FoolProof Soft Yet Crunchy Murukku/Chakli

FoolProof Soft Yet Crunchy Murukku/Chakli

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup whole urad dal

2. Roasted rice flour 2 cups(I used Nirapara Idiyappam Flour)

3. Shredded coconut 1/4 cup(see notes)

4. Water 1 cup plus 11/2 tbsp plus 23/4 tbsp 

5. Hot ghee 1/2 tsp less of 2 tbsp(see notes)

6. Black sesame seeds 1 tsp

7. Hing 1/4 tsp

8. Salt as needed

9. Oil for deep frying 

Method Of Preparation 

1. Wash the urad dal well & soak it in water for 2 hours.

2. Drain the water out & pressure cook the dal with 1 cup of water for 8 whistles(first 3 whistles on medium flame & the next 5 on low flame). 

3. Let the steam release on its own. Mash the dal & pulse it in a blender to a smooth fine paste.

4. Take rice flour in a bowl. Add the urad dal paste to rice flour & mix well.

5. Grind the shredded coconut with 11/2 tbsp water to a fine paste.

6. Add the ground paste to the rice flour-urad dal mixture & again mix together well. Now I added 23/4 tbsp water to the mixture. If you feel you don't need so much water, then reduce the quantity of water. Add water little at a time.

7. Heat ghee in a microwave for 30 seconds & add it to the mixture n mix everything together well. 

8. Add sesame seeds & hing & again mix it well. The dough needs to be the consistency of idiyappam dough.

9. Place a parchment paper on the countertop.

10. Take an idiyappam press & fill 3/4th of it with dough. Close it.

11. Add oil in a pan & heat it on high flame.

12. You need to use this(see below) to squeeze the dough through. Insert this into the idiyappam maker, fill the dough & close it & squeeze the dough onto the parchment paper. While your making the chaklis, cover the remaining dough that is the bowl with a damp cloth so that it doesnt go dry.

13. When you are ready to drop the dough into the oil, reduce the heat to a medium-high flame. You know your oil is ready when you drop a pinch of dough into the oil & it immediately rises to the top. 

14. Using a flat ladle, scoop the murukku dough & drop into the oil. 

15. You can fry up to 5 murukkus at a time. 

16. You need to keep turning over the murukku at regular intervals for even browning.

17. The murukkus take around 4 minutes to cook. 

18. Remove them from the oil when they are light brown. They will turn darker in sometime. Do not let them turn very dark in the oil, then they will turn even more darker when they are out of the oil. 

19. Drain onto paper towels. 

See the change in color now

20. Serve them with ur evening tea. 

Here are the links to the videos that show you how to squeeze the dough onto the parchment paper & how to scoop the murukku/chakli & drop them in the oil

Video-1

Video-2

Notes

1. If you want your murukku spicy, then you can add 1/2 tsp chilli powder. I did not add any. 

2. I am preparing this for the second time. The first time I prepared it, I added 1/2 cup shredded coconut & I found the murukkus even more softer yet very crunchy. So if you want the murukkus even more softer, add 1/2 cup coconut, in that case you will have to reduce the quantity of water that you add to the dough. You may not even have to add water. Always remember, the consistency of the dough should be the same as that of idiyappam dough. I assure you that adding 1/2 cup coconut will make the murukkus very tasty as well.

3. Adding ghee is completely optional. You can skip it especially if your adding 1/2 cup shredded coconut. 

4. Use only a flat ladle to scoop the chaklis.

5. If you follow the above steps correctly, you will be able to make perfect murukku/chakli.

Cheesy Garlic Bread Bites

Cheesy Garlic Bread Bites

Ingredients

1. Bread 8 slices
2. Coriander leaves 3 tbsp
3. Garlic cloves 8
4. Olive oil 1/4 cup
5. Shredded cheese 3 cups

Method Of Preparation 

1. Add garlic cloves, coriander leaves & olive oil in a blender & blend well.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F

2. Take a bread slice & smear the garlic oil on it. Do it on all the slices. 

3. Line a baking tray with baking/parchment paper. 

4. Place the bread slices on the tray & bake for a minute or two or until the bottom starts turning a little brown here & there. Do not burn the bread. If you want the base of the bread to be crisp, then you may leave it in the oven for 4 minutes.

5. Take it out of the oven & add cheese on the top & bake till the cheese melts(mine took 5 minutes). Once all the cheese melts, put it on broil mode for a minute & once it is about to brown here & there, take it out of the oven. 

6. Cut each bread into half & serve hot with ketchup. 

Garlic oil is ready

I have used whole wheat bread.

