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    Home » Snacks » Homemade Indian Snacks » Janthikalu

    How to make Janthikalu | Chickpea & Rice Murukku Recipe

    Published: Jun 14, 2021 by Pavani · 16 Comments

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    Janthikalu are a popular deep fried Andhra savory snack that are easy to make at home. You can call them murukku, chakli or chakralu. But all these different names refer to this crunchy and addictive snack.

    I grew up eating this homemade instant murukku. This is my mom's version that uses chickpea flour or besan and rice flour in 1:2 ratio. The recipe comes together in no time and is a perfect accompaniment with tea.

    Brown plate with a stack of Janthikalu

    Table of contents

    • About the Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • You might also like

    About the Recipe

    I love crispy, crunchy and addictive food, especially Andhra snacks. My mom is an excellent cook and she always made sure that we had a good stock of homemade snacks, while growing up. I don't remember ever eating store bought snacks. Some of my favorite snacks are the deep fried ones like these pesara garelu, namkeen or instant vada.

    This janthikalu or besan rice flour murukku is one snack that my mom made quite frequently. This is great as tea time snack or even to pack for long drives.

    You can make besan murukku recipe with just chickpea flour like in this ganthiya. But they don't have the same crunch as these. Rice flour adds that addictive crunchiness to this snack.

    These are instant murukku and are quite easy to make. There is no soaking or grinding involved. All you need is to mix all the ingredients into a dough and then deep fry them until golden brown.

    Top view of a wooden bowl filled with besan murukku

    You will need a murukku or janthikalu press aka janthikala gottum (shown in the ingredients photo) to make this snack. My mom sent me her press that she used for years. So this mold is kind of sentimental and I hope to take good care of it.

    Ingredients

    For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.

    You need just a few ingredients to make this addictive murukku:

    • chickpea flour - I buy besan or senagapindi from Indian grocery.
    • rice flour - I use store bought rice flour. Either regular white or brown rice flour will work.
    • Either brown or black sesame seeds
    • Flavoring - red chili powder, cumin powder and salt
    • ghee - can be substituted with unsalted butter or hot oil
    • Oil for deep frying
    • Janthikalu maker or gottam - you can also use a cookie press with round holes - like the one shown in the photo below.
    Ingredients needed-details in recipe card

    Instructions

    For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.

    This senagapindi janthikalu recipe is very quick and easy to make.

    In a medium size mixing bowl, combine chickpea and rice flour, sesame seeds, red chili powder, ground cumin powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add the ghee or unsalted butter or hot oil and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers.

    Add just enough water to make a thick pliable batter. Make sure that the batter is not too watery or too thick.

    Step by step photos showing the making of the dough-details in recipe card

    Using a spoon, fill the mold with the dough. Make sure to keep the rest of the dough covered to avoid drying out. Heat oil in a medium wok or pan on medium high heat.

    Once the oil is hot, press the mold over the hot oil and make concentric circles, so that the batter drops in the oil in circular coils. Fry till janthikalu turn golden brown. Gently flip it over and fry uniformly on both sides.

    step by step photos showing deep frying o fchakli-details in recipe card

    Remove with a slotted spoon on to a paper lined plate to remove any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining dough. Let cool and you can store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.

    Top view of Brown plate with round murukku

    Expert Tips

    • You can use either regular white rice or brown rice flour.
    • Adding ghee adds nice crispness to the janthikalu. Unsalted butter or hot oil can also be used.
    • Make sure to take time to rub the flour with ghee to ensure the best texture for the murukku.
    • Oil for deep frying should be well heated to make sure that the chakli are cooked evenly crispy. Keep the flame on medium flame to medium-high flame.
    • When the murukku are ready, bubbles in the oil will get smaller and they are ready to take out.
    • Make sure to keep the dough covered to avoid drying out.
    • Store the cooled janthikalu in an airtight container to prevent them from becoming soggy.
    • These can be stored for up to 7~10 days. Make sure to keep the lid on and use dry hands when serving.
    wooden bowl with pieces of janthikalu

    You might also like

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    • Top view of a silver plate with Chalimidi
      Bellam Chalimidi | Step by Step Recipe
    • steel thali with Ayurvedic recipes
      Ayurvedic Thali Meal
    • Aratikaya kura in grey bowl
      Aratikaya Ava Kura Recipe | Raw Banana Curry Andhra Style
    • Thapeshwaram Khaja
      Andhra Pradesh -- Madatha Kaaja/ Thapeshwaram Khaja (Traditional dessert recipe)
    wooden bowl with pieces of rice flour murukku

    I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don't forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.

