The Tamil month of Aavani brings in festive flavors to the household, Starting from Krishna Jayanthi, it is continuous to Vinayagar Chaturthi, Diwali, and Karthigai Deepam. Of all this, Diwali is one funfilled festive that is close to my heart. When I begin to pen down the Snacks for Diwali, Thenkuzhal is the default recipe on my list. When it comes to murukku, there are endless options. But for me, the very first variety of murukku that I learned was this, – Thenkuzhal. The name Thenkuzhal denotes the twisted variety with holes in-between. This is usually the basic variety made with rice and Urad flour. For a perfectly crisp Thenkuzhal, it is always important to stick to the right ratio of rice flour to urad flour. The below-mentioned measurement is what I have been following for the last ten years and this has never gone wrong. Do try this Thenkuzhal this Diwali and bring in the festive flavors at your home.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a wide mixing bowl, add 2 cups of rice flour. Measure 1/4 cup of Urad dal flour and add to the bowl. Add the required salt and mix them all together. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of jeera/ sesame seeds to this.
- Bring butter to room temperature and melt them before adding to the flour mixture. Add two teaspoons of hot oil and mix the flour. Slowly sprinkle water little by little and bring them together to a dough consistency.
- Now, wet a tissue paper or a kitchen towel and cover the bowl to prevent the dough from drying up until we fry them. Heat a round-bottomed Kadai and pour oil enough to fry 6 – 7 thenkuzhal at a time. Keep them in medium flame to avoid burning.
- Take the murukku press and grease the inside with a little oil. Place the 3 holed mold to the press. Prepare orange-sized balls and place them inside.
- Turn over the back of a ladle and squeeze the thenkuzhal to it. Once the oil turns piping hot, transfer the squeezed thenkuzhal to the oil and cook for 2 mins.
- Flip over to the other side and cook for another 2 mins. Strain out the cooked thenkuzhal from oil and transfer to a strainer. Allow them to come to room temperature and store in an airtight box. This can be enjoyed fresh for about 2 weeks.
Notes
- I have used store-bought rice flour and Urad dal flour, as there is no provision of rice mill to make fresh rice flour. You can also prepare Urad dal flour at home. Just dry roast the urad dal and grind in a mixer. Sieve thoroughly before preparing for Thenkuzhal. You can also prepare rice flour by soaking them in water, drying them in shade, and grinding in a rice mill as we do traditionally.
- I have added sesame seeds for this Thenkuzhal. You can also add jeera seeds for this.
- Add less salt as the salt content increases after deep frying.
- Melt the butter before adding to the flour. Butter gives softness to the Thenkuzhal.
- Once the murukku dough is made, keep them covered with a damp cloth to avoid drying up. This will also prevent dark colored Thenkuzhal.
- Add only 4 - 5 Thenkuzhals at a time. Do not overcrowd them. This will result in unevenly cooked and soggy ones.