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November 10, 2018

South Indian Paruppu Kuzhambu Recipe – Thuvaram Paruppu Kulambu Without Coconut

Paruppu kuzhambu recipe
Paruppu kuzhambu is a Tamil nadu style (South Indian) simple, healthy, protein rich, easy to make one pot kuzhambu recipe that can be prepared under 10 minutes using a pressure cooker. If you are looking for a simple kuzhambu recipe without tamarind and coconut to prepare during busy morning hours paruppu kuzhambu is the best choice. This recipe would be helpful for bachelors and working women. You can also call this as paruppu kadaiyal. 

When I came across this recipe in YouTube video, I was so happy to try it as Sendhil and Raksha loves dal based gravies without tamarind. This recipe looks similar to North Indian Dal tadka. But this kuzhambu recipe is of Tamil style. Its completely different from South Indian Sambar too. 

In Tirunelveli, we make paruppu for rice (tempered dal) and paruppu kuzhambu but its with coconut. Soon I will try to share that version later. For variations, you can use moong dal / Paasi paruppu instead of toor dal / thuvaram paruppu. This paruppu kuzhambu tastes the best when mixed with hot rice drizzled with few drops of ghee. 

Potato curry or spicy brinjal curry would be the best side dish for this simple dal recipe. But I served it with carrot beans poriyal. Finally side dish is your choice ! Ok, lets see this simple paruppu kulambu recipe with step by step pictures and video.

Check out my 50+ kuzhambu varieties for rice !




Paruppu kulambu recipe


Paruppu kuzhambu Recipe / Toor dal gravy for rice


Paruppu kuzhambu Recipe / Toor dal gravy for rice

Simple and quick South Indian style paruppu kuzhambu recipe for rice.



Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Kuzhambu Recipes
Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes



INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Toor dal / thuvaram paruppu - 1/2 cup
  • Ripe tomato - 1 no.
  • Big onion or small onions - 1 no / 10 nos.
  • Green chilli - 1 no.
  • Garlic cloves - 5 nos.
  • Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Cooking oil - Few drops
  • Water & Salt - as needed
To Temper
  • Cooking oil or ghee - 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Hing - 2 pinches
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • Red chilli - 1 no. (pinched into two)
  • Coriander leaves – a handful (to garnish)

HOW TO MAKE PARUPPU KUZHAMBU
  1. Wash and take toor dal and other ingredients except “To temper” in a pressure cooker.
  2. Add required water and pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles.
  3. Open the cooker and mash it well.
  4. Temper mustard, urad dal, hing, curry leaves and red chilli in ghee.
  5. Add to the mashed dal, required salt. Garnish with coriander leaves.
  6. Roll boil for one minute. Serve with plain rice adding ghee.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Wash and take toor dal/ thuvaram paruppu, chopped onion, tomato, green chilli, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, few drops of cooking oil and 2 cups of water.

  • Paruppu kuzhambu
  • Pressure cook in very low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker lid after the steam is released. Mash the cooked dal using a whisk. Garnish with coriander leaves and set aside.
  • Paruppu kuzhambu
  • Heat ghee in a small kadai. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, hing and red chilli. Add to cooked dal.
  • Paruppu kuzhambu
  • Mix well, add required salt. Roll boil for a minute till the desired consistency is achieved. This kuzhambu thicken when it cools down. So make it thin or thick as you like. I made it slightly thin. Serve hot with plain rice adding few drops of ghee. Tastes the best with potato curry or spicy brinjal curry as side dish. I served with carrot beans poriyal. Enjoy !

Note

  • Add more green chilli for spicy paruppu kuzhambu.
  • For variations, you can add 1 tsp of tamarind extract while roll boiling the cooked dal.
Easy, yummy paruppu kuzhambu is ready . I served with carrot beans poriyal and papad.
Paruppu kulambu without coconut
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November 8, 2018

Andhra Hotel Style Peanut Chutney Recipe(Without Coconut) For Idli, Dosa


I got this Andhra hotel style peanut chutney recipe from Vahchef’s video. Vahchef mentioned that he learnt this chutney recipe from the cook of a popular street side hotel. As this recipe is completely different from the usual hotel style peanut chutney without coconut, I tried it immediately. It came out so well. We all loved it very much. If you have roasted peanuts in hand, you can make this chutney under 10 minutes with very less ingredients. The best part is adding roasted and crushed urad dal at the end which is unique and gives a mild crunchy taste. Friends, do try this Andhra hotel style peanut chutney without coconut (palli chutney / Verusenaga pachadi in Telugu) for idli, dosa. You will love it.  I served it with thatte idli  ( plate idli).

