Chakli Recipe (Chakralu)

Crunchy and spicy, the spiral shaped Chakli are delicious fried snacks popular across India. This popular savory food is made with various kinds of flour, herbs and warm Indian spices. They are also known as Chakralu and traditionally prepared during festivals like Diwali. Many of us from Karnataka and Maharashtra have fond memories of exchanging plates of homemade Diwali goodies with neighbors and friends. And these always included freshly made chaklis and karanji among other sweet and savory items.

When you’re not munching on a crunchy piece during festive occasions, you can enjoy this as an anytime snack with a hot cup of masala chai. Sold in many Indian sweet and farsan shops, chakli and Murukku are used synonymously to describe these spiral rice-based goodies deep fried in oil.

What is Chakli?

It is essentially a rice four or whole wheat flour based fried snack made with a stiff dough mixed in with hot and warm spices like red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, carom, sesame seeds, pepper powder and green chili paste. These are shaped with a chakli press/maker using a specific shaped disc. You create the unique spiral shape with circular hand motions while pressing out the dough on a non-sticky surface.

This addictive snack goes by many names from Chakri in Gujarat, Chakli in Maharashtra and Karnataka, Chakralu in Andhra and Murukku in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Just like its various names, it is made in several ways using different set of ingredients including flours and spices.

Murukku from the Southern states is usually made with rice flour, while a lot of people make chakri with steamed whole wheat flour. Some even use sabudana, poha, lentils, ragi or other millet flour. Each family has its own special recipe that has been passed down generations.

About this recipe

My recipe helps you create crunchy and delicious chaklis instantly and with minimal ingredients. Make this when you have guests coming over and want to serve them something different from the usual fare.

This recipe is made using rice flour, fried gram flour, oil and spices. Don’t skimp on the fried or roasted gram (chatni dal) as it lends a light texture to the chakri. If you don’t have fried gram, use equal amount of besan (gram flour).

You can add or skip any of the spices and herbs as per your taste. You can also use ginger, garlic and green chilli infused water or buttermilk to mix the dough instead of plain water.

Most people prefer to make this with homemade rice flour which imparts a rich flavor, but you can use store bought rice flour for this instant version. Use organic flour whenever possible. These stores well for up to a month and makes for light snacking on the go.

The main trick to make them perfectly crisp is to knead to a firm dough, neither hard nor soft. I also have a pro tips section and troubleshooting tips below to help you get them right every single time. You may also like to check this collection of 100 Diwali sweets recipes.

For more similar Diwali snacks, you can check
Butter murukku
Ribbon pakoda
Thattai
Namak pare or diamond cuts
Omapodi or Sev
Chivda

Photo Guide

How to make Chakli (Stepwise Photos)

Prepare the Ingredients

1. Grind ¼ cup of fried gram in a grinder/mixer. Measure and use only ¼ cup of ground flour for this recipe and sieve it well. Don’t use more than that. Store the excess flour to use in stir fried veggies or making chutneys.

2. Add the ground flour (or use besan or gram flour instead) along with these ingredients to a large mixing bowl:

• 1 cup of rice flour
• ½ to ¾ tablespoon of red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 1 pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 1 tablespoon of til (sesame seeds)
• 1 tablespoon of ajwain (carom seeds)

3. Mix well to combine .Then heat a little butter or oil in a pan. Measure 1 tablespoon of hot butter or oil and drizzle into the flour mixture. Use a spoon first to mix and then your fingers to spread it evenly.

Make the dough

4. Slowly add water, start with 3 tablespoons, and keep mixing to form a dough. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time or as required.

5. Make a firm but pliable dough. The dough should be non-sticky but at the same time it should not be crumbly or dry. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour and knead again. If it is dry, add a few drops of water and mix again.

The dough has to be pliable and firm, but not dry and crumbly. It should come out of the chakli maker without much effort and without the strands breaking up while shaping.

Shape the Dough

6. Before you start making the chakli, heat 2 cups of oil in a deep-frying pan on medium flame. While the oil is heating up, grease the press or mould. I’ve used a single star plate or disc. If you do not have a press, use a plastic bag. They will be plain and not with the star design. If using a plastic bag, cut a small hole at the end to release the dough.

7. Divide the dough into 2 to 3 parts, shape to log and fill the chakli maker or the plastic bag. Press the chakri maker to release the dough and shape it to spirals using circular hand motions on parchment, muslin cloth or aluminum foil. Start from the inner center and move your hand in clockwise direction to make a spiral (watch the video for the exact procedure). Make more and cover loosely with a cloth to prevent them from drying out.

Frying

8. When the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough in it. It should sizzle and rise to the surface in 4 to 5 seconds, without turning brown. Gently slide one at a time into the medium hot oil. Do not stir them for a couple of minutes until the dough firms up. Fry them on a medium heat until golden brown and crisp. Add 3 to 4 at a time without crowding the pan.

9. Don’t be tempted to cook them faster by increasing the heat to high. When they turn light golden brown on one side, turn to the other side and fry until golden brown. Remove to a steel colander or a cooling rack.

Fry the remaining in batches. Cool them completely before you store in an airtight container (avoid plastic jar). Do not reuse the oil and discard it.

Pro Tips

• To make the chakli spicy, add red chili powder or green chili paste.
• Taste test one and adjust the ingredients in the remaining dough before frying the rest.
• Knead a firm dough that is not crumbly, hard or sticky. Slowly add water while mixing, do not pour at one time.
• Use butter paper, parchment paper, aluminum foil or muslin cloth to make the spirals for easy removal. Use individual parchment squares and use it to slide them into the oil.
• If the strands break while shaping, it is because of less moisture in the dough. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of water to the dough and mix again.
• If the spiral shape isn’t proper, the dough is too moist. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons of rice flour and knead again.
• Fry on a medium heat, else they will lose crispness in a day or two.
• If oil is not hot enough, they will absorb a lot of oil while frying, and turn oily and soft the next day.
• Do not fry on high heat as they will brown fast, remain undercooked and even get burnt.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Sticky dough – add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour at a time and mix well.
• Dry or crumbly dough – sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons of water at a time. Mix the dough to the correct consistency.
• If the chakli is oily or breaks while frying, you have added more than 1 tablespoon of butter or oil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour, at a time, to the remaining dough, and mix again.
• if they turn out hard after frying, there is less fat in the dough. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons hot butter or oil to the dough and knead again.
• Too soft and breaking very easily – you have fried it on low heat. Increase heat to medium and fry the remaining batches

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This Recipe was first published in October 2016. Updated in May 2024.