Butter chakli recipe - Benne chakli - Butter murukku

Butter chakli or Benne chakli recipe - Butter chakli is a very popular crispy and savoury snack prepared all over India during festival seasons like Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi. It is always fun to make snacks like chakli and shankarpali to treat family and friends.I made this crispy and flavorful chakli by mixing various pulses with rice and I love the combination of these ingredients. The recipe seems to be tedious, but once you master the art of pressing proper shaped chaklis you need not to worry about the other process.

I love to have the chakli with a cup of tea or coffee. Chakli, chivda, sev, shankarpali, ladoo and karanji are called faraal. This faraal gives the festivities their traditional sweet and savoury flavour.
 

Butter Chakli Recipe - Benne Chakli - Butter Murukku

Prep time : 30 mins

Cook time : 1 hr

Total time : 1 hr 30 mins

Recipe type : Snack

Cuisine : Indian

Yield : 50 Chaklis

Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients 

• 2 cups raw rice
• 1 +1/2 cups bengal gram / chana dal
• 3/4 cup split black gram / urad dal
• 1/2 cup split green gram / moong dal
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 + 1 tsp ajwain / carom seeds
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds / til
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

For the chakli flour

1. Wash the rice thoroughly rice and drain water. Immediately spread the rice over a thin cloth. Let the rice dry in the shade.
2. Handpick the dals  and clean it. Rub chana dal, urad dal and moong dal separately  with palms of your hands and remove dirt or any powder.
3. When the rice become dry, roast it on a low flame till warm and set aside. Roast the chana dal, urad dal and moong dal separately on low flame till aromatic and crisp. Set aside. 
4. Combine together the rice, dals and 2 tsp ajwain. Allow them to cool and then grind it to a fine powder. This chakli flour can be stored for 3 - 4 months.

Method 
Making the butter chakli

1. In a large bowl, combine above prepared chakli  flour, chili powder, sesame seeds, remaining 1 tsp ajwain and salt. 
2. Melt the butter in a small pan and pour it on the flour. Mix well till the butter combine well with the flour.
3. Add  water gradually to form a stiff dough. Do not pour water at once. Excess water will make the dough too soft. 
4. Transfer the chakli dough on a rolling board. Knead this dough very well for 8 - 10 minutes to make a soft dough.
5. Fix the star shaped chakli making plate to the chakli mould. Stuff the dough in the mould and close it with lid.
6. Spread a plastic sheet  on kitchen counter. Press the chakli on it by slowly rotating the chakli mould into  circular motion. 
7. Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan.
8. Remove the chakli from the plastic sheet  onto your palm and then slowly drop it into the hot oil. Deep fry chakli on a low medium flame until crispy and golden brown.
9. Drain with a  slotted spoon and transfer the chaklis on an absorbent paper. 
10. When it comes to room temperature store in an airtight container.
11. Serve the butter chakli with tea or coffee.