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Thinai Murukku Quinoa Millet Chakli Recipe

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Thinai Murukku Quinoa Millet Chakli Recipe

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

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made it in huge quantity shared with few of my neighbors and stored it for H before making our India trip. Thinai/Foxtail Millet and Quinoa are different in texture but process of making murukku / chakli is similar and taste wise I couldn’t find much difference between those two…

What is Murukku / Chakli?

Murukku in Tamil meaning “twisted” in English is generally a circle/disc shaped spiral savory and crunchy snack originated in southern part of India. Its also by different names in each state as Chakli, Chakali, Chakri, Chakkuli . The two most common main ingredients are gluten free Rice Flour and Urad dal or Gram flour. If you want to make it healthy and tasty substitute half portion of rice flour with millet flour of your choice. The two top popular suggesting millets to make murukku/chakli are Thinai (Foxtail Millet) and Ragi (Finger Millet). You can browse the collection of murukku recipes are HERE.

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How Murukku can be shaped?

We use a special murukku press/ chakli mold to make designs and the press comes with different shapes. Based on the design the murukku is been called as Mullu Murukku, Magizhampoo Murukku, Muthusaram (the design shown here), Thenkuzhal so and so. For making designs do check this video for reference. Beginners can easily just squeeze the dough in direct oil and you can refer this video or post for making disc shape free beginner butter murukku.

How it can be healthy?

Nothing can beat the taste of millets in any dish and particularly in murukku. If you want to make it more healthier do use air fryer by drizzling a tsp oil over shaped raw murukku in each batch and fry it.

Ingredients for Thinai Murukku

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

Old Picture 🙂

How to make Thinai Murukku

  • Soak the red chili’s for at least 4 hours and grind to fine paste.
  • You can use red chili powder too.
  • Dry roast the whole thinai/quinoa (Pic 1) till they are lightly golden and start to pop (approximately 4-5 minutes in medium flame).
  • Powder it well when cooled completely (Pic 2).
  • Sieve the powdered millets to fine powder otherwise the murukku turns so hard (Refer note 1 for another reason).
  • Mix all the ingredients except oil and water mentioned in the ingredients list (Pic 3).
  • Sprinkle little by little water and make it soft pliable dough Pic 4 (Refer Note 2).
  • Grease the murukku mold with oil for easy handling.
  • Add the dough in murukku aachu/press and make shapes in a parchment/aluminum foil/non stick surface Pic 5.
  • Shift/transfer the pressed/shaped murukkus to hot oil using flat ladle or
  • You can press one at a time in another big ladle and flip it to hot oil or make shapes directly in hot oil.
  • Fry till golden brown or until frying sound suppresses Pic 6.
  • Drain the excess oil and store in an air tight container.

Notes

  1. The other reason for hard murukku is because of less butter in the dough, so increase it when you 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 and 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.

Thinai Murukku Recipe Card

Print
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Sangeetha Priya
Ingredients
  • Instant Rice Flour – 3 Cups
  • Foxtail Millet/Quinoa Flour – 1 Cup + 2 Tbsp I used whole grain and powdered it Refer Note 3
  • Unsalted Butter – 3-4 Tbsp
  • Omam/Ajwain – 2tsp
  • Whole Red Chilis or Red Chili Powder – 5 number or 2tsp
  • Salt and Water – As Required
  • Oil – As needed to deep fry
Instructions
  1. Soak the red chili’s for at least 4 hours and grind to fine paste.
  2. You can use red chili powder too.
  3. Dry roast the whole thinai/quinoa (Pic 1) till they are lightly golden and start to pop (approximately 4-5 minutes in medium flame).
  4. Powder it well when cooled completely (Pic 2).
  5. Sieve the powdered millets to fine powder otherwise the murukku turns so hard (Refer note 1 for another reason).
  6. Mix all the ingredients except oil and water mentioned in the ingredients list (Pic 3).
  7. Sprinkle little by little water and make it soft pliable dough Pic 4 (Refer Note 2).
  8. Grease the murukku mold with oil for easy handling.
  9. Add the dough in murukku aachu/press and make shapes in a parchment/aluminum foil/non stick surface Pic 5.
  10. Shift the pressed/shaped murukkus to hot oil using flat ladle or
  11. You can press one at a time in another big ladle and flip it to hot oil or make shapes directly in hot oil.
  12. Fry till golden brown or until frying sound suppresses Pic 6.
  13. Drain the excess oil and store in an air tight container.
Recipe Notes

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

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Comments

  7. prethika skm

    traditional muruku's my mom said my grandma used to make murukku in thinai flour…from that time i was fond of trying that murukku recipe…keeping your recipe as a bookmark i will make this murukku

    Reply

  15. Sri Love

    I just wish you are my neighbour now dear! Your murukkus are just perfect!!! Awesome shots…
    Can I grab a few…how I wish to do so now!!! 😉

    Reply

  20. Usha

    Hi, This beautiful murukku image caught my mind on recipenewz, beautiful images.

    I have doubt about using Quinoa, I see in ingredients you are using rice flour and millet. Did you miss writing quinoa or you think millet is quinoa? They both are different grains. If you used quinoa, I was curious to know how its texture works in murukku?

    Thanks.

    Reply

    • sangeethapriya

      Hi Usha thanks for stopping here…Yup Thinai/Finger Millet n Quinoa are different. Either one is predominantly available in market, luckily I got both and experimented well before posting here. The only thing is, I missed to mention quinoa in Ingredient list, Thanks for reminding it. As stated earlier you have to powder n sieve the flour, if you worry about the Murukku texture…

      Reply

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