This murukku recipe needs only rice flour, besan, butter, cumin and a pinch of hing. The murukku comes out crisp and light, and takes only 25 minutes from dough to tin. The recipe is for a small batch, but you can double or triple easily if you are making for Diwali.
Growing up, I eagerly waited for Diwali and all other festivals when our neighbours used to come with a thali of sweets and savoury snacks. The homemade butter murukku is the best! My mom learnt to make it from one of our neighbours, and since then we have never had to wait for the festivals!😁
I got the recipe from my sister and made and shared it on Instagram. The butter murukku recipe in the Instagram caption is the original and still works. But for a lighter and crispier murukku, I altered the ratio of flours.
Get the flour-to-water ratio wrong and you end up frying tiny droplets of dough instead of long strips. I learnt that the hard way.
This dough uses ½ cup rice flour, ½ cup besan (gram flour) and 2 tablespoon softened butter, with just enough water to bring it together. The dough is right when it is neither too soft nor too tight. The full method is in the recipe card below.
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Murukku press (and what to use if you don't have one)
Murukku, also called chakli, is a savoury fried snack made with besan and rice flour. You shape it with a press that comes with a few stencils, and I use the star one for this recipe.
I use a turning press. I find it easier than the press-down type.
No press? A piping bag with a star nozzle should give a similar result, though I haven't tried it. If you have, please tell me in the comments how it worked out.
The missing achhu: my murukku press stencils
At that time, my murukku press had only one stencil (idiyappam) because my mom forgot to keep the rest in my baggage. And guess what? After 3 years and relocation, I got my hands on the remaining stencils when my mom came to the UAE! I swear, when she asked what I wanted, all I asked was to get me the rest of the achhu! 😂
We made a batch of these murukkus when she stayed with me for a few weeks. Since then, I have tried a few flour ratios and found my sweet spot.
Ingredients
These murukkus are addictive, so it is better to make short strips and have plenty to see. 😜 Now, let's look at the list of ingredients to make butter murukku!
Just a few ingredients to make the dough and a lot of oil to deep-fry the murukkus.
- rice flour
- gram flour: You may know this as besan or kadalai maavu, which is Gram flour in Malayalam and Tamil. It is also called chickpea flour. There are several besan flour recipes in India, so you will surely use up the pack.
- Butter: salted or unsalted
- cumin seeds
- hing (asafoetida)
- water
- oil to fry
See the recipe card below for details.
If you like rice flour snacks, try my crispy onion pakoda too.
Instructions
The dough comes together in no time, but the frying is what takes more time. And if you are doing the whole murukku press for the first time, then give yourself time to get the hang of it.
Add both the rice and gram flour, cumin seeds, hing, salt and softened butter to a shallow bowl. Mix and rub the ingredients using your hands until crumbly. Add water a little at a time to form a tight, smooth dough.
Squeeze and cut dough strips into the hot oil as much as the kadai can hold easily. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until the sound Shhhhu reduces and stops. Remove and place them on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Diwali make-ahead tip
Murukku keeps for at least 2 weeks in an airtight container, so you can make a batch a week before Diwali. The recipe doubles or triples without any change to the method. Make it alongside kara pori for a tea-time snack plate.
TIP
Have your butter murukku turned out oily, crumbly or soft before? The water is usually the culprit. Add it a little at a time, and stop when the dough is tight but not dry.
My recipes are usually small batches, so feel free to double or triple this butter murukku recipe to feed a crowd or store it for a long period.
More Recipes using Rice Flour
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📖 Recipe Card
Butter Murukku with besan and rice flour
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice flour
- ½ cup besan gram flour, chickpea flour
- 28 grams softened butter, 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetida, (hing)
- salt to taste, skip or adjust if using salted butter
- 4 to 6 tablespoons water, approx
- Oil to deep fry
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Add the rice flour, besan flour, cumin seeds, hing, salt and butter to a shallow plate. Mix and rub the ingredients using your hands until the butter is distributed. Add water a little at a time to form a dough that isn't too dry, cracked, or too wet. You need a tight, smooth dough.½ cup rice flour½ cup besan gram flour chickpea flour28 grams softened butter 2 tablespoons1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 pinch asafoetida (hing)salt to taste skip or adjust if using salted butter4 to 6 tablespoons water approx
Prepare the murukku press
- Use a star-shaped murukku press stencil or a similar star-shaped press. Add a portion of the dough and roll it in the knob press. If you do not have a Chakli Press, I am told that you can use a piping bag with a small star nozzle.
Shape the murukkus
- Heat enough oil in a wide kadai, then test it by dropping a small piece of dough. If the dough sizzles up quickly, then the oil is ready to use.Oil to deep fry
- Hold the murukku maker over the hot oil and turn the knob a bit until the dough comes through. Use a small knife to cut short strips that will drop into the oil. Repeat until the pan is filled but not crowded. It is okay if they fall over other pieces because they will separate while frying.
Fry the murukkus
- Squeeze and cut the dough into strips that the kadai can hold easily. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Use a small spoon to stir and turn them, and fry on all sides until lightly golden or until the frying sound, "Shhhhu," subsides and stops.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried murukkus and place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat until all of the dough is used.
Serve and Store the butter murukku
- Serve with evening chai. These stay good for at least 2 weeks in an airtight container, but my recipe is a small batch, and I bet you will finish it in a day.
Notes
- Making this for Diwali? Double or triple the quantities and store the cooled murukku in an airtight container. You may adjust the flour ratio, but keep the rice flour higher than the besan flour.
- You can shape them as spiral cookies on greased paper or cloth and fry them in hot oil. But these murukkus are best made as short strips.
Nutrition Info
Nutritional information is an estimate provided for informational purposes only. Values may vary based on ingredient brands, cooking methods, and portion sizes.
Famidha Ashraf says
These butter murukkus turn out irresistibly crisp and buttery with just a handful of ingredients—try a batch and tell me how quickly they disappear!