Gram Flour Murukku or Kadalai Maavu Murukku is a spicy and instant crunchy snack made under 30 minutes using gram flour, rice flour and other spices.
About Gram Flour Murukku
Gram Flour Murukku is a gluten-free, crispy and crunchy deep fried snack. Kadalai maav murukku, besan flour murukku and chickpea flour murukku are the other names of it. As it is prepared with red chilli powder, it is also called as Kaara murukku. The taste of this murukku is almost similar to kaara sev just the shape resembles that of a murukku.
Murukku is prepared usually during the festival time, especially Deepavali / Diwali, the festival of lights. For this year’s Diwali I decided to make sweets and snacks using items that are already available in my pantry without buying any special ingredients.
Because of it’s simple and basic ingredients, one can make this dish any time and it is also budget-friendly. It is naturally gluten free and to make it vegan, you can use hot oil instead of melted butter.
Recipe Ingredients
Gram Flour: Gram flour is prepared using yellow channa dal. I used fresh store-bought gram flour to make this recipe. Always use fresh gram flour for better taste and texture. Sift the flour before using it.
Rice Flour: I used homemade rice flour however this recipes works well with the store bough rice flour as well. Sift the flour before using it.
Other Ingredients: Red chilli powder, turmeric powder, sesame seeds and ajwain seeds are the other spice ingredients used in this recipe. Caraway seeds and Omam are the other names of ajwain seeds.
Butter gives a nice crunchy taste to this murukku. If you want to make a vegan version of this murukku, then add hot oil instead of butter. Addition of salt completes the taste of this murukku. I used peanut oil for frying the murukku. you can use any flavor less oil that is available with you.
You may also like to try the below gluten-free festival recipes from my blog.
Recipe Card
Gram Flour Murukku
Ingredients
- 1 cup gram flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
- 3/4 tsp salt or as per taste
- 2-3 tsp butter melted or softened
- water to make dough
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- In a wide mixing bowl, add gram flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sesame seeds, ajwain seeds, salt and melted butter.
- Mix well without adding water first and then add water gradually to make a soft and smooth dough. Cover and keep it aside.
- Clean the murukku maker, coat it with oil. Insert small portions of the dough into the murukku maker. Choose a medium size hole in the muruku maker for making this kind of murukku.
- Use a silicon mat to rest the muruku coming out of the murukku maker. Depending on the size of the mat you can place 3-4 murukkus on the mat.
- Then using a spatula, transfer the murukku from the mat to hot oil. The fying process starts with a nice bubbling sound.
- Now the murukku appears firm and start holding its shape. At this instance, flip to cook other side.
- Once the bubbling sound disappears, remove the murukku from oil and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel.
- Cool down to room temperature and store it in an air tight container.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh gram flour, otherwise the murukku may taste slightly bitter and hard to bite.
- Instead of butter , you can use hot oil for making murukku to make it vegan.
- Do a taste check once the first batch murukku is done and adjust the salt as needed.
How to make Gram Flour Murukku – Step by Step
Preparation
Prepare all the ingredients needed for making the murukku. Sieve the gram flour and rice flour (sifting process). Pour oil in a heavy bottom kadai and keep it ready.
Step By Step Instructions
- In a wide mixing bowl, add the sifted gram flour. Use fresh gram flour for good texture and taste.
- To the same bowl, add the sifted rice flour. Both homemade and store bought rice flour works well for this recipe. Sifting process helps to get smooth texture.
- Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Adjust the red chilli powder quantity according to your spice level.
- Further more, add sesame seeds and ajwain seeds. I added white sesame seeds. Black sesame seeds and brown sesame seeds can also be added. Crush the ajwain seeds between your palms before adding.
- Add salt. I have given the correct salt measurement for this recipe. However, you can adjust it according to your taste. If you are a beginner, always add less salt first.
- Add melted or softened butter. If you want to make a vegan version of this murukku, then skip the butter and add hot oil.
- Mix everything first without adding water using your fingertips.
- Now, add water gradually by sprinkling drops at a time to the mixture until you get a soft and smooth dough.
- Slightly knead the dough to get a smooth texture and make a log. Cover it, keep it aside until you start making murukku. Covering it avoids the dough from drying.
- Clean the murukku maker, coat it with oil. Oil coating prevents the dough from sticking to the walls of the murukku maker and helps in easy cleaning. Simultaneously you can start heating the oil in a low flame.
- Insert the log into the murkku maker. I chose a medium size hole (achu) in the murukku maker. Typically this murukku is prepared using a hole that is slightly bigger than the idiyappam hole but slightly smaller than the usual murukku hole. If you don’t have one, then feel free to use the usual murukku hole.
- Over the silicion mat, press the murukku. Please refer the video on how I made it. Instead of silicon mat, you can press murukku over the spatulas or square shape parchment paper.
- Now move towards your stove and increase the flame to medium. Check the oil. It should be hot but not smoking hot. Add a mustard seed size dough to the oil. It should come to the surface of oil at uniform speed. This is the correct temperature for frying the murukku.
- Once the oil reaches correct temperature, transfer murukkus to a hot oil one by one using a spatula. If the oil is not hot enough, the muruku looks oily. If it is very hot, then the murukku becomes brown in colour and gives an appearance that it is well cooked but the inside part would have not cooked at all.
- Deep fry murukku in batches depending upon the size of the kadai and quantity of oil. I fried three murukkus at a time. As soon as you add murukkus to the hot oil, it gets fried in oil with a nice bubbling sound. After few seconds, the murukku appears firm and holds it shape. At that time, flip the murukku to cook the other side.
- Once the murukku started changing it’s colour and the oil bubbling sound suppress, remove the murukku from oil. Arrange the deep fried murukkus in a plate lined with the kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil (if any).Cool down the murukkus to room temperature before storing it in an air tight container.
Cool down the murukkus to room temperature before storing it in an air tight container.Storage and Serving Suggestions
Storage
Store it in a wide air-tight container or ziplock bag once the murukku reaches room temperature. Arrange them in layers to avoid breaking it. It stays good for 2-3 weeks in room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it during the tea or coffee time.
- It is a popular snack prepared during the festival time and munched anytime just like any other snack.
- I use this snack to pack it in my school going kid’s snack box.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- A perfectly kneaded dough, makes smooth murukkus. If the murukku texture is rough, then it means the dough is dry. Sprinkle little water, knead it and make a soft dough. If the dough is watery, then it breaks while making the murukku.
- Always maintain a uniform oil temperature to fry murukku’s evenly.
- If the murukku is hard, add extra tsp of butter.
- Once the first batch of murukku is fried, do a taste it and adjust the salt if needed.
- Fresh or recently bought gram flour gives the good murukku’s with taste and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the murukku dough is watery and too much buttery or oily then it tends to break while pressing it in murukku maker. In that case, add some more rice flour to make the murukku consistency correct.
Besan flour murukku generally doesn’t burst but to avoid such issues, always sift the besan and rice flour. Any coarse texture or tiny lumps sometimes causes the murukku to burst. As a best practice always keep a lid to cover the oil in case of bursting.
If there is a less fat content, then it gives the hard murukkus. To avoid it increase oil or butter quantity a tsp at a time.
There are two reasons. If the murukku absorbs more oil, then there is too much of water in the dough. Other reason could be the temperature of oil and quality of oil. If the temperature of oil is low, then the murukku appears oily.
If you have tried this recipe or have any questions, don’t forget to comment below. I would love to hear your feedback and glad to answer your queries. You can also Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Youtube for other updates from my kitchen about Office Lunchbox, Kid’s Lunchbox and simple meal plate ideas.
