli and not the star design.

7. Divide the dough to 2 to 3 parts and fill the chakli maker or the plastic bag. Press the chakli maker to release the dough and shape the dough to spirals. Start from the inner center and move your hand in clockwise direction to make a spiral. (watch video). If using a plastic bag, cut a small portion at the corner to release the dough.

Frying chakli

8. When the oil is hot enough drop a small piece of dough, it has to rise without browning. This is the correct temperature. Gently slide the chakli to the hot oil. Do not disturb for a few minutes until the dough becomes firm. Fry them on a medium heat until golden and crisp. Fry them in batches without crowding the pan. I fry about 3 to 4 chakli in each batch.

9. When they turn golden on one side, turn them to the other side and fry. Soon they will turn crisp and golden on both sides, then remove to a colander. Continue making and frying chakli in batches. Do not allow them to dry up, you can also keep them covered with a cloth.

Cool chakli completely and store them in a airtight jar. Avoid plastic jars. Discard the oil and do not reuse.

Tips to make chakli

Fried gram in the recipe lends a light texture to the chaklis. So do not skip them. Fried gram is also known as chatni dal or roasted gram.

If you do not have fried gram then you can simply replace them with gram flour or besan. But the texture will be slightly different.

Gram flour or besan brings a good aroma. There is no substitute to this.

Other ingredients like sesame seeds, cumin, ajwain are all optional and can be used according to your taste.

Red chilli powder can be replaced with pepper or green chili paste.

Sometimes we also add ginger, garlic and green chili paste to water. Squeeze up well and strain the water to make the dough.

For more similar Diwali snacks, you can check
Butter murukku
Ribbon pakoda
Sweet murukku
Thattai
Namak pare or diamond cuts
Omapodi or Sev
Chivda

You may also like to check this collection of 100 Diwali sweets recipes.

Recipe