GEORGE TOWN: Making murukku for the first time proved to be a test of patience and confidence for architecture student S. Sangeetha.
The 22-year-old struggled to press the dough into neat spirals, with the strands sometimes breaking or coming out uneven.
“I am not experienced at this but I hope by learning through trial and error, it will bring me one step closer to getting it right,” she said yesterday.
Sangeetha was among 26 members of the North Malaysia Malayali Samajam (NMMS) who gathered at its premises in Jalan Masjid Negeri to make 3,000 pieces of murukku for charity.
The snacks will be distributed to orphanages, old folks’ homes and care homes here, Butterworth, Kulim, Sungai Petani and Alor Setar.
Sangeetha said learning to make murukku helped young people appreciate their cultural roots and traditions passed down by their elders.
NMMS president Sumathi KV Nair said the 74-year-old association, which has more than 600 members across Penang, Kedah and Perlis, was holding the programme for the second year.
“Deepavali is a time for celebration, togetherness and sharing, and through this programme, we hope to bring some festive cheer to many in our community, particularly those living in care institutions,” she said.
Sumathi said the murukku, along with essentials such as rice, sugar, eggs and Milo, would be distributed before Nov 8.
At the premises, members kneaded dough, shaped the murukku, fried them and packed the finished snacks.
Some mixed rice flour, jeera (cumin), omam (carom), sesame and butter to make the dough while others pressed it through traditional moulds to form delicate spirals.
At the frying station, members lowered the spirals into hot oil, watching them turn golden brown before passing them to the packing team.
Laughter and chatter filled the premises as members worked together, with the aroma of fresh murukku wafting through the air.
