I love Murukku…
All my life I’ve always wanted to try to make Murruku and I think I have tried once or twice and it was always a big failure because I never had a clue how to do it. Eda my helper did make it once or twice but she had her own version which was nice but not really Murukku.
Murruku if anyone out there does not know seeing that I do get the odd person from overseas is an Indian savory crispy mildly spicy crisp. This is my own definition and I am sure there are better ones out there. So today is history.
I made Murruku or at least I tried to do it and I must say I was not good at all, because my neighbor was just being nice to me because I was insistent and they were quite excited that I came over to try.
It was bloody hard!!!! Trying to squeeze the dough out of the mould was so difficult, my shoulders looked like it was drilling a road. Sarojini on the other hand did it like it was nothing at all.
I watched her from my kitchen window and was caught by her mother and sisters and so I sheepishly asked is I could help out. And so off I went. She just did it like she was Murukku Machine.
Step 1
Hold the Murukku Mould or Achi it is called and press firlmly. Start with a constant flow.
Step 2
Move the Achi or the Murukku Mould round and ensure there is no overlapping pull away the excess.
Step 3
A Perfect Pressed Murukku ready for frying.
So I did about 20 murukkus, ate about 40 and in the end just stood there watching and talking about neighbors.
Murukkus turning golden in the frying pan... a true sight to behold.
I did learn a few things so I will try to make it myself. What I wanted to learn more was to pipe the murrukku and to remove from the paper or the tray to be fried. It is a two person perhaps three person job though. They made enough to fill six or seven big tins.
Truly Scrumptious!
Also if you notice, a 1 sen coin is thrown into the pan of hot oil. This I was told was to ensure the murukkus were not oily. It is something their ancestors from India did because Sarojini’s mother is from India.
Myth or Fact - let's find out
This seemed to be the case with Sarojini’s murukku that day, it was practically oil less. So again this is something I will try. I did ask them if this worked for all things fried crispy…. Sadly it does not.
Anyhow it was dark by the time I ‘finished’, I got a plastic container full of murukku for my good deed.
Cooking with Nicholas 