Indian
Vegan
Gluten freeKai murukku
Hand-twisted rice flour spirals
கை முறுக்கு: Manapparai rice and urad flour murukku twisted by hand into rings of tight loops
Manapparai near Tiruchirappalli is famous for kai murukku, hand-twisted spirals made by women who can loop the dough between thumb and finger faster than you can watch. They are fried for Deepavali, weddings and seemantham baskets, and the good ones shatter with a clean crunch and taste lightly of cumin and sesame. The usual mistake is using flour that isn't sifted and roasted dry, which leaves raw-tasting murukku that bubble and burst. Twisting takes practice, so start with a simple three-loop ring. Chef's tip: shape them on a damp cloth and fry from the cloth, so the rings don't stick or tear.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Serves
- 10
- Per serving
- 250 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
- 14 oz fine rice flour
- 1 ¾ oz roasted urad dal powderdry-roasted urad dal ground fine
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp hot oil
- 1 ¼ cups waterabout
For frying
- 1 litre groundnut oil
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Sift 14 oz fine rice flour and 1 ¾ oz roasted urad dal powder together, then warm in a dry pan over low heat for 3 minutes without colouring. Cool.
8 minStep 2: Add 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and 1 ½ tsp salt, then rub in 3 tbsp hot oil.
3 minStep 3: Knead with 1 ¼ cups water into a smooth, pliable dough, softer than chapati dough. Keep it covered with a damp cloth.
8 minStep 4: Pinch off a small lump, and on a damp cloth twist the dough between thumb and forefinger into a thin rope, looping it round in tight, overlapping spirals to make a 7 cm ring of three or four rounds. Seal the end.
30 minStep 5: Pour 1 litre groundnut oil into a heavy kadai or deep pan, no more than a third of its depth, and heat over medium-high to 175–350°F. No thermometer? Drop in a small cube of bread: it should sizzle at once and turn golden in about 40 seconds. Keep a lid and a dry tray nearby and never leave the hot oil unattended.
8 minStep 6: Slide in 3–4 murukku at a time and fry over medium heat, turning, until the fierce bubbling stops and they are cream-gold, about 5 minutes. Too hot and they brown outside but stay soft.
30 minStep 7: Drain upright on kitchen paper. Cool completely before storing airtight; they keep 3 weeks.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kai murukku take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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Perfect for:Diwali