Many ways with muruku

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MURUKU, which is known as chakli in Marathi and chakri in Gujarati, is a savoury snack popular in India, Sri Lanka, Fiji and elsewhere among the ethnic Indian population.

Made typically from a mixture of urad and rice flour, salt and flavourings such as chili, asafoetida, ajwin or cumin, this crunchy delight is believed to have originated in Tamil Nadu, with the town of Manapparai best known for it.

The most popular South Indian snack is ari muruku, which is typically eaten with tea or coffee as a tea-time snack.

Here in Malaysia, we usually eat it as a snack with or without tea or coffee.

Some even like to dip their muruku in melted sugar for a sweeter treat.

There is also a spicier variant called the ribbon muruku, which is essentially flat pieces of deep-fried dough.

In the Klang Valley, there are several places to get different varieties of muruku like the kai, thenkulal, kala, Kerala, Inippu and, of course, the achi muruku.

Brickfields is famous not only for its Deepavali offerings like sarees, Punjabi suits and accessories, but also for the irresistible Indian sweetmeats and savouries, including muruku.

If you can’t find what you want in one stall, just move on to the next and chances are the muruku will be there.

The same can be said of Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur.

Known for its Indian items such as sandalwood oil, bangles, sarees, silver anklets, gold jewellery, brassware, silver Indian tableware, religious paraphernalia, handicrafts, herbs and perfumed oils, this place has everything. Come Deepavali, the stalls here will be decked with a variety of crunchy delights and, most importantly, they are affordable.

A packet of muruku (5kg) ranges from RM5 to RM12. There is usually a discount if you buy five packets, depending on the stall you visit.

Another place worth visiting is Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur for some really good, home-made muruku and other tantalising savouries.

Try the one at the Ipoh kacang putih stall, which has over 20 types of muruku, dhal and nuts. They are priced around RM2 a packet of 100gm.

At the Petaling Jaya New Town area, there is a restaurant called Saravanaa Bhavan which sells all kinds of muruku. The restaurant is located between Hong Leong Bank and EON bank.