Thenkuzhal ( Urad Dal Thenkuzhal)

in Deepavali recipe, Evening snack, Festival recipe, festival special, Uncategorized

 

 

Thenkuzhals are traditional snacks , which are made from  rice flour and are deep fried in coconut oil.

Generally ,these are made on Deepavali days and are relished by young and old alike. Its an ideal tea time snack too . Prepare  these homemade snacks and relish with family members .

 

Ingredients

  1. Rice flour 4 cups
  2. Black gram dal flour  1 cup
  3. Cumin seeds ( Jeera)  2 teaspoons
  4. Salt  4 teaspoons
  5. Hing / Asafoetida  1/3 to 3/4 teaspoon
  6.  Melted Ghee or Butter (soft)  100 grams
  7. Oil for deep frying  (  preferably coconut oil)

Method

  • In a wide deep bowl , add rice flour and urad dal flour and mix well . Add asafoetida , ghee / butter and cumin seeds. With your fingers . mix them . Add salt to 1 cup water, mix and add.
  • Make a dough by mixing it, with your fingers . Do not knead the dough too much . It should become a soft, yet firm pliable dough .
  • Add or sprinkle extra water , if needed , while kneading .
  • Take Thenkuzhal press, add the thenkuzhal disc to it . Oil the press  and keep it ready.
  • Meanwhile , pour oil in a deep bottomed kadai and heat it . When the oil becomes hot , add a bit of the dough into the oil . If it rises , then the oil is ready for deep fry.
  • Take  golf ball size dough and put it into the press .  Exert pressure over the handle of  the thenkuzhal press ,directly over the hot oil .
  • Make a circular motion to get a circular thenkuzhal . Deep fry in medium heat , till golden brown.
  • Cook both sides in medium or low heat , otherwise the thenkuzhal would’nt get cooked uniformly.
  • Remove when the sizzling sound stops. Drain in a parchment paper .
  • Repeat for rest of the dough , similarly.
  • Tin when the thenkuzhal is cooled.

Note 

Note

  • Use fresh flour ,while ,making all kinds of savouries .
  • Rice flour can be made at home, by soaking the rice for an hour or so . Drain and dry in shade . Powder it and use .
  • Black gram dal powder , can be made by dry roasting the dal and powdering in a food processor .
  • Use coconut oil to get the authentic taste . Other oils too can be used .
  • Do not add too much water, to make the dough.
  • Add hot ghee or oil to make the thenkuzhals crispy.
  • Add salt,  dissolved in water . Sometimes when the salt,  is not mixed well in the dough , it may tend to burst, splashing oil.
  • To prevent such incidents , always add salt dissolved in water .
  • Do not keep the dough kneaded for a long time . Make it as soon as its kneaded .
  • If making a large amount of savouries , knead the dough batch by batch.