Murukku | How to make murukku | Murukulu | Jantikalu

Murukku recipe – Murukulu or murukku is a deep fried Snack made with rice flour and dal flour. Chakli, chakuli, chakralu and jantikalu are the other Indian names to these. There are so many varieties of murukku, the one I am sharing here is a basic, very old and standard recipe that is followed by many South Indian women.

There are so many variations of making murukku using sago, besan, wheat flour, fried gram, rice batter etc, all lend a different texture and taste.

This one is very different with an aroma of roasted urad flour and are crunchy as well light in texture.

I had few requests for easy chakli (chakralu), butter murukku, ribbon murukku /ribbon pakoda, omapodi and few other snacks. I made this basic version in small quantity as my kids don’t eat these deep fried snacks much.

This recipe can be doubled as well and can be used to make both murukulu and jantikalu.

Tips to make crunchy murukku

1. Always make a stiff dough that is not sticky. Too much moisture in the dough will make murukku absorb lot of oil.
2. Use up the dough immediately and fry the murukku. Resting the dough will make murukku oily.
3. If you plan to make murukku with more then 2 cups of flour, then make the dough in batches.
4. Always fry them on a medium high heat otherwise murukku will turn soft after 1 to 2 days.
5. If the oil is not hot enough then they absorb more oil and they turn soft the next day.

Rice flour for murukku

Please use good quality raw rice flour that is fine and smells good. Traditionally short grain raw rice is rinsed and soaked well for 1 to 2 hours. Then drained and shade dried for a while. It is then milled to fine flour.

This process makes the murukku lighter as well. So If using store bought rice flour you may get different results unless you ensure you use raw rice flour.

More murukku recipes
Butter murukulu
Karasev
Thattai recipe
Sweet muruku
Ribbon pakoda
Omapodi/ sev
Chakli

You may like to check this collection of Diwali snacks recipes and Diwali Sweets recipes.

Murukku recipe – (murukulu or jantikalu)

Murukku recipe | How to make murukku | Murukulu | Jantikalu

Murukulu or murukku is a south Indian deep fried snack made with rice flour and urad dal flour. These are crispy, light, aromatic and delicious. Murukku are known as murukulu, jantikalu or chakralu in Andhra.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

Servings12 murukku

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

Ingredients for murukku

• 1 cup rice flour (good quality fine flour
• 4 tbsp urad dal (or 3 tbsp roasted gram flour or pottukadalai)
• 1 tbsp hot oil
• ¾ tsp sesame seeds
• ¾ tsp carom seeds or ajwain or omam or vaamu
• ½ tsp salt or as needed
• ½ tsp red chili powder or as needed (optional)
• 1/8 tsp asafoetida or hing (optional)
• oil for deep frying

How to make the recipe

Preparation for murukulu or murukku

• You can use urad dal or roasted gram for this recipe. If using roasted gram, just blend 3 tbsps and use only 3 tbsps powder in the recipe.
• If using urad dal, dry roast 4 tbsps urad dal on a medium heat until lightly golden.
• Cool and make a fine powder. If the powder is not fine then sieve it.
• Use only 4 tbsp flour from this. You will be left with little more.
• Grease the murukku mould with little oil. Also grease the star shaped plate.

Making murukku dough

• Add 1 cup rice flour, 4 tbsps urad dal flour (or 3 tbsps roasted gram flour), ¾ tsp ajwain, salt, ¾ tsp sesame seeds to a bowl and mix well.
• Next heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan and pour it to the flour.  Mix well.
• Pour water little by little, just enough to make a smooth dough.
• Do not add too much water at one time. Too much water in the dough will make the murukku absorb lot of oil. 
• Mix the flour to dough and do not knead. The dough has to be non sticky & without crumbs.
• After mixing the dough it has to be used immediately do not rest it otherwise murukku will absorb lot of oil.

How to make murukku

• Heat oil in a kadai on a medium heat. (Pls refer to tips in the post intro)
• Fill the mould with dough.
• Press the mould to make spirals either on a cloth, butter paper, foil or flat holed ladle.
• Set the flame to medium high. 
• Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of the dough to the hot oil.
• The dough must not sink but has to rise steadily without browning. This is the right heat.
• If the oil is not hot enough murukku will turn soft after a day or two.
• Place the murukku laddle in the oil or remove the murukku and slide it gently to the hot oil. 
• Fry until golden and crisp on a medium high flame.
• Drain them on a kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.
• Cool the murukku completely. Store murukku in a airtight jar.

NUTRITION (estimation only)

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.4mg

If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.

Preparation to make murukku recipe

You can skip this section and use roasted gram or pottukadalai or fried gram. Powder 3 tbsps roasted gram and use only tbsps powder. You will be left with a little more which you can up for stir fry recipes.

1. Clean and dry roast ¼ cup or 4 tbsp urad dal/ minapappu on a medium flame. I do not suggest skipping the roasting part as it may make murukulu chewy after a day or two.

2. Keep stirring and roast evenly. When they turn lightly golden, off the heat. Do not over roast.

3. Cool and add to a blender.

4. Powder to a fine flour. If the flour is coarse and not fine, then seive it.

Dough for murukku recipe

5. Add 1 cup rice flour, 4 tbsp urad dal flour (or 3 tbsps roasted gram flour) , ajwain (omam/ vammu), chilli powder, sesame seeds and salt. I did not have sesame seeds so skipped. I also skipped red chili as my little kid cannot eat spicy foods.

6. Mix everything well. Then heat up 1 tbsp oil in a kadai and pour it. Mix everything well. Hot oil makes them light.

7. Pour water little by little and knead the flour to make smooth non sticky dough.

8. If the dough is sticky and soggy, it will absorb lot of oil while frying. If very dry then murukku / murukulu will break while making them.

9. Grease the mould, fit the star muruku plate. Stuff the dough inside.

Keep it ready.

How to make murukku

10. Slowly begin to press the mould to release the dough and make a spiral. A moist cloth, foil or butter papper can be used to place the murukku. I prefer to use small cuts of butter paper for convenience, as it is easy to lift each one and fry.

11. If you are a beginner, you can also make these on steel spatulas. A holed spatula works better.

12. Put on the flame to medium high. Make sure the oil is hot enough. Place them when the oil is hot enough. To check if the oil is hot, drop a tiny flat piece of dough in the oil, it floats if the oil is ready. The muruku will come out from the spatula when it is getting fried.

13. If made on a cloth or foil, you can lift them gently and drop in oil. Fry on a medium flame and keep stirring for even frying. Fry until golden and crisp. Bubbles begin to reduce when fried well. If not fried well, they will turn chewy after 1 to 2 days, so make sure to fry evenly on a medium flame.

14. Drain the murukku on a kitchen tissue.

Store murukku in a air tight stainless steel or glass jar.

15. The same dough is used to make jantikalu. They are made with large holed sev plate or jantikalu plate. These are fairly easy and can make them directly in the hot oil.

16. Fry murukulu until golden stirring often. Drain on a kitchen tissue.

Break to pieces and store in a air tight jar.