    Top view of a wooden bowl filled with besan murukku

    Janthikalu

    This is a crunchy and addictive Andhra snack that are easy to make at home. This besan and rice flour murukku are perfect for tea time.
    Author: Pavani
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 40 mins
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: andhra
    Servings: 15 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups Rice flour
    • 1 cup Chickpea flour (Besan)
    • 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Red Chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
    • 2 tablespoons Ghee or hot oil
    • To taste Salt
    • 1~1½ cups Water, or more as needed
    • As needed Oil, for deep frying

    Instructions

    • In a medium size mixing bowl, combine chickpea and rice flour, sesame seeds, red chili powder, ground cumin powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add the ghee or hot oil and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers.
    • Add just enough water to make a thick pliable dough. Using a spoon, fill the mold with about 2~3 tablespoons of dough. Make sure to keep the rest of the dough covered to avoid drying out. Heat oil in a medium wok or pan on medium high heat.
    • Once the oil is hot, press the mold over the hot oil and make concentric circles, so that the batter drops in the oil in circular coils. Fry till janthikalu turn golden brown. Gently flip it over and fry uniformly on both sides.
    • Remove with a slotted spoon on to a paper lined plate to remove any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining dough. Let them cool completely before you store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.

    Video

    Notes

    • You can use either regular white rice or brown rice flour.
    • Adding ghee adds nice crispness to the janthikalu. Unsalted butter or hot oil can also be used.
    • Make sure to take time to rub the flour with ghee to ensure the best texture for the murukku.
    • Oil for deep frying should be well heated to make sure that the chakli are cooked evenly crispy. Keep the flame on medium flame to medium-high flame.
    • When the murukku are ready, bubbles in the oil will get smaller and they are ready to take out.
    • Make sure to keep the dough covered to avoid drying out.
    • Store the cooled janthikalu in an airtight container to prevent them from becoming soggy.
    • Murukku can be stored for up to 7~10 days. Make sure to keep the lid on and use dry hands when serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nandita

      July 25, 2006 at 11:29 am

      Hello! So that's where this cook has been hiding 🙂 I've seen your comments on my page, but somehow never traced you to this blog!

      This seems to be a popular Andhra snack! I guess we call it Tenkuzhal...

      Hope to see you in one of the weekend breakfast blogging sessions on my blog!

      Cheers
      N

      Reply
    2. Puspha

      July 25, 2006 at 12:48 pm

      Looks good.

      Reply
    3. nav

      July 25, 2006 at 1:07 pm

      Pavani,

      That's a great recipe, my mouth started watering when I saw the pictures..BTW, I like the new look of your blog. Could you do me a favour by telling me how you added categories to your blog ? My email id is [email protected]

      Thanks in advance,
      Nav

      Reply
    4. Pavani

      July 26, 2006 at 3:12 pm

      Hi Nandita,
      Thank you for visiting my hideout.. Would love to participate in your breakfast event. Thanks again..

      Thank you Pushpa.

      Thank you very much Nav.

      Reply
    5. Vineela

      July 26, 2006 at 8:49 pm

      Hi Pavani,
      Janthikalu chala bagunnayyi.Perfect recipe for JFI .
      vineela

      Reply
    6. mrkk08

      July 26, 2006 at 10:37 pm

      Nice recipe Pavani and nice name for the mold 🙂
      Thank u for the recipe !

      Reply
    7. Reeta Skeeter

      July 27, 2006 at 6:58 am

      loved the janthikalu recipe...in North India they r made of besan and known as sev...will hunt the mkt for the instrument to make it....

      cheers!!!

      Reply
    8. KrishnaArjuna

      July 27, 2006 at 6:39 pm

      Janthikalu yum! Hey you and I have the same frying pan 🙂

      Reply
    9. Pavani

      July 29, 2006 at 2:19 am

      Thank you Vineela.

      Hi Priya,
      Thank you for your comment.

      Hi Reeta,
      Thank you for visiting my blog.

      Hi Arjuna,
      As you might have noticed, we have electric stove and that pan works perfect for all the deep frying. Thank you for your comment.

      Reply
    10. mrkk08

      August 02, 2006 at 3:05 am

      Hey, they look so good!

      Guess what I've prepared for Jihva?:)

      Reply
    11. Pavani

      August 02, 2006 at 8:59 pm

      Thank you Indira.

      Reply
    12. KS

      August 08, 2006 at 7:15 pm

      Hey puspa,

      i came to ur blog thru indira's blog. just tried ur recipe. came out so good. I substitue ajwan inst of jeera. Munching it and typing. thankyou so much for the recipe.

      Reply
    13. Pavani

      August 09, 2006 at 1:26 am

      Hi KS,
      I'm glad that you liked them. Thanks for your comments.
      Pavani

      Reply
    14. n33ma

      August 31, 2006 at 1:34 pm

      really nice recipe......... thanks for sharing it ........this reminds me of my moms snacks

      Reply
    15. Zanna

      February 13, 2020 at 5:17 am

      5 stars
      Came out very crunchy and tasty and stayed that way too. Yum 🙂

      Reply
    16. Sai Kiran

      August 09, 2022 at 1:27 am

      5 stars
      Wow, perfect. Such a yummy and crunchy Murukulu recipe, I would like to eat them as snacks in the evening times. particularly in the rainy season, we should have something to eat crunchy these Laddu express crunchy murukulu will make your taste buds awesome

      Reply

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