CHAKRALU
An irresistible and traditional South Indian deep-fried snack made from rice flour, carom seeds and spices.
Equipment
- Murukku maker/chakli maker
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rice flour
- 1 cup Urad dal powder
- 2 tbsp Chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Carom seeds
- 3 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 2 cups Water
- Peanut/vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Heat a wide pan and dry roast the urad dal on medium flame until they turn fragrant, nutty and golden color. Cool down the dry roasted urad dal and later blend them to a very fine powder.
- Finely crush the peeled garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle.
- In a saucepan add 2 cups of water, chili powder, salt, crushed garlic and bring them to a rolling boil.
- In a small pan bring 3 tbsps of oil to smoking hot point.
- In a mixing bowl add rice flour, urad dal powder, hot oil and rub them together within your palms.
- Now add the boiling water with spices into the flour mixture and mix with a spatula. Cover the mixing bowl with a plate and let it sit for 15 mins.
- Later bring the dough together, add cold water gradually and knead the dough to a semi hard dough. (Just soft enough that it is pressed through easily with the janthikalu press. Test the dough for salt and chilli pwd before deep-frying and adjust the spices accordingly).
- Heat a kadai/wok, add oil enough for deep frying chakralu.
- Take the murukku maker grease the inside with a tsp of oil, roll the handful of dough into cylindricals and place them in the murukku maker and use the disc with small holes.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce to medium flame and using circular motion, press the murukku maker to make concentric layers of the chakralu dough.
- As you press the dough into the hot oil, you will find the oil froth up in bubbles which will eventually subside as the chakralu fry and turn to a golden shade.
- When the chakralu turn into golden color, flip them and fry on the other side and let it also cook to a golden brown.
- Use a slotted ladle to remove fried chakralu on a paper towel and let them cool down. Now repeat the same process till the rest of the dough is done.
- Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Once the oil is hot enough, remember the frying has to be done on medium flame to achieve that even frying, golden color and perfect crispness.
- After few fries, the oil may turn cold so leave the pan on hot flame for 3-4 mins and reduce the flame again before you make more chakralu.
- You can also use gram flour instead of urad dal powder.