Hotel peanut chutney recipe without coconut


Hotel peanut chutney recipe without coconut

Andhra hotel style peanut chutney recipe without using coconut. Its a good side dish for idli and dosa.



Cuisine: Andhra
Category: Chutney
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 25 Minutes



INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Roasted peanuts - 1/2 cup
  • Garlic cloves - 4 small
  • Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp (1.5 to 2 tsp)
  • Tamarind - small gooseberrey size
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
To saute and grind
  • Cooking oil - 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1.5 tbsp
  • Curry leaves - 5
  • Hing / Asafetida – 2 pinches
To Temper
  • Cooking oil - 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - Few
HOW TO MAKE HOTEL PEANUT CHUTNEY
  1. To make hotel peanut chutney, heat oil in a kadai and roast the garlic.
  2. To this add roasted peanuts with skin. Lower the flame and add chilli powder, tamarind extract. Mix well and switch off the flame.
  3. Add salt and grind to a smooth paste adding required water. Chutney should be slightly watery.
  4. Transfer to a bowl. Again heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, curry leaves and hing. Roast and grind to coarse powder.
  5. Add this powder to peanut chutney. Mix well. Temper mustard, curry leaves.  Add to chutney. Mix well and serve with hot idli, dosa.
PEANUT CHUTNEY - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Dry roast the peanuts in a hot kadai till it skin crackles OR microwave peanuts in high power for 2 minutes. No need to remove the skin. Cool down and set aside. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water and take the extract. Keep it aside.

  • In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil and roast the garlic cloves. Add roasted peanuts, mix well. Lower the flame. Add salt, red chilli powder. Mix quickly and add tamarind extract without burning chilli powder.

  • After it cools down, grind everything to a smooth paste. Do not add more water while grinding, it may splash. So first grind the peanuts with required water to a smooth paste. Then add more water and grind to a watery chutney.

  • Transfer to a serving bowl. Now heat oil in a kadai and temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, hing and curry leaves. Roast the dal till golden. Grind to a powder.

  • Add to chutney, mix well. Again temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and add to chutney. Tempering is not mentioned in original recipe. But I did it. Please check the main pictures for this step. 

  • Serve this chutney with hot idli and dosa. Enjoy !

Note

  • Adjust the quantity of red chilli powder based on your taste.
  • For variations, you can add 1 tbsp coconut while grinding.

Try this Andhra hotel style peanut chutney for idli, dosa and enjoy !

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November 3, 2018

Pottukadalai Murukku Recipe – Easy Murukku With Roasted Gram Flour

 Pottukadalai murukku / roasted gram flour murukku recipe is a simple, easy and instant murukku recipe that is usually prepared for Diwali and Krishna jayanthi /Gokulashtami. It comes out super crispy, crunchy with soft and melt in mouth texture. It can be prepared easily and quickly with store bought rice flour / Idiyappam flour (arisi maavu), roasted gram flour (pottukadalai maavu) and butter/ hot oil. As murukku with roasted gram flour is less flavorful when compared with urad dal ones, we can add ajwain/ Omam, red chilli powder, hing for enhanced flavors and taste. I learnt this simple murukku recipe from my neighbor Divya.  

Recently I shared a picture of this murukku along with sweet boondi and mysore pak in my Instagram page too. We all loved it especially the smell of ajwain in this murukku. Usually I add cumin seeds /jeeragam or sesame seeds / ellu. I never knew ajwain can be added too. So when my neighbor shared her mom’s recipe, I tried it instantly. It was so good, soft and melted in mouth.  Raksha liked this murukku more than my Chettinad thenkuzhal as it was prepared without butter and slightly hard to bite. For variations you can skip red chilli powder to make white colored murukku. Remember pottukadalai murukku absorbs some oil when compared with urad dal murukku. Ok, lets see how to make super easy and quick pottukadalai murukku recipe with step by step pictures.

Check out my 15 murukku varieties too !

