Murukku or Thenkuzhal

Murukku or Thenkuzhal - string-like fried snack preparation made out of gram flour. Used in the preparation of "Sev Puri" and "Bhel Puri" or can be enjoyed just plain. This fried lentils can be mixed with peanuts, chickpea flour noodles, corn, vegetable oil, chickpeas, flaked rice, fried onion and curry leaves and make out an awesome snack. This is all flavoured with salt and a blend of spices that may include coriander and mustard seed. This mixture is called as Bombay Mix.

• In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Bombay mix sold and served in Indian restaurants, take-aways and news agents often does not contain dried fruit, although authentic recipes from Maharashtra do.
• In Pakistan, it is very popular, prepared throughout the country, usually known as chevda (althoughchevda also refers to another food stuff) or nimko.
• A different version, called gathia mix, and sometimes "Gujarati mix", is a lot spicier and contains only crunchy mix, peanuts and spices.
• In the USA, it is alternatively and more often referred to as "Punjabi mix" or simply "hot mix".
• In Australia and New Zealand, it can be called bhuja mix, and is often not very spicy.
• In Myanmar, they are known as sarkalay chee, which literally means sparrows' droppings, referring to the lentil strips. They are very popular with both the Burmese and the Burmese Indians.
• In Sri Lanka, it is known just as "mixture", and includes a larger variety of exotic ingredients, such as cassava and fried curry leaves.
• In Singapore, it is known as kacang putih.
• In West Bengal and Bangladesh, it is known as Chanachur, which is very spicy compared to the other versions, and is much more popular amongst the Bengali people.
• In southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it is known as just "mixture", and is available in almost all the sweet shops and bakeries. Usually it consists of fried ground nuts (peanuts), thenkuzhal, kara boondhi, roasted chana dal, karasev, murukku broken into small pieces, pakoda and oma podi.
• In Eastern African countries with large populations of families of Indian descent, especially Kenya,Tanzania and Uganda, it is known as chevdo or chevra and is often prepared with some sugar sprinkled in.
• A variation of chevdo without root vegetables (where the potato crisps are replaced by matoke (plantain) is defined as Jain chevdo.

All you need for this tasty,soft and cruchy snack - Murukku or Thenkuzhal

• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2tsp baking soda
• 1/2tsp salt
• 2 cups of besan flour
• Chilli powder
• Carom seeds
• 5tsp of oil for preparing dough
• oil for deep frying the murukhu

Steps:

Boil 1/2 cup of water with 1/2tsp baking soda and 1/2tsp of salt in it. Off it when you get the bubbles on boiling.

In a bowl mix a cup of besan flour, chilli powder, carom seeds, little salt(as we have added salt in the water) and 5tsp of oil and mix well.

Add the boiled water to the besan flour and mix it well. The dough will be sticky initially.

Add little bit of oil and mix it well, so that the dough is not much sticky and not so thick as well.

When the dough is soft and non sticky, its ready to be deep fried.

Make out shapes in hand and deep fry it in oil until golden brown and remove from flame. Break it into small pieces.

This will be soft as well as crunchy and dissolves in mouth as soon as you put it in mouth!!! Serve it & Enjoy.