Homemade Rice Flour is used to make several bakshanams or savories not only for festivals like Diwali and for tea time snacks.
It is also used as a thickening agent while making kulambu, especially South Indian gravies.
You can make bakshanams like Cashew Nut Murukku, Potato Murukku & Mullu Murukku also also snacks like Chili Paneer, Dill Leaves Pakora & Kurkuri Bhindi.
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If you are going to ask me why the heck would anyone really have to make rice flour at home when you can just get a pack of it off the shelves in any grocery store, my answer would be, it is economical & cleaner without any adulteration.
While there is nothing wrong with buying from shops, I, for one have never bought rice flour from shops, yes never. If any of the elderly ladies ever come to know that I indeed have, they would have my scalp.
As it is so easy to prepare, I've always preferred homemade rice flour not just for making the South Indian bakshanams (savories/snacks) but also for making a lot of other recipes with it.
What rice to use?
To make homemade rice flour always use Maavu Pacharisi. It is nothing but short-grained raw rice. It is a variety of raw rice that is different from the one that we daily use to cook for lunch.
It is usually used for making Ven Pongal & Sakkarai Pongal.
How is it different from using store-bought Idiyappam flour?
Store-bought Idiyappam flour is often used as a substitute for homemade rice flour in order to save time.
But keep in mind that idiyappam flour is ground & then roasted well before packing it.
It absorbs more water to make the dough than when compared to homemade rice flour as it is not roasted which will be a problem especially if you are a beginner. You simply cannot follow a recipe to the T & you have to use your intuition to get the right consistency.
The dough made with idiyappam flour also dries out quickly & many times the murukku made using that flour will break while squeezing because of drying out.
FAQs
It is because this rice variety of raw rice absorbs more water during soaking, which gives you more flour, which is much more economical than store-bought flour.
Also, the bakshanam (Savory/snack) that you make with the flour, stays crisp and crunchy for a long time when stored.
If you live in a country where you do not get maavu pacharisi, then use regular raw rice.
It depends on how often & how much you use rice flour in your home. If you make snacks or savories often then it is better if you make it in bulk & grind the flour at the flour mill. Otherwise, make a smaller quantity using the mixie jar at home itself.
If the flour is hot or warm from the heat of the machine, then let it come to room temperature before storing it in an airtight steel container or food-grade plastic container.
Homemade processed rice flour when stored properly can last up to 6 to 8 months. There is no fear of any worms attacking the flour at any time.
Always use a clean & dry spoon to remove the flour from the container making sure that no moisture comes into contact with the flour which will reduce the shelf life.
Recipes using Rice Flour
Recipe
Homemade Rice Flour
Ingredients
- 2 cups Maavu Pachrisi or Regular Raw Rice
Instructions
- Pick, clean, and wash rice, rinsing it twice or thrice.
- Soak in plenty of water for 2-3 hours. If not possible, you need to soak at least for 1 hour.
- Drain the water completely. Spread a clean cloth (preferably cotton) on the floor, transfer the soaked rice to the cloth, and spread it well on the cloth.
- Let it air dry completely. Make sure that you dry it in shade. The time for drying depends on the weather and the quantity of rice. I always do it inside my home and not in direct sunlight.
- After it dries, the texture of the rice would be brittle and crisp. If the quantity of the rice is just 2 cups or less than that, grind it to a powder using the mixie jar. But if it is a kg or more, better to grind the rice in the flour mill.
- Sieve after grinding to remove any leftover partly ground grains. If the flour is hot or warm from the heat of the machine, then let it come to room temperature.
- Store this homemade rice flour in an airtight jar and use it as required.
Anu Ram
Where did you get the maavu pachai arisi from in the US?
Radhika
Hi, I'm in Chennai and you get it in all the shops here.