Tomorrow is Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, and we know when it’s approaching when our Indian neighbour starts preparing the front of their apartment to draw their annual art piece on the floor just outside their door.
It’s beautifully done in acrylic paint and is always vibrant and colourful. Closer to midnight tonight, they’ll add the finishing touches and then surround it with tealights and candles to kickstart the festivities.
Cooking seems to have started in earnest this morning, as the fragrant smell of onions browning and spices sautéing hangs in the air, followed by the alluring scent of masala chicken, deep-fried fish, rich coconut curries and other homemade goodies.
Goodies like muruku, a crunchy deep-fried snack made with different types of flour and seasoned with various spices. Similar to last year, our neighbour rang our doorbell and generously handed us a container filled to the brim with homemade muruku.
The families living on our floor are generally quite private, and while we usually smile and greet each other when we cross paths, we don’t cross paths often.
But last year, we happened to walk past as they were hunched over their annual art piece and spent some time admiring their handiwork. It was elaborate and they must have spent many hours designing and drawing it.
We complimented them on their creativity and they were clearly very appreciative of our appreciation. A couple of hours later, we received our very first container of muruku and reciprocated with a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
It’s not easy to find good muruku in Singapore. We’ve tried many brands, from the more mainstream brands to the lesser known ones, from those made locally as well as those imported from India.
While the ingredient list on the packages is always long and includes all sorts of spices, the flavour often doesn’t match up and usually ends up being quite one-dimensional with some even leaving quite an unpleasant aftertaste.
The store-bought versions also tend to be too crunchy and hard-to-bite, probably an unfortunate by product of having an extended shelf life. With our teeth not being as strong as they used to be, this was definitely a no-no.
Our neighbour’s homemade muruku is the complete opposite, with a complex but well-balanced spice profile and a texture that, while still retaining its crunchiness, doesn’t make us worry about our enamel.
The pleasant aftertaste lingers for quite a while and even the post-snack burps are an enjoyable experience (sorry for the TMI). Rationing the precious amount is always challenging, but we’ve been able to stretch it out for close to a week.
Every time we take out a few pieces to enjoy, we’re reminded of how few are left and feel a little sad. But we’re comforted by the thought that there’s always next year to look forward to.
For those of you celebrating tomorrow, here’s wishing you a Happy Deepavali!
