Poondu murukku, garlic murukku is a flavourful twist to the regular murukku you prepare. I have made this as tiny mini murukku. It turns out flavourful, super crispy.
Whenever my in-laws visit kumbakonam, they make sure to buy sweets and snacks apart from coffee powder and other stuffs. Though we too make a short stay at Kumbakonam every year when we make our yearly temple visit, somehow it will be hectic and my father in law alone goes and grabs few sweets and snacks last minute. My mom in law says they usually buy a garlic murukku that is so flavourful and it is sold only in a particular shop. Mama buys similar murukku, which is plain flavour and white in colour. I could clearly feel it is just rice flour murukku. But as mami and co-sis raves about the garlic murukku I get tempted a lot.
This time, when Vj went for an official trip to India, he visited Chennai and my mami passed the tiny plain murukku through him. I was telling my mami over phone that I wanted to prepare the same way as it is. Actually last year itself I did attempted to make tiny murukku but ended up in making regular ones😄. When I told her, she asked me to try again, which I already had decided.
I have seen my mom covering two star shaped holes in her murukku press plate using cotton cloth rolled and stuffed in the two holes to block it. So that we have control over the shape, while squeezing with single hole in the murukku press. I thought, should adapt that method and try again to make tiny murukku.

In my murukku press, I have this plate which is slightly thicker than the sev/ idiyappam hole, but thinner than the regular murukku holes. Last year also I attempted with the same. So I was thinking to customise the same plate, by blocking the holes and having fewer holes.
My mom in law uses comparatively smaller murukku achu (murukku press) usually. I have tried the same dough in two different murukku achu with larger hole plate and comparatively smaller holed plate. The murukku made thinner are super crisp, pale in colour too when compared to the thicker murukku. Now a days I too follow the same as much as possible. Thin murukku➡Crispy, lighter colour murukku.
One thing I noticed was for garlic murukku, we should not add ajwain or cumin seeds and let the garlic flavour dominate the murukku. I added ajwain and thought I should not have added it. So do try without ajwain. I have used rice flour as main ingredient, with urad dal flour in it. You can use my pottukadalai murukku recipe too and adapt the same method to prepare garlic murukku.

Step by step preparation of poondu murukku:

1. First grind the garlic flakes in a mixie. You can add salt too and grind so that it gets ground well. Later add some water and grind again so that it gets ground well.



2. In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, urad dal flour, red chilli powder, salt, butter (ajwain if adding)and mix well.



3. Add ground garlic, water little by little as needed and make a smooth dough without cracks. 



4. Take a murukku press with smaller holed plate. I cut out an aluminum foil same as the murukku press plate. Trimmed the edges. Again layered aluminum foil and layer both. I used the second aluminium foil to secure around the plate. Then poked hole in the aluminium foil (along the hole in the murukku press plate)  just in the middle. Make sure that the securing foil by folding it, is not too thick, that is to not roll and seal. Otherwise it will leak because of the gap when you fit to the press.



5. Fill the press with prepared dough. Heat oil in kadai. While oil is heated, grease some flat spatulas with oil. Squeeze the murukku over spatulas, holding in a good height so that you have control over the shape. 



6. Squeeze multiple murukku enough for one batch and once oil is hot, add the squeezed murukku in oil. Cook both sides in medium flame until bubbles and sound reduces completely. Drain over paper towel.

Cool down completely and store in airtight containers to enjoy as tea time snack.