Achu Murukku is one of my favorite snack. My mother-in-law makes delicious achu murukku using karupatti / palm jaggery during festivals, especially during Deepavali / Diwali and whenever we visit Thoothukudi. She makes using sugar too, but my father-in-law used to insist her to make with karupatti as it tastes better than sugar. My daughter loves it, so I learnt to make it too. My mother-in-law taught me to make perfect achu murukku with all the important tips.

It was super easy to make and I nailed it in my first attempt. Then I have made it multiple times. It is important to follow the steps properly.

• Achu murukku mould comes in iron as well as non-stick. If you have iron one, then you need to season it properly. I bought my non stick mould online from Amazon. Non stick does not need seasoning and it is easy to use.
• Amazon link for non-stick achu murukku / rose cookie mould: https://www.amazon.com/Anantha-stick-cookie-maker-murukku/dp/B0163DJBIY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
• The batter should not be too runny.
• The batter should stick properly to the mould, so it is important that the mould is dipped well in hot oil.
• The oil temperature should be perfect. If it is not hot enough, the batter will not come off from the achumurukku mould. If it is too hot it will not get cooked properly. So ensure oil temperature is medium and test by making 2 or 3 achu murukku. Then you will be able to decide the perfect temperature.

So why wait, Lets make some delicious achu murukku!! Makes a perfect festival snack!! Happiness is homemade!

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour / Maida – 1/2 cup
• Rice Flour – 1 cup
• Karupatti / Palm Jaggery – 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp
• Thick Coconut Milk – 1.5 cups (Always save extra, can be used if the batter turns thick)
• Black / white Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
• Salt – 1/4 tsp

Procedure

• In a sauce pan, add in karupatti and very little water. Heat in medium flame. Once it melts completely, strain it and set aside. I usually make karupatti syrup and store it in the refrigerator. Can be used in dishes instead of sugar.
• Add 1.25 cups grated coconut + 1/2 cup warm water to a mixie and extract thick coconut milk. Set aside.

• Heat oil in a wide thick bottomed kadai.
• Add oil in another small kadai and heat it in well, once hot reduce the flame to medium flame. Immerse the achu murukku mould in the small kadai. This helps the batter to stick on the mould well and come off the mould easily. This method works well for iron mould. I use non-stick mould but still follow this method. It saves time.

• In a mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, rice flour, strained thick karupatti syrup (mine looks this way as I used the one that I stored in the refrigerator), thick coconut milk and salt. Use a whisk and mix everything well till smooth.
• Finally add in the sesame seeds and mix well. The consistency of the batter should be like dosa batter. Not too runny, not too thick.

• Now the oil in both the kadai would have become hot
• First take the mould out of the smaller kadai and immerse in the batter 3/4 th. Take it out and dip in the hot oil in the large kadai. Remove the mould after 5 seconds. Place the mould on the small kadai again and let it sit till the next murukku. The oil will become bubbly and the murukku will float on the top.
• If it does not come off the mould, use a fork and take it out slowly.
• Cook on medium flame on both sides till nice and golden brown. Takes 2 – 3 mins approx per murukku.

• After 2 or 3 murukku, it will be easier, as you will be able to guess the temperature of the oil.
• Repeat the process for all the murukku. As the batter keeps reducing, it will be harder to dip the mould in a big bowl. So transfer it to a smaller bowl after making few murukku for easy dipping.
• It will be chewy if you eat it right away. Once the murukku cools down it will become crispy. So give it some time before serving.
• Store in an airtight container once all the murukku cools down completely.

Notes

• Substitute karupatti with powdered sugar if it is not available at your place.
• Keeping 2 kadai with oil method was introduced to me by my mother-in-law to save time. You can just dip the mould every time in the bigger kadai, then dip in the batter and make murukku.