Add Crunch To Your Teatime Snacks With This Easy Thattai Recipe

Are you bored with the combination of tea and biscuits? Or are you wondering about an exciting snack to go with your tea time?
If you are craving a deep-fried snack during this monsoon which is not your regular fare, look no further than this yummiest thattai recipe. This crunchy thattai has a subtle flavour and complements the tea quite well. It is also a great tea-time recipe that you can make ahead of time and store in an airtight container.

What is thattai?

Thattai is a deep-fried snack from south Indian cuisine, which is not only popular in India but also in Sri Lanka, where it is called paruthithurai vadai. It is usually made with rice flour, urad dal, chana dal and some spices. It is easily one of the best snacks to enjoy with tea and is loved by children and adults alike. In India, thattai, typically is made in Tamil Nadu but can be found throughout South Indian states with a little variation in texture and flavours.
They boast a unique cultural significance as preparing thattai during festivals like Pongal and Deepavali is a special ritual.

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Ingredients to prepare the South Indian snack thattai

Before we jump to the thattai recipe, let's have a look at the thattai ingredients

1. 1 tbsp of chana dal 
2. 1 and ½ tbsp of urad dal
3. 2 tbsp of roasted roasted chickpeas
4. 1 cup of rice flour 
5. ½ tbsp of red chilli powder
6. 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
7. 2 tbsp of finely chopped curry leaves
8. 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
9. 1 cup of water
10. Oil to deep fry
11. Salt to taste

How to prepare thattai murukku?

Here are the steps to make a thattai murukku, as it is locally called

1. Take 1 tbsp of chana dal into a small bowl, thoroughly wash it and soak for the next 1 hour. Then, drain chana dal using a strainer and set aside.
2. Now, heat a skillet or a pan, add 1 and ½ tbsp of urad daal and roast it on a medium flame until it slightly turns golden or aromatic. Transfer it into a bowl and let it cool down.
3. Take a blender jar, and add roasted urad dal and roasted gram. Grind to obtain the fine powder.
4. Take a deep bowl, add 1 tbsp of the soaked chana dal,  2 and ½ tablespoons of the mixture of urad dal and roasted chickpeas, 1 cup of rice flour, ½  tablespoon of red chilli powder, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of chopped curry leaves, 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and salt to taste. Mix all these thattai ingredients thoroughly, then pour a little water ( around ¼ cup) and try to knead the dough. Add more water as per the requirement to obtain a stiff but smooth dough.
5. Make lemon-sized balls with the dough and cover them with a cloth to avoid getting dry.
6. Take a dry cloth, grease your fingers with a little oil, put the dough ball and try to press that using your fingers to obtain a disc-like shape. You can also use any bowl which is flattened at the bottom to press the dough ball. If you find any cracks at the edges, it's totally fine, you can easily join them with the help of your fingers only.
7. Repeat the same steps with all the balls you have made. While you are doing this, do not forget to cover the thattai so they don't dry out.
8. Heat the oil in a skillet and slide the thattai gradually into it. Let it fry for 2 minutes, then turn the thattai and turn it again after 2 minutes. Fry them until you achieve a golden and crisp version. If you are comfortable with frying thattai, you can also add more than 1 thattai to the skillet and deep fry together.

Your crunchy and delicious thattai snack is ready to be enjoyed with family or friends. You can pair this either with a cup of tea or with your favourite chutney.

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Some tips and tricks

• When you add sesame seeds into the mixture, make sure that you crush these seeds before otherwise they will sputter while frying thattai.
• When you are preparing thattai, remember to give them moderate thickness as too thin could break as you lift it to fry and too thick would lose the crunch.
• It's important that when you slide the thattai into the skillet, the oil ought to be hot enough, if not then your thattai will take more time to fry and won't get crispy too. That's why if you are not sure if the oil is hot enough or not, just put a small piece of the dough into the oil, if that piece floats with bubbles, this shows that the oil has attained the required temperature but if the piece sinks then you should wait for a bit more as your oil is not as hot as required.
• Thattai remains fresh and crunchy for around 2 weeks if stored properly in an airtight container.