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It also helps that Malaysians are serious foodies and food is indeed aplenty during the Deepavali season, with some snacks being a must-have in every home.
What’s interesting though is that many of these snacks have more history to them than you might reckon:
1. Murukku
There really is no other snack more symbolic of Deepavali than this crunchy, savoury treat.
It is made from rice flour seasoned with salt and spices, then shaped into concentric circles before being deep-fried.
But where does this famous snack come from? Its name actually gives a hint, since it is derived from the Tamil word for “twisted”.
This is an undeniably southern Indian treat hailing from the state of Tamil Nadu, though its popularity has since spread far and wide.
One town in India named Manapparai is particularly famous for its variant of murukku, which is highly sought after for its distinctive taste.
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2. Ladoo
Saccharinely sweet balls of sugar and flour, enjoying a ladoo or two is worth getting oral cavities for during the Deepavali season.
There are many variations of ladoo, with til (black sesame) and narikol (coconut) ladoos being among the most well-known.
Surprisingly enough, they are quite the ancient treat, used by an Indian doctor in 4th century BC as an antiseptic. Susruta’s ladoos were made from nutritious ingredients such as sesame seeds, jaggery and peanuts as well as pure honey.
There are also other mentions of the snack in historical records, with soldiers of the Chola Empire having them included as rations.
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3. Rava kesari
Another sweet snack, the rava kesari is something of a pudding, being made from semolina, sugar, ghee, water and milk.
It is also quite common for cooks to use fruits such as banana, mango and coconut to give the soft snack a fruity flavour.
Sometimes eaten as a breakfast dish, the name “kesari” refers to saffron, the spice which gives the snack its distinctive orange and yellow hues.
As to the origins of the rava kesari, it is generally assumed that it hails from southern India but multiple states lay claim to it as well.
However, it is a particularly popular dish among families from the state of Karnataka, where it is known as kesari bat.
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4. Teepi Gavvalu
They look like cowrie shells you can find on the beach and unsurprisingly, that’s exactly what the Telugu name “gavvalu” hints at.
A crunchy snack, the most popular variants are the sweet sugar gavvalu and bellam (jaggery) gavvalu or the spicy karam gavvalu.
In some places, the bellam gavvalu is consumed as an after-meal dessert, as it is said to help with one’s digestion.
Strangely enough, the gavvalu bears a striking resemblance to the Italian gnocchi, and they are both prepared in a similar fashion, with dough rolled on a wooden board to create pretty indentations.
Andhra Pradesh is often named as the gavvalu’s place of origin but its popularity has long spread beyond the state’s borders.
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5. Achu Murukku
An iconic snack in the state of Kerala, achu murukku is quite the common sight in Malaysia, regardless of what festival is being celebrated.
The name “achu” refers to the flower-shaped mould that gives the snack its distinctive and pretty shape.
While it shares some ingredients with its salty murukku cousin, it has very much its own distinctive dish, being made from sugar, eggs and coconut milk.
Questions of where this snack comes from have quite a few answers, with some claiming it as a Sri Lankan snack and others an Indian one.
Regardless of where it came from, there is no denying that it is a popular snack outside of Deepavali and among other communities as well.
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