Pottukadalai murukku recipe - Roasted gram dal murukku


Pottukadalai murukku recipe - Roasted gram dal murukku

Simple and easy pottukadalai murukku recipe with step by step pictures.



Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Snacks
Serves: 12 nos.
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 10 Minutes



INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Store bought rice flour / arisi maavu - 1.25 cups (1 1/4 cup)
  • Roasted gram flour / Pottukadalai maavu - 1/4 cup
  • Melted butter or hot oil - 1 tbsp (levelled)
  • Ajwain / Omam - 1/2 tsp
  • Black sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Salt & water - as needed
  • Cooking oil - to deep fry murukku
HOW TO MAKE POTTUKADALAI MURUKKU
  1. Grind 1/4 cup pottukadalai and measure 1/4 cup powder from it.
  2. In a bowl, sieve rice flour, roasted gram flour.
  3. Add salt, red chilli powder, ajwain, sesame seeds and melted butter.
  4. Mix well to spread butter in the flour. Add required water and make a slightly sticky dough.
  5. Fill murukku press with dough and squeeze in hot oil. Deep fry both sides till bubbles cease.
  6. Remove and drain in a paper towel. Store in a box after cooling down.
  7. Stays good for 10 days.
INSTANT POTTUKADALAI MURUKKU - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Take 2 tbsp pottukadalai / roasted gram flour and grind to fine powder. You will get around 1/3 cup of powder after grinding. So measure 1/4 cup of powder from it and set aside.

  • In a wide plate bowl, sieve store bought rice flour, 1/4 cup pottukadalai powder. Add salt, red chilli powder, sesame seeds, crushed ajwain and melted butter. Mix well to spread the butter in the flour.

  • Sprinkle required water and make a smooth, slightly sticky dough. If the dough is dry, murukku gets cut while pressing. So make the dough slightly sticky so that making shapes would be easy.

  • Fill the murukku mould with the dough. Cover the remaining dough with a wet cloth to avoid drying. Take 3 holed or single holed mould. I used murukku mould with 5 holes.

  • Heat oil to deep fry. Check the oil temperature by dropping a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, heat of the oil is perfect. Now squeeze the murukku in circular motion in the oil directly OR press murukku in a greased ladle or butter paper ( I used oil wrapper). Drop in the hot oil. Do not disturb for a minute. Cook in medium flame.

  • Flip and cook both the sides till bubbles cease. No problem if there are one or two bubbles. Remove and drain in a tissue paper. Store the murukku after it cools down. Keep in an air tight box and enjoy. It stays good for 10 days. 

  • Enjoy !

Note

  • For variations, you can use 1 tbsp of hot oil instead of butter.
  • Do not increase the quantity of butter. Murukku may disperse in oil.
  • If dough breaks while pressing murukku, add little water to the dough and make it slightly sticky. It will help.
Try this easy, yummy, crunchy pottukadalai murukku for Diwali and enjoy !


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October 31, 2018

Soft Mysore Pak Recipe Step By Step - Ghee Mysore pak Recipe

 Soft mysore pak recipe

Making Soft mysore pak at home like Krishna sweets ghee mysorepak (Nei mysore pak) has become a dream for every foodie. Even though the ingredients are same, this soft mysore pak recipe is in no way related to our traditional, olden days South Indian mysore pak in taste, texture or looks. Nowadays people especially kids love this soft, melt in mouth, ghee dripping mysore pak from sweet shops more than the traditional ones served in Tamil nadu weddings. 

Basically I am not a big fan of mysore pak but after becoming a food blogger, I started developing my taste towards all the sweets and snacks which I hated in my childhood days. Just like everyone I too wanted to try Krishna sweets style soft mysore pak at home. 

Long back I have shared 3 minutes microwave mysore pak recipe which is one of the super hit recipes in my blog. Following that I wanted to try the stove top version as well based on my readers request. So I watched few You tube videos, surfed few websites and tried few times during last year Diwali. It became crumbly, sometimes hard and it was not up to the mark. I wasted so much of ghee, oil and sugar and got nicely from Sendhil too. 

