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HAPPY DEEPAVALI 2015 TO ALL ……..

Thenkuzhal mmmm ……. yes it is nostalgic …….. brings a lot of memories from childhood. Yes this murukku is made in all the chettinad homes for Deepavali and it is made a week earlier and stored in big containers. They say it is very good for small kids also as it won’t get stuck in their throat. It will get soaked and won’t do any harm. On the other hand murukku is not that soft so giving them to babies is not advisable.

Do anyone know why it is called thenkuzhal. If we break the thenkulal we shall witness a hole running throughout. In fact it can be used as a straw to suck your water or even coffee or tea using that. It works perfect, so that’s why its called “THENKUZHAL”, just like the pulanguzhal hole. Do check your thenkuzhal for the holes.

This is not a complicated murukku recipe. Very easy to make and it can be done even if you are beginners, with just some frying ideas along with handling hot oil. There are lot of versions in thenkuzhal, they add cumin/seeragam and other stuff into the dough. But the chettinad thenkuzhal is just made by adding salt alone to the dough. It tastes so good.

Getting perfect swirls is another challenge in making them.

When they make the thenkuzhal they reserve some portion for “PACHA THENKUZHAL”, that is when thenkuzhal is  taken when it is half done. The thenkuzhal is taken immediately after it is dropped in the oil. This is a treat whenever thenkuzhal is made at home. Its so yummy along with sweet chili sauce.

Hope you all will try and let me know how much you liked it.

Cuisine: Indian(South) | Category: Deepavali Recipes / Snacks | Prep time: 10 mins |

Cook time: 20 mins per batch | Makes: 20 to 25 pieces

 

Ingredients

• Raw Rice flour – 2 cup
• Urad dal Flour – 1/2 cup
• Salt – As needed
• Water – As needed
• Oil – For deep frying

METHOD

• Take all your ingredients ready.
• Measure raw rice flour and the urad dal flour in a bowl.
• Add salt to water and check if it is slightly salty. Add this water to the flour and make it a smooth dough.
• After that touch oil in your hand and then make logs that will fit into your murukku press.
• Take the five holed disc and get it ready by filling the dough upto 3/4 th of the press.
• After that heat oil and make sure the oil is at right temperature by dropping a small piece into the oil. It should start to release lot of bubbles immediately.
• Now you can directly make swirls of thenkuzhal into the oil directly or can make one on a laddle and then drop them into the oil.
• After the thenkuzhal gets a bit firm flip it over. Remove it when all the bubbles subside.
• Now repeat the same with another thenkuzhal and do until the dough gets finished.
• After it cools completely store them in air tight containers and enjoy your deepavali.

Note :  Making the flour – Take Urad dal and dry roast it until it becomes hot to the touch. Don’t dry roast it until red, that’s not required. After it cools you can mix the rice along with it and give it in a rice mill and make it a fine powder. The rice flour need not be roasted at all.

Adding salt directly is a bit difficult task for me so I always add salt to the water and then add it to the dough. Make the salt water and then add the required amount to the flour until a dough is formed.

Heating oil to the right temperature is so important to get perfect thenkuzhal’s. If the oil gets heated up more then the small piece dropped in oil will burst. If the oil doesn’t heat up well then the thenkuzhal will drink a lot of oil and the perfect kuzhal or the holes will not be formed.

I like to directly swirl the thenkuzhal in the hot oil. It makes them crispier. When you do the swirls over a laddle and then drop they say it will become a bit hard. Not sure on that part but they say it like that in our families.

Making logs help us do the batch without any stop, this helps in the temperature maintenance. You can take out one and then do the other and it goes on.

Visual clicks

The Thenkuzhal is ready. Enjoy them for Deepavali this year. Serve them with a cup of tea. Try and let me know if you liked it.