Murku

The winter sun is finally up after a week of rain and chilly days, urging me to share yet another special recipe on my blog. This one is a great snack on a cold day.

Murku in South India is different from the chakli of Maharashtra.
Our murku is made through the thinner smoother mold and the final shape is like a many layered twisted pretzel while the chakli is the thicker spiky mold and the ultimate shape is either one circle or a concentric circle with a two inch diameter.
In Tamil Nadu, where my my mother and cousin grew up,this was also called 'tayn koyil murku.'

One of the highlights of my trip to India was the chance to meet family I had not met since my mother's passing and collect all the family history stories they knew.
I met my oldest cousin sister who generously gave me this recipe as one of her best.
The two visits to her daughter's house, to meet her, were really great.
Not being able to switch to the cooking and cleaning gear from the 'just having fun' mode, I am posting this recipe as 'tasted and true' one. The older I get the more this category appeals to me vs. the make it before you write it up one.
Here's to more 'tasted and true' recipes.

SAROJA AKKA'S MURKU RECIPE
(Akka is the term of address for older sister in Telugu).
Note how the recipe was given in kg's and grams...I have lbs and ozs in brackets.
The oil is given in US fluid ozs.

1 kg (2.2 lbs) raw rice powder (rice flour)
200 gms (7.05 ozs) urad.
1 Tbsp whole cumin (jeera).
1 Tbsp white sesame seed (til)
75-100 gms (3.52 ozs) butter (melted but not hot).
Salt to taste.

1/2 litre (33.8 fluid ozs) oil. (for frying).

Roast urad over medium flame till you get a good aroma, but do not brown it.
Powder fine in blender. (I would use a coffee mill).
Mix all without water.
Put into murku mold.
Heat oil and squeeze out like pretzels and deep fry, turning once, till cream colored.
(do not fry golden brown like chaklis).

Cool and stored in airtight tin/plastic bag for a month.

OPT: You can add coconut milk while mixing but the storage time will be less. In India you get this by soaking fresh grated coconut in warm water and then squeezing out the 'milk'.
Here I would just use the canned coconut milk from the Chinese store.

Below are three types of presses used for making murkus (among other dishes).
The tayn koil mold is in the latest aluminum press.