Butter Murukku | Butter Chakli

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Murukku is one of the most loved snacks in South India. Why? It is fried, crunchy-munchy, goes great with tea or coffee, stays for long and is easy to make if you have the right equipment and follow the procedure accurately. This Butter Murukku is one of the variations which can be touted as a close cousin of the Maharashtrian Chakli. Hence, another name of this snack is easily the Butter Chakli. This recipe is surely for the win as it is scrumptious and tasty.

butter murukku served in a cane bowl with text layovers.

More on Butter Murukku

As I mentioned in the beginning, Murukku is to South India, what Chakli or chakri is to Maharashtra and Gujarat. While the basic method remains the same, there are other varieties of the murukku, like this Butter Murukku, that can be made by combining different ingredients and their proportions.

The Butter Murukku is one of our favorite snacks too at home. My family swears by this tasty snack, especially during our evening chai sessions. Along with the original chakli and murukku, I make this Butter Chakli during festivals like Diwali too.

This particular recipe of Butter Murukku was shared with me by an avid reader and fan of the blog. She has also shared a lot of other fabulous South Indian recipes in the past. Many of these are now a regular feature in our meals at home. And some are kept for special occasions and festivities.

Rice flour, roasted chana dal flour and gram flour (besan) are the key ingredients in this Butter Chakli recipe. Besides these, there are the usual spices like cumin seeds and asafoetida in it. And obviously a decent quantity of butter, since the name only suggests that.

Making this Butter Murukku is quite easy if you follow the instructions to the T. Also, you will definitely need the special equipment called the ‘chakli maker’ or ‘murukku press’ to prepare these buttery chaklis. Doubling the recipe is also possible.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Butter Murukku

Make Dough

1. Take 1 cup rice flour (150 grams), 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal flour and 2 tablespoons gram flour (besan) in a mixing bowl.

For roasted chana dal flour, grind 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal in a small grinder or coffee grinder till fine. Measure it using a standard tablespoon and then, sift it directly in the sieve containing rice flour and besan.

If you plan to use roasted chana dal flour for preparing more snacks, then you can grind roasted chana in more quantities too. If you do not have roasted chana dal or roasted chana dal flour, then just skip it and add 3 tablespoons of gram flour overall.

rice flour, roasted chana dal flour and gram flour added in a bowl for making dough of butter chakli.

2. Add 2 tablespoons salted butter (cold or at room temperature). You can also add unsalted butter.

salted butter added to the bowl for making dough of butter chakli.

3. Add ⅓ teaspoon salt.

salt added to the bowl.

4. Mix everything and rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips till you get a breadcrumb or sand like texture in the flour mixture.

ingredients rubbed together to get a breadcrumb like texture in the flour mixture.

5. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing).

cumin seeds and asafoetida added to the flour mixture.

6. Mix very well with a spoon or with your hands.

spices mixed well in the flour mixture.

7. Now, add water in portions – about 2 to 4 tablespoons water at a time.

some water added to flour mixture.

8. Begin to mix and knead the flour.

kneading the flour mixture.

9. Add water in portions and knead to a smooth, soft dough. I first added 4 tablespoons water and later added 5 tablespoons. Depending on the quality of flours, you can add less or more water.

kneaded dough for butter chakli.

10. Use the star nozzle lid for preparing murukku. Apply some water in the chakli/murukku maker.

preparing the murukku maker.

11. Take a portion of the dough and place it inside the murukku maker.

portion of dough placed inside the murukku maker.

Fry Butter Murukku

12. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Let the oil become medium hot. Check the oil temperature by adding a small piece of the dough.

If the dough comes up gradually and steadily on top, the oil is hot enough to fry. In case it comes up too quickly, then oil is too hot. If it settles down at bottom of kadai or comes up very slowly, the oil is not hot enough.

Remove the fried piece and check the texture. Follow the tips mentioned below:

Tip 1: If the murukku breaks in the oil, the dough is slightly dry. Add a few teaspoons of water. Mix very well and knead the dough again.
Tip 2: If you do not get a proper shape, the dough has become too moist. Add some rice flour and mix well.
Tip 3: Taste the murukku piece and if it feels dense or hard, add 1 to 2 teaspoon more of butter. Mix very well and knead again.
Tip 4: If the murukku looks very oily and has absorbed too much of oil, add a few teaspoons of rice flour and mix again. This happens if there’s’ too much fat in the dough.

checking the temperature of hot oil to fry butter chakli.

13. When the oil is hot enough, press holding the murukku maker directly on top of the oil and let the murukku directly fall in the oil. 

Do not over crowd the kadai with murukku. Add as much as needed without overcrowding the kadai.

frying butter murukku in hot oil.

14. Fry till the murukku are half done or have become slightly crisp. After adding the murukku, do not touch them immediately with the slotted spoon as they break.

They need to become slightly crisp first and then you can turn them over with the slotted spoon.

frying butter murukku in hot oil.

15. Turn over the murukku with a slotted spoon, so that they get fried evenly.

turning over butter murukku with a slotted spoon to fry evenly.

16. Keep on turning to get them evenly golden. Fry murukku till the sizzling in the oil reduces and they become golden.

frying butter murukku in hot oil till evenly golden.

17. Remove Butter Murukku with a slotted spoon.

removing butter murukku with a slotted spoon.

18. Drain murukku on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.

draining butter murukku on kitchen paper towels.

19. In the same way, fry all the Butter Chakli in batches.

fried butter chakli on kitchen paper towels.

20. When cooled, store Butter Murukku in an air-tight box or jar. Serve Butter Murukku as a festive snack or tea-time snack.

butter murukku served in a cane bowl with text layover.

