Arisi Maavu Thenkuzhal Murukku / Nylon Thenkuzal / Thenkuzhal Type 2

 In this method of making Thenkuzhal the murukku will be very light, airy, crispy and not hard to chew. And we do not add chilli powder or any flavoring to this Thenkuzhal, we particularly make this Thenkuzhal for our grandparents and small childrens.
I would suggest you to use 3 hole Thenkuzhal plate in murukku press, because if you use single hole plate the murukku is very delicate and will break into pieces easily.

Arisi Maavu Thenkuzhal

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cup
Urad dal - 4 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Hing / Asafetida - less than 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Water required

Thenkuzhal Murukku

Method
1. Roast urad dal until golden brown and nice aroma rises, allow to cool and grind to very fine flour.
2. Combine rice flour, urad dal flour, ghee, hing and salt to a bowl, mix well and knead to a soft and slightly sticky dough by adding required water.
4. Grease murukku press with little ghee, place 3 hole Thenkuzhal plate inside press and fill murukku press with prepared dough.
5. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan to deep fry, grease a 2 to 3 thick plastic cover or ziplock bags, squeeze murukku dough onto plastic covers.
6. Gently flip the squeezed dough from plastic cover to your hand and Carefully drop into hot oil, continue with rest of dough.
7. Deep fry murukku on low heat until golden color and until bubbling stops.
8. Drain murukku onto paper towel and once it is cooled to room temperature store it in airtight box.

Nylon Thenkuzhal

Kadalai Maavu Murukku / Besan Chakli

Pepper Murukku

Ingredients
Besan flour - 1.5 cups
Rice flour - 2.5 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Black pepper corns - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water required
Oil to deep fry

Kadalai maavu murukku

Method
1. Grind pepper and cumin to powder in a mixer grinder, let it be slightly coarse.
2. Sieve besan flour and rice flour in a bowl, add powdered pepper & cumin, ghee and required salt to sieved flour.
3. Knead to soft and slightly sticky dough by adding required water.
4. Grease murukku press with little ghee, place Mullu Murukku( star hole) plate inside press and fill murukku press with prepared dough.
5. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan to deep fry, slightly grease slotted ladle( jalli karandi) with oil, squeeze murukku dough onto ladle in round shape.
6. Carefully drop mullu murukku into hot oil, continue with rest of dough.
7. Deep fry murukku on low heat until golden color and until bubbling stops.
8. Drain murukku onto paper towel and once it is cooled to room temperature store it in airtight box.

Besan Chakli

Madras Mixture Recipe ( South Indian Mixture)

South Indian Mixture

Ingredients
Omapodi - 2 cups ----click for recipe
Kara boondhi - 1 cup ----click for recipe
Thick aval / poha - 1/4 cup
Pottukadalai - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves crushed - 2 nos
Hing - few pinch
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Mixture Recipe

Method
1. Deep fry poha, pottukadalai, peanuts, cashewnuts, garlic cloves, curryleaves one at a time in hot oil until crisp and drain on paper towel.
2. Take a container with a lid add fried poha, pottukadalai, omapodi, Kara boondhi, cashew nuts, peanuts, garlic cloves, curryleaves, hing, red chilli powder and very little salt.
3. Cover container with lid and shake well so everything is mixed well.
4. Transfer the mixture to another airtight container as the container in which everything was mixed will be oily.

Madras Mixture

Kara Boondi Recipe

Kara Boondhi

Ingredients
Besan flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Cooking soda - two pinch
Salt to taste
Hing - pinch
Garlic clove crushed - 2 to 3nos
Curry leaves - few
Peanuts - handful
Oil to deep fry
Water required

Diwali Snacks

Method
1. In a bowl combine besan flour, rice flour, cooking soda, required salt and water to form thin bajji like batter.
2. Heat oil in kadai, when oil is hot take a small cup full of batter and pour it through slotted ladel( jalli karandi). The batter will fall like small pearls in oil.
3. Cook boondhi until golden and crisp. Using another slotted ladel scoop out the cooked boondhi and drain it on paper towel.
4. In another pan heat 1 tbsp, roast peanuts, curry leaves, crushed garlic cloves and hing. Remove pan from heat and add red chilli powder. Add the fried boondhi to the pan and give nice stir so masala is coated on boondhi.
Store in airtight container.

