How to make Thattu Vadai | Thattai Murukku Recipe | Thattai Snack Recipe | Thattai Vadai | South Indian Thattai Recipe | Thattu Vadai Recipe – A popular South Indian deep fried savoury snack prepared for festivals like Diwali, Janmashtami or for any special occasion. It’s also a perfect tea time snack.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated with Video and replaced with newly edited pictures for comprehensiveness and freshness.
Thattu Vadai is my top favourite among the murukku variety. Well, I guess snack time is something we all look forward to and the joy of munching on crispy, spicy and flavourful treats is all the more better, especially when they are homemade. So, friends, let’s learn today How to make Thattu Vadai!!
I have already shared Andhra Style Chakkalu Recipe. This is the version we mostly make at home. The various ingredients and spices used brings a completely different taste to the rice crackers. Click here to get the recipe. Play around with the batter and spices and there’s no end to what you can create….sky is the limit!!
Thattai recipe as such is a very simple to follow and make. Just throw everything together in a bowl, make the dough, shape and fry them to golden brown. Though it sounds so simple, it is essential to follow a few tricks which will ensure that you get the perfectly crispy thattai. The key for crispy thattai lies in how thinly you flatten it and also the temperature of the oil has to be perfect while deep frying, neither too high nor too low. Don’t forget to check my notes at the end of the recipe card for more tips!!
Without further ado, let’s see How to make Thattu Vadai !!
How to make Thattu Vadai
- Wash & soak chana dal and moong dal in water for at least half an hour in hot water, drain extra water and set aside.
- Powder roasted gram (Pottukadalai) finely and keep it aside.
- Dry roast Urad dal over low heat until you get a light golden brown colour and a nice aroma. Powder and set aside. You can also use store bought roasted urad dal flour.
Making the dough:
You can use Homemade Rice Flour or store bought.
Click here to learn how to make rice flour at home.
- Add rice flour, roasted gram flour, roasted urad dal flour, salt, asafoetida, sesame seeds and red chilli powder in a wide plate or big bowl. Rub all the ingredients and mix well.
- To this, add chopped curry leaves, soaked chana dal & moong dal, cumin seeds and butter. Mix well until combined. There is no particular oder to add the ingredients…add to your convenience but make sure to mix well.
- To this add water little by little and knead till you get a smooth dough.
Let’s shape them:
- Divide the prepared dough into equal gooseberry sized portions and roll each portion into a smooth ball.
- Take a plastic sheet or ziplock cover and apply oil. Take each ball of dough, grease fingers with oil and flatten using your palms to a disc, 2-3″ in diameter on the greased sheet. You can prick (optional) them using a fork to ensure they don’t puff up in oil.
- Keep them aside and repeat the process for rest of the prepared dough balls as you fry already prepared ones.
Deep Frying:
- In the mean time, heat oil over medium heat in a deep pan or kadai and deep fry the prepared flat discs (thattu vadai).
- Once the oil is smoking hot, drop each thattai carefully from sides of the kadai taking care that they don’t lose shape or fold while dropping into oil.
- Do not over crowd them in the oil. Turn them once or twice in between and fry until golden brown in colour.
- When the sizzle stops, remove the thattais from oil. Drain them onto an absorbent paper napkin to remove excess oil and let them cool to room temperature.
- Repeat the process till you are done with the dough.
- Cool them and store them in an airtight container.
- They stay good for about a month. Enjoy them with your evening tea or coffee!! You can see, I’m a coffee person!!
How to make Thattu Vadai | Thattai Murukku Recipe | Thattai Snack Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Rice flour
- 1/4 Cup Roasted gram flour Pottu kadalai mavu
- 1/4 Cup Roasted Urad dal flour
- 2 tbsp Each Chana dal & Moong dal Mixed, soaked in water
- 2 tbsp Hot Oil or Unsalted Butter Room temperature
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Red Chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- A sprig of Curry leaves Finely chopped
- Required water to make the dough
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a big bowl. Rub all the ingredients together and mix well.
- Now, add water little by little and knead till you get a smooth dough.
- Divide the prepared dough into equal portions and roll into smooth balls.
- Apply oil to a plastic sheet, grease your fingers with oil and flatten each ball using your palms to a disc, 2-3" in diameter.
- In the mean time, heat oil over medium heat in a deep pan or kadai.
- One oil is hot enough, gently slide each thattai and deep fry in batches. You can fry 5-6 in each batch depending on the size of your pan.
- Once done, drain them onto an absorbent paper napkin and let them cool to room temperature.
- Repeat the process till you are done with the dough.
- Cool them and store them in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Adjust seasonings and spices to suit your taste.
- Do not add butter more than required. Excess butter will disintegrate Thattai while deep frying them.
- Butter can be replaced with ghee or oil. You can also replace with coconut oil for a different flavour.
- Using roasted gram flour (pottukadalai mavu) is optional.
- Also, quantities of seasonings can be added as per your taste.
- If you add excess water to prepare dough, they will absorb more oil and also loses its crunch.
- While frying, the remaining dough should not be left open, as it will be dried up. Instead cover the dough with a moist cloth completely. This is to retain the moisture in the dough and not to dry up. Or you can mix the dough in small quantities for each batch.
- Frying on very low heat will yield very oily Thattai...So, the temperature of the oil should be neither too hot or too low.
- Remember that the thattai will be lighter in colour when you remove from oil but will turn to golden colour once it cools down.
- Let the rice crackers cool completely before storing in an air tight container.
Do check out Andhra Style Chakkalu, Pottukadalai Murukku, Ribbon Pakoda and other collections from blog!!
Some Popular evening snacks from blog:
- Bread Bonda
- Punugulu With Idli Dosa Batter
- Challa Punugulu
- Adai Kunukku
- Jeera Cookies
- Masala French Fries
- Onion Pakoda
- Vegetable Chop
And many more to come!!…..Stay Tuned!!
Hungry for more? Never miss a recipe!!…Subscribe to MasalaKorb and have posts delivered straight to your inbox! And connect with me on Facebook, Google, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.
Do subscribe to my YouTube Channel for latest video alerts!!
Did you make a recipe? Make sure to tag your photo with this hashtag: #masalakorb
Happy Cooking 
Cheers!!
Padma.
