SOUTH INDIAN CHAKLI (MULLU THENKOZHAL)

The proportion for the dough is:

For 4 glasses Rice Powder* (Dry) finely sieved

       2 glasses Powder of other dhals

Composition for other dhals:

½ glass Bengal gram dhal – to be roasted separately on medium fire till good aroma

                                                comes and then to be powdered and finely sieved

3/4^th glass De-husked green

gram dhal                                             ---do ----

Black gram dhal-4 teaspoons                ---do----

Chutney dhal-1/4^th glass            to be slightly warmed till they become crisp and then to be powdered and finely sieved.

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

Melted Butter   --- 50 gms

Cooking Oil – 4 to 5 tsps

White sesame seeds -1 tsp

Salt mixed with water

Asafoetida mixed with little warm water

Oil for deep frying

 OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Kadai

Ladle with holes (Preferable)

Thenkuzhal Press and Disc with starred holes

METHOD:

Mix all the powders well.  Pour Melted Butter.  Heat 4 to 5 tsp of cooking oil and pour it

over the mixture.  Now rub the oil and butter well with the powder.  Add the sesame seeds.  Sprinkle water with salt and the asafetida water.  Knead into a dough sprinkling the required water- the consistency of the dough should be such that it is neither too hard that it cracks nor should it stick to your fingers.

Heat cooking oil in a kadai. When it starts fuming, fill the press with dough, hold it over hot oil and press the dough out making a circular motion with your hands in a spread out way shaping into circles.  Do not reduce the heat. The heat should be even (between medium and high).  When one side is cooked i.e. when the foam disappears, turn over and cook the other side.  Remove with the ladle tapping it lightly to filter out excess oil

After all are done spread on a tissue paper, crumble them and store in an airtight container.

*For preparing Rice Powder wash and clean rice and soak in water for atleast 20 minutes, then spread it on a clean cloth under the fan.  This can then be ground in a mixie.  This powder contains moisture and hence is called Wet Rice Powder.

For Wet Rice Powder the proportion of the dhals is as follows:

 for 4 glasses Wet rice Powder – 1 glass other powders.