Diwali Special: Coconut Milk Murukku

Hope you are all in as much Diwali spirit as me! Here's another 'Bakshanam' recipe for Diwali. A murukku made with Rice flour, Urad flour and coconut milk!

This recipe is a really easy one to do and a little different from all the regular murukkus. I've seen this recipe in a couple of places - one is here by Nithu Bala and at her blog here and the other similar recipe is in Mallika Badrinath's Murukku recipes book. So my recipe is adapted from both the recipe sources. Thank you Nithya for the detailed post. I loved the recipe!

This recipe uses coconut milk and I used home made coconut milk. You probably could also use the canned coconut milk - I don't see why that won't work.

For the urad flour, dry roast urad gota or urad daal in medium heat. The daal should get warm but not brown. Try to keep stirring it while roasting so that the base does not brown. Once the aroma starts coming out, switch off the stove and move to a mixer to grind to a fine powder.

Grind to a fine powder. You could sieve it once so that no lumps are present.

Next, get the coconut milk ready. I used just frozen coconut - these are more fresh here sometimes than the fresh coconut! Now I'm totally nostalgic about fresh coconut water in India - nothing to beat that - Coke and Pepsi should get down on their knees and hold a torch to a fresh coco!

Add a little water to blend the coconut and release all the water while grinding.

Strain all the coconut milk using a muslin cloth and set aside. You can use the dry coconut inside the cloth to make chutney - still got some flavor in there!

I was making a lot of quantity - its Diwali, you see - and I usually make a lot this time of the year and share with my friends here. So, I took about 4 cups of Rice flour. Add 3/4 cup +1 tbsp of Urad flour to the rice and sieve together. Then, add salt to taste. Keep the salt a little on the lower side - that way you won't feel its too much salt while eating more than one murukku.

Add a handful of white sesame seeds in here. You could also add cumin if you'd like that better.

Now, add the coconut milk a little at a time and knead the flour into a dough.

And yes, before you start that - also add about 1 tbsp of ghee to the flour mix. This helps to provide a crisp texture. Don't add too much and it will make it too soft and not crisp anymore - so its a fine line here!

Knead the dough well - it has to be a stiff and soft dough and not watery.

Roll a little of the dough into a cylindrical shape and then put it in the murukku maker. While filling the murukku maker, press down before you close so that there are no air pockets inside - make sure the dough is filled all the way.

Use this shape disc for making this murukku.

Take a ziploc bag or a plastic sheet and coat it with a little ghee or oil. Start at the center and just move around in a circle - you'll see that the batter just falls easily in place. I kept them small - you could make them bigger if you're making it just for your family.

Make a few before you start frying. I fried about 8-9 in each batch.

Heat up vegetable oil or canola oil and keep the heat in medium high. Gently lift from the sheet and slide it into the oil.

Fry until the bubbles stop and you see them turning golden.

Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel or a drying rack.

Store in an airtight container until you finish them all.

This was just super crisp and wonderful to eat and there is a tinge of coconut flavor that kicks in.

Want some? Take one.

Enjoy. Peace out!