Murukku a must for Deepavali
GEORGE TOWN: The traditional South Indian savoury snack murukku is not only a favourite of the Indians but also favoured by the Malays and Chinese.
Deepavali is not complete without this traditional snack, which is usually made by the ladies of the house to ensure the quality and the taste is maintained.
Housewife R. Sinnamah, 70, said that every year her family members would make her children’s favourite snack.
“People like to eat murukku because of its crunchiness.
“I will make it myself so that I can add more ingredients in keeping with our family’s preferred taste.
“Besides, children and guests who come to celebrate with us regardless whether they are Malays, Chinese or Indians, will look for my murukku first.
“Usually a month or two weeks before Deepavali, we will start making it. Even our neighbours come over to help out,” she told Bernama.
Using ingredients such as rice flour, black gram flour, biji lemuju, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, butter and a pinch of salt, she said murukku is easy to make because the ingredients are easy to obtain.
Sinnamah said apart from serving murukku on Deepavali day, she also makes it to be given to the public through an NGO, of which she is a member.
“For the past 10 years, the organisation had been distributing food to the needy and this year, we decided to distribute snacks like muruku and kerepek to two prisons in George Town and Jawi Seberang Perai Selatan,” said the mother of two.
She said muruku can foster unity and forge closer ties between the races when it is produced and consumed together.