Smear the garlic oil & pop it in the oven for two minutes.(This step is optional)

Take it out of the oven.

Add cheese & again pop it in the oven for 5 minutes. or till the cheese melts.

     The garlic bread is out of the oven & each bread is cut into two & ready to be served.

Notes

1. You may skip Step 4 & smear the garlic oil & add cheese & put it in the oven one time instead of doing it twice.

2. Coriander leaves can be replaced with parsley.

3. If you dont like the strong smell of garlic, then reduce the qty of garlic & add more coriander leaves & olive oil.

Chilli Chicken Dry

Chilli Chicken Dry

Ingredients 

A. For The Brine

1. Vinegar 1 tsp

2. Sugar 1 tsp

3. Salt 1 tsp

4. Ice cold water 1 cup

B. For The Marination 

1. Chicken 450 grams

2. Paprika/Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tbsp

3. Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

4. Baking powder 1/4 tsp

5. Vinegar 1/2 tbsp

6. Corn starch 3 tbsp

7. All purpose flour 3 tbsp

8. Egg 1

9. Sesame Oil 3 tbsp 

10. Black pepper powder 1 tsp

11. Salt to taste 

C. For Deep Frying 

1. Oil 2 cups

D. For The Sauce

1. Onions cubed 1 medium 

2. Capsicums/bell peppers cubed 1 medium 

3. Green chillies slit 3(optional)

4. Garlic chopped 2 tbsp

5. Ginger chopped 2 tbsp 

6. Garlic sliced 1 tbsp 

7. Spring onion white chopped 3

8. Soy sauce 1 tbsp 

9. Vinegar 1 tbsp

10. Black pepper powder 1 tsp 

11. Chilli garlic sauce 2 tbsp

12. Schezwan sauce 2 tbsp 

13. Sugar 1 tsp 

14. A pinch of salt if needed

15. Sesame oil 2 tbsp 

E. For The Garnish 

1. Spring onion greens

Method Of Preparation 

A. Brine

1. Cut the chicken into bite size thin pieces. (See notes #8)

2. Clean it well & soak in ice cold water & add salt, sugar & vinegar.

3. Refrigerate this chicken for 2 hours.

This step really helps in making the chicken juicy & tender. 

(See notes #1, #8)

B. Marinating & Frying The Chicken 

1. After 2 hours, take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Discard all the water except 4 tbsp. 

2. Add paprika, ginger garlic paste, black pepper powder, vinegar, corn starch, all purpose flour, well beaten eggs, baking powder, salt & oil.  (See notes #2)

3. If you find the marinade too thick after adding the chicken, then you can add a tbsp more of water. 

4. Let the marinated chicken rest on the countertop for 30 minutes. 

5. Add oil in a pan/skillet. When the oil gets hot, drop the chicken pieces gently in the oil & fry them for 3 minutes or until the chicken gets a nice red color. Fry the chicken on a medium-high flame.

(See Notes# 3)

C. Preparing The Sauce

1. Add oil in a pan. On a high flame, add spring onion whites & slit green chillies.

2. Then add the cubed onions, sauté for 30 seconds on high flame.

3. The add the capsicums/bell peppers & sauté for a minute.

4. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, red chilli sauce, schezwan sauce, black pepper powder & sugar. Add salt only if needed. Remember, soy sauce already has salt in it. Turn off the flame. The vegetables need to be crunchy so do not sauté for a long time & make them soggy.

5. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes.

6. When it's no more hot, add the fried chicken & mix it well. 

7. Garnish with spring onions. 

8. Serve hot as a starter or with restaurant style fried rice/noodles.

(See notes #4, #5) 

Notes:

1. If you do not have time to soak the chicken in brine for 2 hours, then you can just let it sit in it for 30 minutes. 

2. Make sure the egg is well beaten before adding it to the marinade. If you don't want to add eggs, you can skip it. 

3. If you want the chicken extra crunchy, fry the chicken  till half cooked on medium-high flame, remove the chicken from the oil & after 15 minutes, fry the chicken again in the oil on a medium-high flame till done. 

4. Schezwan sauce is very important in this recipe so do not skip it.

5. The entire cooking of sauce needs to be done on a high flame.

6. I have not added tomato sauce or ketchup. You may add a tbsp of it if you wish to. 

7. If you want the dish to be semi-gravy/semi-thick, then add 1 tsp of corn starch to 1 cup water & add it to the vegetables before adding the sauces. 

8. If the chicken breast is very thick, then you need to slit it into two halves & then cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Very thick pieces will not give you a tasty chilli chicken.

9. Frying the chicken for a very long time makes it rubbery.