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| TAPIOCA MURUKKU/MARAVALLI KIZHANGU MURUKKU |
Tapioca has a close relationship with any Malayalee. Tapioca is one staple food at home and it has a never-ending link to our family. Years back, sometime in 1930's, It is said that my husband's Grandparents lived on just Tapiaco during a flood which they survived (maybe it was the Great Flood of 99(1924) which devastatingly lasted for almost 3 weeks and claimed thousands of lives). Among the gloom and the water, they had escaped to a high region, where they lived without any food and water for nearly a week. Raw Tapiocas was their only available food.
My parents would always plant a batch of Tapioca in their backyard. Steamed Tapiocas are always a treat at home and it was one teatime snack catered at my grand mother's place. Eating them with Mulagu Chalichathu or Fish Curry is a delicacy. Soft and starchy steamed tapiocas can be used to prepared stir fries, Kappa Ularthiyathu, Kappa Puzhukku, Tapioca Chips, Tapioca Vadais etc.,
It was then later, while I was browsing through the internet and came across this Tapioca Murukku recipe. Readily I had some steamed Tapiocas & Idiyappam flour in hand too, which made my job much simpler. I immediately made a small batch of Tapioca Murukku. It turned out to be crispy, light and very tasty. Within no time the whole batch vanished. Luckily I had some more Tapiocas at home and I planned up to make another batch of Tapioca Murukku but a little more at this time. If something turns out to be good I would know it right away - it would vanish off soon and my hubby would ask me to make it more frequently. Just a few pieces of Steamed Tapiocas is what we need for the recipe, so save few and try this Tapioca Murukku. Trust me, it is going to turn out be a success.
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Cuisine - Indian
Recipe Type - Snacks
Spice Level - Medium
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 40-45 Medium sized Murukkus
Author - SM
Preparation Time - 25-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 -45 Minutes
For more MURUKKU RECIPES, Click here...
HOW TO MAKE TAPIOCA MURUKKU/MARAVALLI KIZHANGU MURUKKU
INGREDIENTS :
Rice Flour - 3 CupsSteamed Tapioca - 3/4 Cup
Butter - 3 Tbspn
Dry Red Chillies - 6-8 Nos.
Ajwain - 1 Tspn
Asafoetida - 1/4 Tspn
Salt - To Taste
Water - 1 Cup(Approximately)
Oil - To Deep Fry
METHOD :
To Boil Tapioca :
- With a Sharp knife cut a whole Tapioca root into Four or five pieces.
- Slightly make a slit through the Brown- Pink Skin. Once you have done this, the skin would easily peel off.
- Cut each piece in half and remove the thick centre root.
- Wash it thoroughly.
- Then cut it into pieces of the desired size.
- Wash it well until the water is clear.
- Boil tapioca in water by adding salt and turmeric powder.
- Cook until the pieces are soft.
- Drain and discard the water.
For Murukku :
- Soak Dry Red Chillies in hot water for about 10-15 minutes.
- Drain and discard the water used for soaking Dry Chillies or use it to knead the dough.
- Measure 3/4 Cup of Steamed Tapiocas and keep it aside.
- Grind the Soaked Dry Red Chillies in a blender or a small mixer-grinder jar.
- Grind this into a fine paste.
- Add steamed Tapiocas and grind it along with Dry Chillies.
- There should be no lumps.
- Soften the butter and keep it aside.
- Mix ground Tapioca & Dry Red Chilli paste along with Rice Flour, Butter, Ajwain, Asafoetida and salt to Taste.
- Pour in Water to the above mix, little at a time and knead it into a smooth & soft dough.
- The dough should be kneaded without any cracks.
To Fry Murukku :
- Heat the oil in a deep pan.
- Place some dough into Murukku Mould and press the dough through it.
- Make a few swirls onto the reverse surface of a slotted spoon or directly press them into the oil.
- Drop the shaped murukkus gently into the hot oil and fry them until it turns golden brown.
- Follow the suit for rest of the dough.
- Allow them to cool and store them in airtight jars.
NOTES :
- The dough should be of a correct consistency. It should not be sticky or too hard and without any cracks.
- Do not substitute Butter with Ghee or Margarine.
- Butter should be at room temperature before mixing it into the flour.
- Butter is one main ingredient for crispy and soft murukkus.
- Can substitute rice flour with Idiyappam flour. If using Idiyappam flour, use boiled-hot water while kneading the dough.
- Adding dry chillies is totally optional.
- Grind the Steamed tapiocas into a fine paste without any lumps.
- You can press the Tapioca Murukkus directly into the oil.
- If stored properly it stays good for a week to 10 days.
Important: Food Safety
- Tapioca naturally produces cyanide*, which is poisonous to humans; however, the cyanide may be removed during processing.
- So peel and wash it thoroughly with enough water.
- Also, can soak them in water overnight and then discard the water and wash them again before cooking.
- Cook Tapioca with enough water to cover them, and then discard the water once it is cooked.
- These steps ensure that the little amount of toxin present in it are removed.
*Cyanogenic glycosides present in tapioca, releases hydrogen cyanide during enzymatic hydrolysis by beta-glucosidase. These are transformed within humans and animals after the plant tissue has been macerated.