 Recently I watched Gowri’s Samayal Arai mysore pak recipe video shown by a caterer in Salem. I got inspired, became confident and tried it again as my first sweet for Diwali. It came out very well with a melt in mouth texture as I expected. But I felt raw besan smell in the end product slightly, also I couldn’t get the golden brown center part formed due to the latent heat. But it was very soft and tasted yummy. So I tried the same recipe again with few modifications of my own.  

In some sweet shops, milk powder is used I feel. So I roasted the besan in little ghee, added milk powder to get brown caramalized color. Even though I couldn't achieve the perfect brown center, its taste was exactly like sweet shop ones. It was a great success at home and everybody loved it. I passed few pieces to my neighbors in a sweet box as shown in the picture above. They too loved it and appreciated me. 

Anyone can make this mysore pak perfectly if you follow the instructions carefully. I have also shared a tip for trouble shooting in the Notes section. Hope the step by step pictures will be helpful too. There is very less chances of going wrong in this recipe. Even beginners can dare to try it. So friends do try this soft, melt in mouth mysore pak for this Diwali and have a great celebration.

mysore pak recipe


Soft Mysore Pak Recipe


Soft Mysore Pak Recipe

How to make soft mysore pak like sweet shops at home.



Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves: 12 small pieces.
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes



INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 240ml
  • Besan flour / Kadalai maavu - 1/2 cup
  • Milk Powder - 1/4 cup
  • Sugar - 1 cup
  • Melted Ghee - 1 cup ( at room temperature)
  • Cooking oil - 1/2 cup (Use refined oil)
  • Water - 1/3 cup ( for sugar syrup)
HOW TO MAKE SOFT MYSORE PAK
  1. To make soft mysore pak, roast besan flour in 1 tbsp of ghee. 
  2. Mix melted ghee + cooking oil in a bowl and heat till warm to touch.
  3. Mix the besan flour, milk powder in 1/3 cup of melted ghee+oil mixture without lumps. Set aside.
  4. In a kadai, make sugar syrup of one string consistency.
  5. Add the besan mixture to sugar syrup and mix in medium flame.
  6. After the syrup is absorbed, add 2 tbsp ghee. Mix till its absorbed by besan mixture.
  7. Repeat adding ghee till the besan starts to leave the sides of kadai. It gives a nice smell. 
  8. If you touch with your finger, it will be non sticky.
  9. Switch off the flame, remove the kadai from the stove. Lastly add 2 tbsp of ghee, mix quickly and transfer the mysore pak mixture to a greased bowl or plate. Let it cool down completely.
  10. Make pieces and serve. Enjoy melt in mouth, soft mysore pak at home.
MAKING MYSORE PAK - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick kadai. Add 1/2 cup of besan flour and roast in medium flame for 5 minutes. Besan gives a nice smell once its roasted. Transfer to a bowl. 
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • In a bowl, mix melted ghee + refined oil ( use any flavorless oil) and set aside. Heat it till warm. Add milk powder to the roasted besan flour. Mix well and add 1/3 cup of melted ghee + Oil mixture. Use a whisk and mix without lumps. Set aside. Take an aluminum plate or pan ( I used loaf cake pan) and grease it with ghee or oil. Choose a bowl or pan that holds heat for long time. You can line it with an aluminium foil for easy removal. Keep it ready.
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • In a good non-stick kadai, take 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Keep the flame medium and melt the sugar. Boil the syrup till one string consistency. To check this, slide a drop of syrup from the back of ladle using your fore finger and touch it with your thumb finger. When you release it, it will form one string as shown in the picture below. .
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • Lower the flame completely and add the diluted besan. Mix till all the sugar syrup is absorbed by the besan. It becomes slightly thick.
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • At this point start adding 2 tbsp of ghee +oil mixture.  No need to use hot ghee. It should be in room temperature. Mix well. Bubbles will form in the middle. Ghee would be absorbed by the besan as you mix. Mixture starts to thicken.
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • Again add 2 tbsp ghee and mix well till its absorbed. Keep the flame medium throughout the process. Repeat the same at regular intervals till the mixture becomes slightly thick, pale in color, slightly frothy in the corners and starts to leave the sides of kadai. It gives a nice smell too. Smell indicates the doneness. If you touch the mixture, it will be non sticky. You don’t have to add all the remaining ghee. 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup of it may leftover. You can use it in your regular cooking. Do not over cook the mixture.
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • Once the mysore pak starts to leave the sides of kadai with a nice smell, switch off the flame immediately and remove the kadai from the stove. Lastly add 2 tbsp ghee and mix quickly. You will find the ghee float in the sides of the kadai. No need to stir till the ghee is absorbed.
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • Immediately transfer the mysore pak mixture to the greased pan. It will fall like a ribbon. Pat the pan gently. Just level the top with a flat spoon or using a bottom of small bowl immediately. Do not press it too much. Do it gently. Mixture will be too hot. Handle carefully. Let it rest for 6 hours or over night to cool down completely. If you try to make pieces when its hot or warm, pieces won't come properly. There may be crumbles. So wait until it cools down. 
  • soft mysore pak recipe
  • After cooling down, run a knife in the sides and invert the pan in a plate. It will fall easily. Now make big or small pieces as you like. Serve and enjoy. Stays good for a week if you store in an air tight box. Do not let it dry in air.
  • soft mysore pak recipe
    Enjoy yummy, melt in mouth, sweet shop style mysore pak at home for this Diwali.

