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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Thenkuzhal Mavu Or Murukku Mavu

Deepavali is fast approaching and the thought of what to make at home for deepavali will be running in everybody’s mind now. Whatever snack we buy outside can’t compromise the home made thenkuzhal or murukku. Chettinad snacks are very famous especially thenkuzhal, Kai murukku, Cheeppu cheedai, Mavurundai, Managolam etc.
There is difference between thenkuzhal and Kai murukku and their mavu, but for the readers sake I have mentioned as thenkuzhal or murukku as same since many know thenkuzhal as murukku only. Now days we never make Kai murukku at home and no need to bother about that. The specialty of chettinad thenkuzhal is that it won’t turn red but at the same time will be very crispy. Many are doubtful of the exact proportions and I hope the blog will be useful for those who can manage to find a mill to grind the mavu.

Ingredients
Rice -7 uzhakku or 7 cups
Broken urudh dhal -2 cups (whole urudh dhal won’t get roasted fast)

Procedure
Procedure is more important than proportions. No need to wash the rice and dry it under the sun.
Take 2 soft towels. I use eerizhai thundu or Co-optex towel. Wet the towel nicely and squeeze out the water. Take handful rice and clean it nicely with the towel and put it in a paper under the fan. Likewise clean the entire rice. Use different parts of the towel for each handful. Allow the rice to dry nicely. It will dry fast as you have not washed the rice.
The next important thing is how to roast the urudh dhal
Put the frying pan in the stove. Keep the stove in low fire. Add a handful or two of urudh dhal and roast in low fire for 5 minutes. The urudh dhal should be roasted in such a way that it should never get red at the same time be well roasted. Likewise roast the whole urudh dhal. The two cups has to be divided into 5 portions for roasting. Allow the urudh dhal to cool and mix it with the rice and take it to the mill for grinding.
While going to the mill take with you 2 cups of rice also. The thenkuzhal mavu in the mill should be grinded only after grinding rice flour or somebody else’s murukku mavu. So if you don’t see the person in the line not grinding either of these you grind the rice which you have brought. If the Thenkuzhal mavu is grinded after grinding wheat flour or ragi, it will spoil the murukku you are making.
Once the mavu is ready, things are simple .Just add enough water and salt and mix the flour. Put it in the kuzhal or press and make murukku. In chettinad we don’t add anything else to the mavu. If desired little chili powder can be added for kara murukku. No need omam or jeeragam. Those things will make the murukku burst or crack in the oil and cause danger. Enjoy the crispy murukku with family

8 comments:

Cham said...

I never seen anywhere wiping the rice with towel aunty! That should be a laborious work, but that is wonderful as the rain season started in our part. My mom struggle with weather to dry the rice.
We call murruku "thenkuzhal is much Brahmin style word (i guess) and the pachai payir + tenga paal Mullu murruku.
I ve heard of managolam but haven't seen, wondering how it should be.
Hope u re prepared for Diwali!

s s said...

Thanks for sharing these proportions. Can we grind it in the mix? We don't have flour mills here.

Sarita

Unknown said...

hi aunty.. HAPPY DIWALI.. towel la wipe panni dry panni itsss really tough to us..is there any way to do?

Solai Chidambaram said...

thankyou Ram.Wish you tto a very Happy Diwali.wiping with a towel is not at all difficult.Give a try.Another method is washing the rice and drying it under the sun.I always feel that the murukku gets little red if done so.But if you have good sun in your place then you can do so.wiping finishes off the job fast than washing and drying and waiting for the rice to dry.

Swami said...

Can i do the same with readymade rice flower and urudu dall ?

Solai Chidambaram said...

swami,ready made mavu wont be good.But if there is no other go add a handful of urudh dhal powder more.add little hot oil or ghee while getting the batter ready.

Jeyanthi said...

Which Rice needed? Either raw rice[ Pacharisi ] / or Puzhungal arisi [ baked rise..] please reply solai amma...

Solai Chidambaram said...

certainly raw rice dear jayanthi