Health Benefits of Kara Mixture

Ingredients

The following are the ingredients needed for Kara Mixture,

Main ingredients: 

• Kara Boondi - 1 cup
• Omapodi - 1 cup
• Kara Sev - 1 cup 
• Murukku - 1 cup
• Roasted gram - 1/4 cup
• Peanuts - 2 tablespoons (fried)
• Cashews - 1 tablespoon (chopped and fried)
• Aval/Poha/ Flattened rice - 1/4 cup (fried)
• Curry leaves a handful or as preferred (fried)
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste.

Other ingredients:

• Gram flour - 3 cups
• Rice flour - 11/2 cup
• Urad dal flour - 1/4 cup
• Carom seeds/Ajwain/Omam - 2 tablespoons
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chilli powder - as preferred
• Turmeric powder - 2 teaspoons
• Asafoetida/Hing - 1 teaspoon
• Butter - 2 teaspoons
• Salt as required
• Water as required for dough
• Oil as required for deep fry
• Pan - Wide heavy bottomed one for deep fry

Preparation Steps

For preparing Kara Boondi:

1. Take a large bowl, add one cup of gram flour, one tablespoon of rice flour, chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of asafoetida and salt and mix well. 
2. Add water as much as required to mix the flour into a batter. It must have a consistency that is a little thinner than that of Dosa batter.
3. In the pan, add oil as required for deep fry and let it heat at high flame.
4. Once the oil is hot enough take a 'Kara Boondi karandi' or any perforated steel plate or ladle hold it above the pan. Take the prepared batter and gently pour on the perforated surface. If required gently tap on it.
5. The small balls of Kara Boondi will start to float up at this time, gently stir them all to cook evenly.
6. Let it fry until it turns golden brown colour. Once the sizzling sound and bubbles have stopped take it out and transfer it a strainer or tissue paper to remove excess oil.

For preparing Omapodi:

1. Soak and grind two tablespoons of carom seeds by sprinkle water. 
2. Take this paste on a filter, add water to it and squeeze down the juice. Keep it aside.
3. Take a wide bowl add one cup of gram flour, a quarter cup of rice flour, chilli powder, a pinch of turmeric powder, salt, butter and around half to one tablespoon of carom seed juice and knead.
4. Add more water if required and knead it into a soft dough.
5. Grease the murukku maker/mould with oil and use the one with small holes. 
6. In the pan where the oil is already heated, squeeze the dough directly into the pan.
7. Gently flip it to cook evenly.
8. Once the sizzling sound and bubbles have completely stopped take it out and break it into pieces.

For preparing Murukku:

1. In a wide bowl add one cup rice flour, a quarter cup of urad dal flour, a quarter teaspoon of cumin seeds, salt and a half teaspoon of butter. Knead it into a soft dough by adding water little by little. 
2. Grease the murukku maker with oil, fill in the prepared dough and squeeze it in murukku shape into the pan with hot oil.
3. Break it into medium sized pieces and keep it aside.

For preparing Kara Mixture:

1. In a wide bowl or container add the prepared Kara Boondi, Omapodi, Murukku and rest of the main ingredients such as roasted gram, peanuts, cashews, aval, curry leaves one by one and mix well.
2. In a small bowl, add chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida as mentioned in main ingredients, salt as required, mix well and add it to the mixed content.
3. Toss and mix all the contents well and Kara Mixture is ready, this can be stored in an airtight container and can be fresh for a month.

You can also include other traditional snacks such as Kara Sev and Ribbon Pakoda and other ingredients like roasted garlic, corn flakes, lentils and more.