Instructions
Mix the flours and seasoning
In a wide bowl, whisk together the ragi flour, rice flour, cumin (or white sesame), ajwain, asafoetida and salt. The rice flour is not filler — ragi flour alone makes a dense murukku that drinks oil and turns soft, and the rice flour is what carries the crunch. One-to-one is the safe starting ratio; push it towards two parts rice to one part ragi for an even crisper bite.
Rub in the hot fat (the moyan)
Heat the ghee or oil until hot but not smoking and pour it over the dry flour. Rub it through with your fingertips until a pressed handful just holds together in a loose clump. This fat — the moyan — is what makes murukku crisp rather than hard. Skimp on it and the murukku fries up tough and brittle in the wrong way, not shatter-crisp.
Bring it to a soft dough
Add water a little at a time and work it into a soft, smooth dough — like chapati dough, or a shade softer. Do not make it stiff. A stiff, dry dough cracks as it presses out and spits hot oil when it hits the kadai; a soft dough presses cleanly and fries safely. Keep the dough covered so it does not dry while you work.
Heat the oil to medium
Heat groundnut oil in a heavy-bottomed kadai to a medium heat, about 180°C. Drop in a pinch of dough to test: it should rise steadily over four to five seconds, not shoot up instantly. Too hot and the outside browns while the inside stays raw and doughy; too cool and the murukku turns oil-logged and soft.
Press the murukku
Fit the chakli press with the three-star or single-hole disc and load a portion of dough. Press it out in tight concentric spirals onto the back of a greased ladle or a greased sheet, sealing the loose end so it does not unravel. Work in batches so the dough left in the press does not dry out between presses.
Slide into the oil and fry by ear
Slip each spiral gently off the ladle into the oil, a few at a time so the temperature does not crash. It bubbles loudly at first as the water boils off. Fry until that loud bubbling settles to a gentle sizzle — that sound, not the colour, tells you the murukku is crisp all the way through. Ragi browns fast, so trust your ears over a deep colour.
Drain and cool fully
Lift each murukku out with a slotted spoon and drain on a rack or paper. Let them cool completely before storing — they crisp further as they cool, and warm murukku sealed in a jar traps its own steam and goes soft. Only jar them once they are stone cold.