Butter murukku, a deep-fried South Indian crispy snack made with rice and chickpea flour (besan) with a hint of cumin, hing and butter! This recipe will yield light and crispy murukkus that are so addictive, that you cannot stop eating them.
Murukku or Chakli are savoury fried snacks usually made with besan and rice flour. There are several varieties of murukku depending on the ingredients and shape. You will need a murukku press to make these.
Murukku maker
The murukku or chakli maker comes with a few different types of stencils and a star shape is one of them. I have used the turning type of murukku press because I feel this is easier than the press-down type. Though I have used the murukku press (achhu) to make this butter murukku, you can use a piping bag with a star nozzle to get the same results. I'm not sure how good an option it is, but if you have tried with a piping bag, let me know in the comments so it is helpful for other readers.
Family favourite
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 murukkus are the best! My mom learnt to make murukku 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.
bring my 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 UAE! I swear, when she asked what I want, 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 variations with the ratio of the flour used and I am happy to say I found a sweet spot.
I tried spiral shaping for fun but that is not required at all! These murukkus are addictive so it is better to make short strips and have plenty to see. 😜Also, a star shape seems to make the best taste and texture so make sure you use a star-shaped stencil or nozzle.
If you have made butter murukku before and failed because it was very oily, crumbly, too soft, etc then try this recipe. While making the dough, don't add too much water and try to keep the dough 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 for a long period.
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
- a pinch of hing
- Salt to taste skip or adjust if using salted butter
- 4 to 6 tablespoons water approx
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 is not too dry, cracked or too wet. You need tight smooth dough.
Prepare the murukku press
- Use the star-shaped murukku press stencil or similar to the star. Then, add a portion of the dough and wheel 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 and test if the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of dough. If the dough sizzles up quickly then the oil is ready to use.
- Hold the murukku maker above the hot oil and turn the knob a bit until the dough comes through. Use a small knife to cut short strips that would 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 dough strips as much as the kadai can hold easily. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Use a small spoon to stir and turn them and fry all sides until lightly golden or until the frying sounds Shhhhu reduces and stops.
- Use the slotted spoon to remove the fried murukkus and place them on a kitchen paper towel to drain any 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 up in one day.
Notes
- Feel free to double or triple the recipe. You may alter the ratio of the flour but keep the rice flour more than besan flour.
- You may try to 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.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!