Butter murukku

Recently when we went shopping, K picked up a packet of murukku, and shared something that I never knew before - that he really liked murukkus. I promptly offered to make it at home. He was thrilled by the prospect and dropped the idea of buying it and said he would wait for mine. Though I was always, and still am in total awe of murukkus (minus the oil it passionately absorbs while getting deep-fried), I never got down to actually making some. Here is my first batch of murukkus - the basic butter murukku. I should tell you that it was a fairly good attempt for a first-timer. K truly enjoyed it. Guess, it was worth the wait :)

As usual, I frantically went through lots of websites and blogs that offered me an easy recipe of a butter murukku. Finally, backed with my mother's lessons, I ventured. I should tell you, I never thought making murukkus would be so easy. Just that you need to be equipped with one single virtue called patience to fry batches after batches of them.

Ingredients:

• Rice flour (store bought); 3 cups
• Fried bengal gram powder (pottukadalai powder): 1/2 cup
• Butter: 1 + 1/2 tbsp
• Jeera: 1 tsp
• White sesame seeds: 1 tsp
• Hing: 1 big pinch
• Salt: to taste

Method:

• Sieve rice flour, fried bengal gram powder and salt together
• Add the butter and mix with your finger tips so that the butter is well incorporated into the flour
• Add the remaining ingredients and knead into a dough (sprinkling water)
• The dough should be of loose chapati dough consistency
• Cover using a wet cloth and keep aside
• Heat oil in a kadai and make murukkus
• Done!
• An excellent traditional home-made snack is ready!