Omappodi is a traditional South Indian snack made from rice flour and spices. It is a type of murukku, which is a deep-fried snack popular in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. To make omapodi, rice flour is mixed with gram flour (besan), asafoetida (hing), salt, and other spices like chili powder or cumin seeds. Water is added to form a smooth dough. The dough is then passed through a special omapodi press or sev maker, which has a disc with tiny round holes. The dough is pressed through the holes to form thin, noodle-like strands. These strands are deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Once fried, omapodi is drained on kitchen paper to remove excess oil. It is usually served as a crunchy snack on its own or as an accompaniment to tea or coffee. Omapodi is known for its unique spiral shape and crunchy texture. It has a mild, savory flavor with a hint of spiciness from the added chili powder or cumin seeds. It is a popular snack during festive occasions like Diwali or served as a crunchy appetizer at parties. Overall, omapodi is a delicious and addictive snack that is enjoyed by people of all ages in South India. Its sprinkled with Ajwain (omam) and hence the name.
Omapodi
6
servings10
minutes20
minutesA snack dish made with Besan and rice flour sprinkled with Ajwain (omam) and hence the name.
Ingredients
Besan flour – 2 cups
Rice flour – 1/2 cup
Butter – 2 teaspoons
Omam (Ajwain) – 2 teaspoons
Red Chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Asafoetida powder – 2 pinches
Salt – 2 teaspoon or as per taste
Oil – for frying
Directions
- To infuse your dish with the flavor of Omam, you can opt for one of the following methods:
- Soak the omam seeds in hot water for approximately one hour, then strain the liquid.
- Alternatively, after soaking the omam, grind it into a paste and then strain the mixture to extract the essence.
- Boil the omam seeds, allow them to cool, and then strain the water to capture the flavor.
- If you prefer a dry method, dry-roast the omam seeds until fragrant, and then grind them into a fine powder.
- Choose the method that best suits your culinary needs.
- Recipe
- First, sift both the besan and rice flour into a large mixing bowl. Add butter, red chili powder, asafoetida powder, and salt. Mix these ingredients thoroughly by hand. Gradually incorporate the omam-infused water, stirring continuously to ensure a smooth blend. Add additional water as needed to achieve a soft, pliable dough.
- Next, heat oil in a kadai with a thick bottom.
- Fill a Murukku Press fitted with an omapodi plate featuring small holes. Carefully squeeze out the dough in a circular motion directly into the hot oil. Fry the strands until they achieve a crispy texture and a golden-yellow hue, taking care not to let them brown.
- Once fried to perfection, remove them from the oil and transfer to a paper towel to drain excess oil. After cooling, store your omapodi in an airtight container to maintain its crispiness.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Heat the oil in the kadai and simultaneously start making the dough, so that as soon as you knead the dough, the oil will be hot and immediately you can start making the omapodi. If you keep the dough for long time, omapodi will become red. If you are preparing large quantity, you can mix only a small portion of flours and make the dough.
- For the above quantity, you will get 6 to 8 big murukkus (approx 1 big bowl of omapodi).
Today i have tried your omapodi. Taste is very good. The grinding omam is good idea. I have tried with only one cup and got 5 medium size rounds.
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
Thank you Chidambari for your kind feed back.
The omapodi turned great…. Thanks a lot for the recipe:)
Thank you Tamilselvi for the feed back.
can i add more chilli powder to make it spicy? will it taste good?
You can add more chilli powder to make it spicy. However, it will override the omam flavour.
Hi Kamala,
Can use please give the receipe for mullumurruku made the traditional way? Thanks
Lata
Hi Lata Ram,
Mullu Murukku is normally prepared with rice, bengal gram dhal and green gram dhal. Ratio is 4:1 rice flour and dhal powders. For quick spicy version check my recipehttps://www.kamalascorner.com/2011/01/mullu-murukku.html
Hello Kamala,
Instead of soaking omum in water and grinding, I am always frying it for 2 miniuts in kadai and grind in the mixi, then put the powder with flours. This is my moms method.I think we can get the omum powder instantly.
Thank u for receipes.
Yes. Omam powder is available in the shops and we can add it too. Soaking the omam and use the water will make the flavour mild.
What is besan?
I know this is against the name omapodi but can i skip omam n add something like jeera powder, it’s just that i dont have stock. Will it taste ok?
Yes. You can use jeera powder. In that case add little3 red chilli powder along with jeera powder to get spicy taste.
Thank u 🙂