Thinai Murukku | Millet Chakli | Quinoa Chakli From Scratch

Again a traditional ingredient Quinoa/Thinai but this time I used it in snack. Thanks to one of my reader who searched Thinai Murukku in google and ended up in my Pottukadalai murukku, Otherwise I couldn’t get this idea. First time I experimented with 1 Cup measurement and the taste was awesome. I assure that you get the traditional petti kadai/shop murukku taste. Second time I

made in huge quantity shared with few of my neighbors and stored it for H before making our trip.

Thinai/Foxtail Millet and Quinoa are different in texture but process of making murukku/chakli is similar n taste wise too...

Ingredients
Rice Flour - 3 Cups
Foxtail Millet/Quinoa Flour - 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp (I used whole grain and powdered it Refer Note 3)
Unsalted Butter - 4-5 Tbsp
Omam/Ajwain - 2tsp
Whole Red Chilis or Red Chili Powder - 5 number or 2tsp
Salt n Water - As Required
Oil - For deep fry

Method

• Soak the red chilis for at least 4hrs and grind to fine paste.
• You can use instant red chili powder too.
• Dry roast the whole thinai/quinoa (Pic 1) till they are lightly golden and start to pop (approx 4-5mins in medium flame).
• Powder it well when cooled completely (Pic 2).
• Can sieve it but i didn't do so but make sure it powdered well otherwise the murukku turns so hard (Refer note 1 for another reason).
• Mix all the ingredients except oil n water (Pic 3).
• Sprinkle little by little water and make it soft pliable dough Pic 4 (Refer Note 2).
• Add the dough in murukku aachu/press and make shapes in a parchment/aluminum foil/non stick surface Pic 5.

• Shift the pressed/shaped murukkus in hot oil using flat ladle or
• You can press one at a time in another big ladle and flip it to hot oil or directly in hot oil.
• Fry till golden brown or sound suppresses Pic 6.

• Drain the excess oil n store in air tight container.

Note:

1. The other reason for hard murukku is becoz of less butter in the dough, so increase it when u feel hard.
2. The dough neither break while making shapes nor have too much moisture.
3. Use white/regular processed/husk removed quinoa.
4. By mistake if the dough has too much of moisture adjust it with rice flour n millet flour (3:1 proportions)
5. Before storing in container make sure the murukkus cooled out completely.
6. Make shapes without gap in between circles.

Old Picture