Chaklis is a favorite amongst Indus households and with good reason. The savory snack is great for munching at any time of the day and for any occasion. Some folks enjoy family recipes that are passed down from one generation to the next.
Today we’ll share this scrumptious chakli recipe with you so you and your family can enjoy it too.
What Are Chaklis?
At first glance, chaklis, also called muruku in other parts of South Asia, tends to share similarities in looks with churros. Unlike churros, which is a favorite in Spain and other South American countries, chaklis are more of a savory as opposed to a sweet snack.
If you felt a bit peckish and wanted something small with not too much fuss to eat, then chaklis are great finger snacks too. Commonly, families enjoy making chaklis during Krishna Janmashtami, Dawali festival as well as other festive occasions.
One other key feature of muruku is that it is shaped in the form of a spiral and is crispy and golden in color.
Muruku (Chukli) uses rice flour as the main ingredient.
Gujarat (Chakri) uses whole wheat flour and in some parts like Maharashtra, a homemade flour is used to make these delicious snacks. The homemade flour in the Chakri is made from lentils and rice.
Do you want to know how to make muruku? Or have you always had some but never made it from scratch? Perhaps you’re just looking for a nice muruku recipe, we have you covered.
Here’s How To Make Muruku
Recipe #1
For your muruku or chakli recipe all you need is the following easy to source ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen.
- 2 Cups wheat flour
- 2 Cups rice flour
- 1/2 Stick of salted butter
- 1 Tbsp cumin powder
- 1 3/4 Tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp chilli powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
- 2 Cups water
Method to prepping the muruku/chakli
- Using a muslin cheese cloth, put the flour in (wheat flour and the rice flour)
- Tie all the ends of the cloth into the center of the cloth
- Steam the cloth for 30 minutes ensure that no water seaps through
- After this, cool it down for 2 hours
Note: The flour will look hard after the 2 hours but it won’t be hard
- Use a pestle to break the flour down
- Next put it in the blender or food processor and blend it to further fine
- Sift the flour to avoid lumps
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients like chili powder, sesame seeds, salt and asafetida and sift to prevent lumps
- Add your stick of butter
- Mix it well and add water to allow it to form into dough similar to that of cookie dough
- You can adjust the spice measurements to your preference
- Use enough oil to deep fry the chaklis after shaping it in the chakli maker
- You’ll finish off the chaklis by placing it on paper towel to drain
Chakli Recipe #2
Ingredients for this variation of muruku includes the following:
- 2 Cups rice flour
- 1 Cup maida/plain flour
- 1 Tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 Tsp tumeric
- 1 Tsp red chilli powder
- 2 Tbsp sesame/Til
- 1 Pinch of hing/asafoetida
- Water for kneading
- Oil for frying
Method For How To Make The Muruku
- Use a large mixing bowl and pour in the rice flour, maida and salt
- Included in your dry ingredients add the turmeric, chili powder, sesame and hing
- Combine the mixture thoroughly
- Add the butter to the main mixture and allow it to mix until it forms a crumb consistency
- Slowly add some water for kneading the dough until it’s nice and smooth
- Using a cylindrical shape, create a few of these shapes for the chaklis and put it into the chakli maker
- If you press down on the chakli maker lid, the spirals will become prominent
- Furthermore, after you’ve sealed the ends, it will make the frying process much easier
- It’s a good idea to fry one muruku at a time as this allocates space to flip it and space to expand in the pan as it fries
- Both sides should turn crispy and golden, then you know its ready
- Drain over paper towel, removing any excess oil
- Enjoy the chakli once it’s cooled down
Generally, you can store muruku/chakli for around 2 weeks in an airtight container
Nutritional Value Of Chakli
Depending on your recipe, the nutritional value differs for each one. For recipe #2 the estimated nutritional value is:
- Calories 61kcal
- Fat 1g
- Sodium 162mg
- Sugar 1g
- Iron 1mg
- Carbohydrates 12g
- Saturated fat 1g
- Potassium 13mg
- Vitamin A 24IU
- Protein 1g
- Cholesterol 2mg
- Fiber 1g
- Calcium 2mg
Some chakli recipe variations also call for other ingredients like lentils added to the flour and spice mixture. This helps to upscale the nutritional value making it a more nutritional snack. The chakralu is one of the variations that uses lentils.
#3 Chakralu Recipe
Chakralu with buttermilk is not only tasty but also nutritious. To make this delicious version of muruku, simply try this one.
Extra Tips For making The Perfect Chakli
Sift your dry ingredients
Sifting the ingredients is critical. The sifting process not only eliminates lumps but also incorporates air into the batter or dough. The excess air makes the cake or dough mixture lighter than it would’ve been had it not been sifted.
Taste the dough
Tasting is critical in both baking and cooking. Tasting your dough will ensure that you’re able to get a better idea of how it will turn out when you’re finishing the dough mixture. If you like spicy, then add some more spice. You will also be able to identify how much salt to add.
Creating spiralled chakli
Your chacklis should be that of spiral shapes. However, sometimes it might not come out this way when you manually place the dough directly into the oil.
Use very hot oil
The oils for frying has to be very hot, and this will help that the chaklis won’t soak too much oil, but also using paper towels will get rid of the excess oils.
Fried all the way through
Making sure your chaklis are ready may require 5 or 6 minutes of frying time. You should also be about to turn the chaklis over with ease.
Room temperature vs hot
The room temperature or cold oil definitely won’t fry properly when it’s left in the pot. If you add the chaklis too early, it could lead to the dough absorbing too much oil during the frying process (which you surely don’t want)
Chaklis or muruku is a popular Indus food and prepping the processes with ingredients include only takes about 25 minutes. Cooking time also consumes roughly
The Benefits Of Chaklis
Snacks are great and always nice to enjoy at home or on the go. When it comes to chaklis, you’ll appreciate the fact that they are packed with good nutrition, especially when it’s crafted with lentils too. With all the spices blended in, it helps to benefit the body with characteristics like lowering inflammation, amongst others.
However, when it comes to fried food, chaklis included, eating in moderation is one of the smart choices to opt for. Some folks reserve certain snacks solely for festivities.
FAQ
Why is my chakli splitting?
If the chakli dough breaks or splits, it’s a sign that the dough has too much moisture. When the dough is too wet, the spirals won’t form properly.
How can I store chakli properly?
Chakli can store for about maximum of 2 weeks as long as it is kept in an airtight container.
Can I prepare the dough early and make the chakli later?
Yes, you can. But dough can store in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days, and then it has to be used.
Why is my chakli dough breaking while shaping?
Chakli dough breaks when the dough doesn’t have enough moisture. The key to making the correct dough consistency is to knead it to the likeness of cookie dough.
Why does my chakli go soft?
Chakli should be fried slowly in hot oil. If it is fried too quickly, the fried dough will become soft.
Conclusion To Making Delicious Chaklis
Whether you’re an avid pro in crafting the best chakli, or you’re starting out making them from scratch, these easy recipes will have you cooking these like a pro. The more you practice, the better. Now that you’re familiar with making muruku, you can make some for special events, festivals or even just to enjoy with the family at home.
