Murukus

Ompudi | Vamupusa | KharaSev

Ompudi aka Vampusa (in Telugu) is a crispy and an addictive snack that is made out of chick pea flour and rice flour as the main ingredients.

This is perfect for a tea-time snack.

Ingredients

• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Chick pea flour aka besan - 1 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp (adjust according to spice levels)
• Turmeric - pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Caraway seeds aka oma vaamu - 1 ^1/2 tsps
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Oil - to deep fry
• Water - to knead the dough
• Ompudi mould

Preparation method

1. In a large bowl, add rice flour, chick pea flour, caraway seeds, salt, chilli powder, asafoetida, turmeric, and mix well.
2. Heat about 2 tbsps of oil and add it to this dry mixture.
The oil should be sizzling hot, and when poured into this mixture, should bubble.
3. Add water, little at a time, and knead until it turns into a stiff, yet pliable dough.
4. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan.
5. Take a small amount of dough (enough to fill the mould) and stuff it into the mould. Press it in such a way that it is released into the oil as thin noodles or sev.
6. Let it fry until the bubbles die down.
7. Flip it over to the other side, and fry for a few seconds until it is crisp.
8. Strain the oil, and allow it to cool over tissue papers.
9. Store them in an air-tight container.

Preparation time - 45 minutes

Kodubale

Kodubale is a scrumptious, spicy, snack which originates from the state of Karnataka. Although there are different variants in this popular snack, the one I am putting up is a super-duper recipe by my grandmother. Here is the recipe for the lip-smacking snack, which can be served as regular evening snack, or during festivities, or any other special occasion.

Ingredients

• Rice flour - 1 kilo
• All purpose flour - 150 gms
• Red chillies (dry) - 100 gms (adjust according to spice levels)
• Fresh grated coconut - from one medium sized coconut
• Salt - to taste
• Cumin seeds|Jeera - 2 tsps
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Oil - to deep fry
• Water - to knead the dough

Preparation method

1. Grind red chillies, cumin seeds, coconut with little water and make a very smooth paste.
2. Dry roast the all purpose and keep aside.
3. In a big bowl, mix the rice flour, roasted all purpose flour, salt, and asafoetida. Whisk it well.
4. Heat about 2 tbsps of oil and add it to this dry mixture.
The oil should be sizzling hot, and when poured into this mixture, should bubble.
5. Add the ground paste to this dry mixture and mix well. Add required amount of oil, little at a time and make a stiff, yet soft dough.
6. Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan.
7. Pinch a lemon sized dough and roll it on a smooth and clean surface. The dough should elongate uniformly.

8. Roll it in circular shape.

9. Deep fry them until golden brown.

10. Store them in an air-tight container.

Preparation time - 2 hrs

Thengul

Ingredients

• Urad dal - 1 cup
• Rice - 4 cups

Grind the urad dal and rice to a smooth flour and sieve it (if required). Keep this aside.

• Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 1/2 tsps
• Butter - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - to knead the dough
• Asafoetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp
• Oil to fry
• Muruku mould

Preparation method

1. Take a wide vessel and add the rice-urad dal flour, cumin seeds, salt, asafoetida and mix well.
2. Melt the butter and slightly heat it. Add this to the above mixture.
3. Knead the mixture to a smooth dough by adding water, little at a time.
4. Heat oil in a pan.
5. When the oil is hot, add the dough to the mould and press them into the oil.
6. Fry them until they are cooked and crunchy.
7. Drain the excess oil on a tissue paper.
8. Store them in an air-tight container to retain the crunch.

Made thengul with a different mould, and it turned out just as good. :)

This muruku will turn out slightly creamish in color, and they will not turn red/golden/brown. Awesome evening snack, with a cup of coffee :-)

Chakli

Ingredients

• Hesaru bele (Pongal dal) - 1 cup
• Maida or all purpose flour - 4 cups
• Water to cook the dal - 1 3/4 - 2 cups
• Water - to knead the dough
• Salt - to taste
• Chakli mould
• Cumin seeds (jeera) - 2 tsps
• Asafoetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp
• Oil to fry

Pressure cook the dal and the all purpose flour simultaneously in a pressure cooker. Add the dal in a vessel and add the flour in a white clean muslin cloth and tie it tighly.

Preparation method

1. Remove the cooked flour and break it well so there are no lumps.
2. Add oil to a deep fry pan and allow it to heat. When it is hot, add 3-4 tsps of hot oil to the all purpose flour and mix it well.
3. Add the cooked dal to the flour. Make sure the excess water is removed and stored seperately (just in case you require it at a later time, while kneading the dough).
4. Add salt, hing, jeera and start kneading to make a smooth dough.
5. When the oil is hot, add the dough to the chakli mould and press them into the oil.
6. Fry them until they are cooked and crunchy.
7. Drain the excess oil on a tissue paper.
8. Store them in an air-tight container to retain the crunch.

Preparation time - 1hr 30 mins

Rice flour | Chana dal (besan) | Urad dal muruku

Ingredients

• Rice (nicely ground to fine powder and sieved) - 1 kilo
• Chana dal - 2 cups
• Urad dal - 1 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Muruku mould
• Carom seeds (oma/vaamu) - 3 tsps
• Sesame seeds (til) - 3 tsps
• Asafoetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp
• Oil to fry
• Water - to knead the dough

Roast the chana and urad dal until golden brown. Cool it and then grind the rice, and the roasted dals together. Sieve it until fine and keep it in a container.

Preparation method

1. Add oil to a deep fry pan and allow it to heat. When it is hot, add 3-4 tsps of hot oil to the flour and mix it well.
2. Add salt, hing, carom seeds, sesame seeds and water. Start kneading to make a smooth dough.
3. When the oil is hot, add the dough to the muruku mould and press them into the oil.
4. Fry them until they are cooked and slightly brown.
5. Drain the excess oil on a tissue paper.
6. Store them in an air-tight container to retain the crunch.

Preparation time - 2hrs