Kunukku

 I was copying recipes from my mother's notebook that had many recipes shared by my aunts and my mother's friends. She had copied recipes that I thought I knew well, only to realise that she had an altogether different recipe listed under that title. Kunukku was one such. There were, in fact,  two recipes for that. Normally, this was a snack you made with left over adai batter with addends. I had my aunt's famous recipe that people used to request her to make for them.
One of the recipes required that the ingredients were made first in a dry powder and then mixed with others when you desired. The other was a wet grinding version. An opportunity to try one recipe arose when my husband invited a friend and his wife for dinner.
These days I have limited my menu and narrowed to the taste and options of the guest. There is no harm in inquiring beforehand and plan accordingly. We have become quite conscious about what we eat and so would my guests. So I limited the menu to fewer dishes, but needed to make something that was new to them. Thus I decided to try the kunukku recipe, which was new to me too.

 

I made the powder ahead with some extra portions for later use.So it was not time consuming when you have to devote time to other stuff, which included weekend shopping.
Even if you have to make the powder, it does not take very long provided the quantity is about one cup.

Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice ( I bring some ponni rice from India, any short grain raw rice should work fine)
1/8 cup thuvar dhal
1/2 of a small size coconut scraped (about 1/4  cup shreds)
4-5 fresh green chilli peppers ( adjust according to heat of chillis and your taste)
2" piece ginger
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Pulse the thuvar dhal in the blender and achieve a coarse powder that of semolina consistency.
Add the rice and powder to the same consistency. The powder shall be short of fine, that when turned between fingers you feel the grainy texture.
This powder can be made and stored for months also.
To make kunukku, the listed quantity of rice and dhal when pounded will give approximately 3/4ths of the cup of flour. The rest of the ingredients suffice this quantity.
Grind the coconut, chillis, curry leaves and ginger to a smooth paste adding just enough water.
Mix the flour, salt, asafoetida powder and the paste and enough water to make a slightly stiff dough. You shall be able to hold the dough in a shape but if you apply more pressure the ball shall crumble.
Though a little loose dough will not harm, the texture of the kunukku will change for sure. Extra water will result in a soft kunukku while less water dough will give you crisp ones.
Mix the dough well, and pinch out small portions. roll them out in not-so-perfect spherical shapes.
Heat oil and deep fry the shaped kunukkus until well fried.
You may add 2 teaspoons each of channa dhal and urad dhal to the ingredients while powdering.
Adding chopped onions to the dough will enhance taste and so will adding coriander leaves.
If you are adding onions, chop them and add the salt to the onions. Crush the salt and the onions for a few minutes with your fingers. the onions will ooze moisture. Then add the rest of the ingredients.  That way you can control the water that you add.

Serve the kunukku with coconut chutney or tomato sauce.
It is not mandatory to shape the kunukkus in perfect shapes. You may choose to pinch the dough out directly in the hot oil like you would for pakodas. Either way they taste good.