Expert Tips

  1. You can prepare the roasted chana dal flour at home. Just grind about 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted Bengal gram) in a grinder till fine. Then, measure the flour using the standard 1 tablespoon measuring spoon and sieve it together with the rice flour and besan.
  2. If you don’t have roasted chana dal flour, skip it. Use 3 tablespoons gram flour instead.
  3. Use good quality and fresh rice flour. The rice flour has to be fine and not coarse.
  4. You have to knead a soft and smooth dough. The quantity of water will vary depending on the quality of the flours.
  5. If the dough is slightly dry, the murukku will break in the oil. To correct this, add a few teaspoons of water, mix and knead again.
  6. In case the dough is too moist or wet, you will not be able to shape it properly. To correct this, add some rice flour and mix well.
  7. On tasting a murukku piece, if you feel it is too hard, add 1 to 2 teaspoons butter. Mix and knead again.
  8. If the Butter Chakli looks very oily and has absorbed too much oil, add few teaspoons rice flour and mix again. This happens if the dough has more fat content than needed.  
  9. Want to add some spiciness in these chaklis? Add some red chili powder or green chili paste to the murukku dough.
  10. Once you have added the murukku in the hot oil for frying, wait till they become slightly crisp. Then, touch them with slotted spoon to turn over. If you will touch immediately, they can break.

FAQs

Is there a difference between murukku and chakli?

Murukku is South Indian, chakli is Maharashtrian. Also, the recipe of murukku usually comprises of rice and lentil flours where as chakli recipe has gram flour in addition. Although, both can be shaped in a similar way by using either a chakli maker or murukku press.

How do I scale the quantities in this recipe to make 1 kg yield?

You have to increase the quantity of ingredients by 5 times to make about 1 kg of Butter Murukku.

Can I add onion/nigella seeds or kalonji in place of cumin seeds?

Yes, you can certainly do that.

The butter added in this recipe, has to be on room temperature or chilled?

You can add either. Though, I have added chilled in this recipe.

Why is my chakli not crispy?

This is due to the addition of more fat in the dough, than needed. If the chakli is too hard, it means you have added less fat in the dough. Read the tips that I have mentioned in the above section to correct these.

More Diwali Recipes To Try!

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butter murukku served in a cane bowl with text layovers.

Butter Murukku | Butter Chakli

Butter Murukku is a South Indian fried snack made with butter and rice flour. It can also be called Butter Chakli. This recipe is surely for the win as it is scrumptious and tasty.
5 from 14 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine South Indian
Course Snacks
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 3
Units

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Rice Flour or 150 grams
  • 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal flour (porikadalai flour) or 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal ground to a fine flour
  • 2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter – can swap with unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
  • teaspoon salt or add as required
  • 9 to 10 tablespoons water or add as required
  • oil for deep frying, as needed

Instructions
 

Making butter murukku dough

  • Take rice flour, besan and roasted chana dal flour in a mixing bowl or pan. For roasted chana dal flour, grind 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal in a small grinder or coffee grinder till fine.
    Measure the flour using 1 tablespoon standard tablespoon. Then sift it directly in the pan containing rice flour and gram flour.
  • Add 2 tablespoons salted butter. You can also use unsalted butter.
  • Add ⅓ teaspoon salt or as per taste.
  • Now mix everything and rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips till you get a breadcrumb like texture in the flour mixture.
  • Add cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing).
  • Mix very well with a spoon or with your hands.
  • Now add water in parts – about 2 to 4 tablespoons at a time. Begin to mix and knead the flour. Add water in parts and knead to a smooth soft dough.
    I first added 4 tablespoons water and later added 5 tablespoons. Depending on the quality of flours, you can add less or more water.
  • Use the star nozzle lid for preparing murukku. Apply some water in the chakli/murukku maker.
  • Take a portion of the murukku dough and place it inside the murukku maker.

Frying butter murukku

  • Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
  • Let the oil become medium hot. Check the oil temperature by adding a small piece of the dough.
  • If the dough comes up gradually and steadily on top, the oil is hot enough to fry. If it comes up too quickly, then oil is too hot.
    If it settles down at bottom of kadai or comes up very slowly, the oil is not hot.
  • When the oil is hot enough, press holding the chakli maker directly on top of the oil and let the murukku directly fall in the oil.
  • Do not over crowd the kadai with murukku. Add as much as needed without overcrowding the kadai.
  • Fry till they are half done or have become slightly crisp. After adding the murukku, do not touch them immediately with the slotted spoon as they break.
    They need to become slightly crisp first and then you can turn them over with the slotted spoon.
  • Turn over with a slotted spoon, so that they get fried evenly.
  • Keep on turning to get them evenly golden. Fry them till the sizzling in the oil reduces and the butter murukku becomes golden.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
  • In the same way fry all the murukku this way in batches. When cooled, store butter murukku in an air-tight box or jar.

Notes

  • You can add either softened butter or butter that is cold.
  • Scale the recipe easily to make a large batch.
  • Ensure that the oil is moderately hot while frying butter murukku.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Butter Murukku | Butter Chakli
Amount Per Serving
Calories 366 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Trans Fat 0.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 325mg14%
Potassium 93mg3%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 240IU5%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.1mg7%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.02mg1%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 0.3mg15%
Vitamin B12 0.02µg0%
Vitamin C 0.1mg0%
Vitamin E 4mg27%
Vitamin K 2µg2%
Calcium 17mg2%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 24µg6%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 29mg7%
Phosphorus 72mg7%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Butter Murukku recipe from the archives, first published in October 2016 has been updated and republished on 20 October 2022.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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