Forget about store-bought snacks...prepare this crispy, delicious chakli recipe and you will wonder how much money you could have easily saved by not buying them at the store.

Chakkuli or Chakli is easy to make and lasts for weeks….if you can resist your temptation.

A plate full of chakli is on the table along with cup of coffee.

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What is Chakli/ Murukku/ Chakkuli?
About this recipe
Ingredients notes
Without butter (vegan)
How to cook the urad dal
Let's make chakli
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📖 Recipe
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Try them today - you won't be disappointed! And I bet you can't just eat one! Rice flour mixed in a savory combination of black gram and cumin seeds, fried to golden brown perfection makes an irresistible snack.

What is Chakli/ Murukku/ Chakkuli?

Although the snack is called differently in different parts of India, the basic recipe is the same across India.

Chakli is a spiral-shaped fried snack with a spiked surface.

It is typically made from flours of rice, Bengal gram (brown chickpea) and black gram (urad dal).

It comes in several variations, depending on the types and proportions of flours used. “Murukku”, a similar snack but one of the popular variations is typically made without the Bengal gram flour, and called "chakli".

About this recipe

This chakli is also known as Urad dal murrukku (Karnataka style).

The version with Urad Dal is not only the easiest but also the crispiest.

It just needs a few basic ingredients mixed with the right proportion of water.

Dough with the perfect consistency of water will give you the crispiest yet not greasy snack.

Their unique shape and texture get the right attention from kids too.

I learned this recipe as a kid from my grandfather when he was preparing this snack for Krishnashtami ( Indian festival).

I used to help him and also learned some of the finer nuances in preparing the dough.

As I said, Chakkuli can be prepared in several ways, and I have presented one of the easy methods here. But even the easy methods take patience and attention to detail, but it is definitely worth the extra effort!

Ingredients notes

To get the best tasting, crispy, and delicious chakli/ murukku you need:

Rice flour: This is a quite common ingredient. Be sure to get the fine variety in a sealed bag.
Urad dal / Black gram: I used whole black gram. But it is perfectly fine to use split black gram or urad dal.
Vegan butter or coconut oil: Adding oil or butter makes the chaklis softer and remains crispy for a longer time.
Cumin seeds and Sesame seeds: Apart from the nice aroma they bring, Cumin seeds and Sesame seeds give an authentic taste.
Oil for deep fry: I used corn oil for this recipe. However, coconut oil is also a great option.

Equipment needed: Chakli press and a deep pan.

Without butter (vegan)

Most chakli recipes call for butter, but I have found an alternative that brings the same crispy texture and does not compromise on the authentic, traditional taste.

I got equally good results from this vegan chakli recipe with coconut oil and vegan butter.

How to cook the urad dal

Cook the black gram in a stovetop pressure cooker with 2 cups water. Cook until it gets very soft (4 whistles and slow cooling).

If you have an Instant Pot pressure cooker, cook the urad dal or black gram using the pot in a pot (PIP) method.

Add rinsed urad dal to a small pot and pour 1 ½ cup water. Cover the lid and cook for 25 mins in HP. Open the lid after the pressure is released naturally.

Once the pressure pin drops, open the lid and take out the cooked dal. Use the whisk to mash them and let them cool down.

When it is warm enough to handle in the chakli recipe, you are ready to move on to the next step...

Let's make chakli

A bowl is with chakli ingredients like cooked urad dal, oil, cumin seeds

Take a big mixing bowl, mix the cooked black gram with rice flour, melted butter (vegan), salt, cumin seeds, and sesame seeds.

A bowl is with rice flour and other ingredients for chakli.

Mix all the ingredients to get an even mix.

You do not have to add water because the water from cooked black gram is sufficient.

Place a big frying pan with sufficient oil ( I used 4 cups of canola oil) over medium heat. Put the dough inside the chakli press.

A lady is pressing the chakli dough into circular shape on the counter tops

Start pressing out the chakli dough in a circular spiral on small pieces of parchment paper or paper towels. I usually do 3 to 4 spiral rounds, close to each other to make one chakli.

Secure the end to the outermost circle so the chakli will stay together. Continue pressing the remaining chaklis. The tube usually holds enough dough to press out 8 to 10 chaklis.

Test the oil for optimum temperature by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil and checking if it rises up gradually.

If it rises up too fast, it lowers the heat. If it does not rise up in 10 seconds, let the oil heat up a little more.

When the oil has heated optimally, carefully add chakli one at a time into the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the frying pan.

You can add 3 to 6 chaklis at a time, depending on the size of your pan.

Repeat pressing out the chakli and frying process for the remaining dough. Remember to increase the heat for the oil to high before adding the next batch of chakli.

Allow the chaklis to completely cool down and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

They have a very good shelf life, and they stay good for weeks or even months as long as you keep them away from moisture.

Chakkuli is ready to serve with hot chai or any sweet treat!