Note

  • Do not reduce the quantity of sugar, ghee.
  • If you don’t want to add cooking oil, you can use ghee alone but mysore pak becomes hard the next day as the ghee becomes thick after cooling down. Refined Oil helps to maintain the soft texture of mysore pak. Don't worry oil smell won't be there.
  • If you want to make traditional, porous mysore pak you should add hot oil + ghee to the besan instead of using it warm.
  • Just cook the mixture till it starts to leave the sides of pan. Over cooking make the mysore pak crumbly.
  • Instead of adding milk powder completely, add 1/2  to 1 tbsp maida and reamining milk powder just like sweet shops. 
  • TROUBLE SHOOTING TIPS : Suppose if your mysore pak becomes crumbly or hard, do not worry. Grind it adding little milk to a smooth paste. Stir again in low flame till the mixture starts to leave the kadai, add 2 tbsp ghee+ oil and transfer to a plate. Cool down and make pieces.
  • You can also add a pinch of turmeric powder for nice color. 

Try this yummy Mysore pak at home for this diwali and enjoy !
soft mysore pak recipe step by step

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October 29, 2018

Chettinad Thenkuzhal Murukku Recipe - White Thenkuzhal Murukku

Chettinad thenkuzhal recipe
Chettinad style thenkuzhal murukku recipe was in my try list for years. Recently I had a 2 days trip to Karaikudi, Pillayarpatti and Kundrathur. I visited Karaikudi just to enjoy Chettinad special food. We stayed in Chidambara vilas, heritage resort and had a good time exploring places in Karaikudi. I had Chettinad special vegetarian lunch at The Bangala and enjoyed their food thoroughly. I went to the most popular Soundaram aachi snack shop and bought all the snack items worth Rs.1500. 

Among the snacks I tasted, I loved this Chettinad thenkuzhal and seepu seedai. I couldn’t meet Soundaram aachi but I got the recipe and details from the workers. I came to know Chettinad people use IR20  C. R Pachai arisi (Cut vellai pacharisi) for making this thenkuzhal/murukku. They add ghee and roasted urad dal powder to the processed rice flour and make this thenkuzhal. They use a 3 holed murukku mould for shaping it. I enquired them and bought the same from shops in Koppudai Nayaki amman temple street( Bazaar street) in Karaikudi. Here is collage of pictures of  IR20 raw rice, thenkuzhal murukku press, Soundaram snacks shop and their products. But I did not try Soundaram aachi's recipe instead I followed the authentic Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku recipe without butter or ghee and tried it.







I referred Solai aachi's thenkuzhal murukku maavu post for the ratio of raw rice and urad dal. Murukku came out super white in color even without using Vanaspati, butter or ghee. Generally Chettinad people make murukku maavu by grinding raw rice and roasted urad dal. They just wash the rice, dry under the shade for a day. Dry roast the urad dal till hot and grind both rice and dal in a flour mill. They store this murukku maavu and make thenkuzhal whenever needed. As we are not using butter or ghee, this murukku would be crunchy and slightly hard to bite. It doesn’t have a melt in mouth texture. You should have a strong teeth to munch this murukku😀. 

