Baked Butter Murukku/ Chakli

Deepavali/ ‘Diwali’ or the Festival of Lights is less than a week away! In many Indian homes, preparations of sweets and savories have begun. Since the kids are at home for Fall break this week, I decided to begin early, to work out some easy and healthier version of a snack.

I do not like the idea of deep-frying at all, as I’m constantly scared that there is going to be some accident with the hot oil. With naughty kids around too, it is just more of a hazard. But we all like deep-fried butter murukku, and it was time to make a baked version.

There are big advantages of this over the deep-frying method:

1. As I mentioned above, you can prevent accidents with hot oil.

2. There is no smell of oil lingering in clothes and the house in general.

3. You don’t have to worry about the remaining oil and finding ways of reusing it.

4. This method is a breeze and saves time!

5. There is no compromise on taste.

This murukku has no spice and is well-liked by adults and kids. I’m happy to report that this was liked by everyone in the house!

Baked butter murukku

• Servings: 15-20
• Time: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients:

rice flour- 1 cup (125 g)

dalia (roasted chickpea) flour- 1/4 cup (26 g) (I grind roasted chickpea or dalia in a spice grinder)

roasted urad flour (black lentil flour)- 1 tbsp. (I use store-bought urad flour and dry roast it on the stove at low heat)

melted butter- 2 tbsp.

melted coconut oil- 1 tbsp.

water- about 1/3 cup

salt- to taste

asafoetida powder- a pinch

sesame seeds- 1 tbsp.

Method:

* Pre heat oven to 400 °F (204 °C). Combine flours, salt, sesame seeds and asafoetida in a mixing bowl.

* Add butter, coconut oil to it. Add water in portions and mix with hand to form a soft dough.

* Use a murukku press (a device like a cookie press) to make spiral shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a shape that maximizes surface area. You may be able to use an icing bag and tip to achieve this effect.

* Stick it in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Halfway through, rotate the cookie sheet. Note: I have used an aluminum sheet. If you use a non-stick baking sheet, the bake time will be lesser.

* Cool outside and store in an airtight box. Watch it disappear quickly!