Chegodi

Chegodi has the kind of crunch that makes a sound. Not the soft crunch of baked things, but the sharp snap of rice flour done right in hot oil. It's a ring-shaped murukku — thicker and more substantial than the thin spiral chakli, with a texture that holds up well and doesn't turn soggy.

These are made with rice flour, sesame seeds, cumin, Guntur red chilli and a little butter to make the dough pliable. The rings are shaped by hand and deep-fried in clean oil until they're completely crisp. The sesame seeds toast in the frying and add their own nutty flavour to the finished snack.

In Andhra homes, chegodi shows up during Sankranti and Dasara — it's made in large batches at festival time and shared between families. Outside festival season, it's the snack you make when someone is coming over and you want something more interesting than store-bought chips.

Eat them plain with tea. Eat them as a before-meal snack. They keep well in an airtight container for two to three weeks.