Its taste will remind the olden days thenkuzhal recipe which our granny's used to make without butter. To make soft murukku, you can add melted butter or ghee but the color of this murukku may change. Finally its your choice of making this murukku with or without butter. Similarly you can try the same recipe with store bought idiyappam flour but results may vary slightly.  Friends, do try this easy, yummy Chettinad thenkuzhal recipe for this Diwali and enjoy ! Lets see how to make Chettinad murukku recipe with step by step pictures.

Here is a collage of our stay at Chidambara vilas, heritage resort along with its Chettinad special breakfast.
Chidambara vilas, Karaikudi

Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku recipe

Chettinad Thenkuzhal Recipe


Chettinad Thenkuzhal Recipe

Chettinad Thenkuzhal Recipe - White murukku recipe without butter or ghee.



Cuisine: Chettinad
Category: Snacks
Serves: 15 nos.
Prep time: 180 Minutes
Cook time: 5 Minutes
Total time: 185 Minutes

1 cup - 250ml
  • Raw rice / Pacharisi ( IR20 ) – 1 cup ( Maavu arisi)
  • White urad dal – 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
  • Salt – as needed
  • Ghee – 1 tbsp (Optional, I dint use)
  • Water – to knead the dough
HOW TO MAKE CHETTINAD THENKUZHAL
  1. To make Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku maavu, wash and soak raw rice in water for one hour.
  2. Drain the water completely. Spread in a white cloth. Dry under the shade for one day or two.
  3. After the rice is completely dry, grind to a fine powder. Sieve and set aside.
  4. Dry roast white, round urad dal without changing its color till hot. Powder and sieve it.
  5. Add to rice flour, salt, asafetida, melted ghee(If using) and mix well. Add the required water.
  6. Make smooth dough. Heat oil to deep fry. Press and shape the murukku. Drop in oil.
  7. Deep fry both sides till bubbles cease. Remove from oil, drain and store in a box.
  8. Chettinad thenkuzhal is ready. It stays good for a month.
CHETTINAD THENKUZHAL RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
  • Lets prepare Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku maavu as a first step. For this, wash the maavu pacharisi (IR20 raw rice) and soak in enough water for one to 2 hours. Drain the water and spread the soaked rice in a cotton cloth under shade for one day based on the weather.  Do not dry under the sun. Rice should become completely dry. Alternately you can just roast the rice till puffy and grind the rice.
  • Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku
  • After the rice is dry, grind in a mixie to a fine powder. Sieve in a wide plate and grind the coarse ones again till smooth. Repeat until all the rice is ground finely.
  • Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku
  • Dry roast white, round urad dal until hot. Roast it patiently without changing the color. Murukku doesn’t come out white if you roast the dal till golden brown in color. Keep mixing and tossing the dal. When the dal becomes hot, remove from the flame and let it cool down.
  • Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku
  • Grind to a smooth powder. Sieve and add to rice flour. Add salt, hing and melted ghee(if adding). Mix well. Then add required water and make a smooth dough. No problem if the dough is slightly sticky.

  • Fill the murukku press with the dough ( I sealed 2 holes with a cello tape inside and outside). Heat oil to deep fry. Drop a pinch of dough and check the oil temperature. Keep the flame low to medium and squeeze the murukku over the oil directly OR press the murukku in a greased ladle or a sheet as shown in the picture. Then drop in hot oil. You can put 3 to 4 murukku per batch. Cook both sides by flipping it. Cook till bubbles cease completely.
  • Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku
  • Murukku remains white in color if you fry in medium flame by tossing whenever needed. If you have used ghee in the dough, color may change slightly. Remove the murukku from the oil. Drain in a paper towel. Repeat the same in batches. Chettinad thenkuzhal is ready. Cool down the murukku and store in a box. It stays good for a month.
  • Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku
    Enjoy !

Note

  • You can wash the rice, dry under shade and grind in a mill else dry roast the rice till puffy and then grind it. Both works well.
  • Ratio of rice and urad dal is 2.5 :1. Some recipes use 3:1 too.
  • Addition of ghee or butter helps to give soft texture to the murukku but color may not be pure white.
  • If you feel the oil has become too hot, you can switch off the flame and cool down the oil. Then make the next batch.

Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku is ready to enjoy ! Try this for Diwali and share your feedback with me.

Chettinad thenkuzhal murukku


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