Boondhi

Tips
Make sure the batter is not watery or thick. If the batter is watery boondhi will be flat and stick to the bottom of kadai. If thick boondhi will not be crunchy.

Omapodi / Sev Recipe

Lost the original image - will upload soon

Ingredients
Besan flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Ajwain / Omam - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - to deep fry
Butter - 2 tbsp

Method
1. Roast ajwain and dry grind to powder in mixer, soak this Oman powder in 1/4 cup water for 10 mins. Using tea strainer, strain and collect Oman water in a bowl and discrad the residue.
2. In a bowl combine besan flour, rice flour, Oman water and salt, slightly heat butter and add it to the above mixture. Mix well to get soft sticky dough.
3. Grease murukku press with little butter, place sev plate( one with tiny holes) inside the murukku press and fill murukku press with prepared dough.
4. Squeeze dough directly to hot oil and cook until golden brown.
5. Drain sev on paper towel, allow to cool to room temperature then gently crush.
Store it in airtight container.

Tips
Ajwain does not grind to fine powder in mixer because of very little quantity, if you have mortar and pestle better pound with your hand.

Mullu Murukku - Diwali Snack Recipes

Mullu Murukku Recipe

Ingredients
Rice Flour - 3 cups
Besan Flour - 1 cup
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp ( at room temperature)
Hot Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp + more if needed
Hot Water - required
Oil To Deep Fry

Mullu Murukku - Diwali Snacks

Method
1. Mix rice flour, besan flour, sesame seeds, red chilly powder, asafetida, butter, hot oil and salt in a bowl.
2. Add hot water little by little to the flour mixture and knead to soft non sticky dough.
3. Grease murukku press with little butter, place Mullu Murukku( star hole) plate inside press and fill murukku press with prepared dough.
4. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan to deep fry, slightly grease slotted ladle( jalli karandi) with oil, squeeze murukku dough onto ladle in round shape.
5. Carefully drop mullu murukku into hot oil, continue with rest of dough.
6. Deep fry murukku until golden color and until bubbling stops on low heat.
7. Drain murukku onto paper towel and once it is cooled to room temperature store it in airtight box.

Murukku Recipe

Chefs tips
1. You can use cumin seeds instead of sesame seeds.
2. If you don't want spice it's optional to add red chilly powder to the recipe.
3. Murukku hot from the oil will be soft and will become crisp as it reaches room temperature.
4. Dalda( vegetable shortening) can also be used instead of butter, but butter is healthier.

Ribbon Pakoda / Ribbon Murukku - Diwali Snack Recipes

 Ribbon Pakoda aka Nada Thenkuzhal is easy to make snack and must for Diwali celebrations.

Ribbon Pakoda Recipe

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Besan flour - 1/2 cup
Pottukadalai / Roasted gramdal - 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp + more if needed
Oil to deep fry

Ribbon Murukku

Method
1. Grind pottukadalai to fine powder, sieve it and set aside.
2. Mix rice flour, besan flour, pottukadalai powder, red chilli powder, sesame seeds, butter, asafetida and salt in a bowl.
3. Add water little by little to the flour mixture and knead to soft non sticky dough.
4. Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan to deep fry, meanwhile cover dough with damp cloth to prevent from drying.
5. Grease murukku press with little butter, place ribbon pakoda plate( with two straight line holes) inside the murukku press and fill murukku press with dough.
6. Squeeze ribbon pakoda dough  into hot oil in round shape.
7. Deep fry ribbon pakoda on low heat until golden in color and bubbling stops.
8. Drain ribbon pakoda on paper towel and once cooled to room temperature store it in air tight box.
9. Continue the same with rest of dough.

Nada Thenkuzhal Recipe

Chefs tip
1. You can avoid pottukadalai flour and double quantity of besan flour( for 2 cup rice flour use 1 cup besan flour).
2. Squeeze ribbon pakoda dough in hot oil otherwise ribbon pakoda will go into pieces.
3. Use 1 tsp garlic powder in recipe if preferred.

