Murukku

Murukku (Tamil: முருக்கு, or Muruku in Telugu or Murkoo), known as Chakli in Marathi and Kannada and Chakri in Gujarati, is a savoury snack popular in India, Sri Lanka, Fiji, and elsewhere among ethnic Indian populations. Murukku is believed to have originated in Tamil Nadu, with the town of Manapparai best known for it.

Ingredients

Murukku is typically made from a mixture of urad and rice flour, salt, and flavourings such as chili, asafoetida, ajawain, or cumin.

Preparation

The mixture is made into a batter, mechanically extruded, formed into a spiral or coil, and fried to a crisp. Murukku can also be rolled into a flat ribbon (ribbon murukku) or shaped by hand (kai murukku).

It is especially popular among the Indian residents of Fiji, and Indian Fijians in North America. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/29/PNGLR9GC8I1.DTL Cynthia Liu, "San Mateo grocery boasts tastes of India, Fiji"] , "San Francisco Chronicle", October 29, 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-24.] Murukku is traditionally enjoyed as a treat on the Diwali holiday. [ [http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/articleshow?artid=1051400029 "Diwali in South India"] , "IndiaTimes Spirituality". Retrieved 2007-03-24.]

More recently, murukku has become available in North America, and is made by several manufacturers in the United States. [ [http://www.eastbayexpress.com/2005-08-17/dining/bhooja-with-that-chaat/ Jonathan Kaufmann, "Bhooja with that Chaat?"] , "East Bay Express", August 17, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.]

See also

* Chaat
* List of Indian snacks

References