Thenkuzhal Murukku Recipe - Diwali Snack Recipes

Thenkuzhal Murukku Recipe

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Urad flour - 1/2 cup
Black sesame seeds - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Butter - 3 tbsp
Asafetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp + few pinch if required
Oil - to deep fry

Thenkuzhal - Diwali Snacks

Method
1. Mix rice flour, urad flour, sesame seeds, asafetida, butter and salt in a bowl.
2. Add water little by little to the flour mixture and knead to soft non sticky dough.
3. Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan to deep fry, meanwhile cover dough with damp cloth to prevent from drying.
4. Grease murukku press with little butter, place thenkuzhal murukku plate( with three holes) inside the murukku press and fill murukku press with dough.
5. Dip slotted ladel( Jalli karandi) in oil and place it on plate. Squeeze murukku dough on the ladels in round shape.
6. Carefully drop the murukku into hot oil and continue with rest of dough.
7. Deep fry murukku on low heat until golden in color and bubbling stops.
8. Drain murukku on paper towel and once cooled to room temperature store it in air tight box.

Thenkuzhal Recipe

Chefs tips
1. Idiyappam flour or homemade rice flour can be used instead of store bought rice flour.
2. To make homemade rice flour- soak 1/2 kg rice in water for 2 hours, drain rice and dry it in shade for 4 hours. Give the dried rice to flour and ask them to grind until smooth.
3. To make homemade urad dal flour- Roast 3 cups whole urad dal on low heat until slightly browned and aroma rises. Allow to cool and grind it until smooth, measure and use it in recipe.
4. Murukku hot from the oil will be soft and will become crisp as it reaches room temperature.
5. Dalda( vegetable shortening) can also be used instead of butter, but butter is healthier.

Thattai/ Kara Thattai - Diwali Snack Recipes

My Mom and Granny makes Thattai in a little different way. We use roasted gram flour instead of urad dal flour and add red chilly and garlic paste for more taste and crispiness

Ingredients

Processed Rice flour-6cup

Roasted gram flour-2cup

Bengal gram( soaked in water)-3tsp

Whole Red Chilly-10

Garlic clove-6

Red chilly powder-1tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Soda bi carbonate-pinch

Hot oil-6tbsp

Hot water required

Method

Soak whole red chilly and garlic in little hot water for 5mins and grind into smooth paste without adding water. Take a large bowl add the processed rice flour, roasted gram flour, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, red chilly and garlic paste, soaked Bengal gram, soda bi carbonate, hot oil and required salt. Mix well with hand. Add hot water little by little and make into tight dough. Make small balls out of the dough. In meantime heat enough oil in a large kadai. Take a plastic sheet and grease it with oil, place the small dough ball and flatten it with your finger,( you may grease your finger with oil to avoid dough sticking to your fingers). Make Thattai as thin as possible. Take the plastic sheet with thattai dough in your left hand and slowly turn it on to your right hand palm. When the oil is hot slide in the thattai dough. Depending on the size of kadai add as many thattai as possible. The thattai in oil will slowly raise to the top and bubbles will slowly reduce, simmer the heat until the thattai turns golden brown in color. Drain the thattai from oil and place on paper towel. Allow the thattai to cool completely to the room temperature. When its hot it will not be crisp, when it cools to room temprature the thattai will become more crispier. For the above said quantity you can make upto 40 Thattais. These thattais can be stored for a month in airtight containers.

Karasev - Diwali Snack Recipes

One of the popular Southindian snacks, we prepare it during Diwali celebrations. Simple and easy to make.

Ingredients

Arisimavu/Rice flour-2cups

Kadalamavu/Besan Flour( Chick pea flour)-2cups

Black pepper( coarsely ground)-3tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds-2tsp

Turmeric-pinch

Asafetida-pinch

Baking powder-pinch

Hot water required

Oil and Salt required

Method

Take a large bowl, add rice flour, besan flour, pepper, jeera, turmeric, asafetida, baking powder and salt. Heat 2tbsp of oil and add it to the dry mixture. Mix well and add hot water to make very thick batter. Heat oil in a large kadai, take a kara sev ladle( you can also use Murukku

press/Chakli maker). Take a handful of karasev batter and press on the karasev ladle into hot oil. If using chakli maker put handful of batter into the chakli maker and press into the hot oil. When karasev is cooked it will float on the top of oil and bubbles will be reduced. Drain and transfer the karasev to paper towel and when cool downs store it in airtight container.

Sending this recipe to Priya's Diwali 2009 Contest