Homemade sev is a crunchy snack that can elevate the taste of any dish it’s added to, taking it to the next level. The advantage of making it at home is that you can use good cooking oil, and the process is easy. It can be enjoyed on its own or used as a topping for poha, chaats, and various curries.
My mother-in-law always made these at home, emphasizing that the fine sev available in the market is often excessively oily. Living in the USA, where Indian grocery stores may not be easily accessible, I tried to recreate the same recipe at home. Making sev and a few other snacks has become a regular practice in my household, and everyone, including my 5-year-old, enjoys them.
How to make Sev :
Start by soaking the ajwain in water and set it aside for some time. Add the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl, pour in the hot oil, and give it a good mix. Grind the ajwain in a mixer jar and pour the liquids into the dry mix. Give it a good mix until a soft, pliable dough is formed. Use wet hands to shape the dough into a log and place it into the sev mold. Shape it into hot oil and fry until it turns nice and golden. Strain the sev from the hot oil and place it on a wire rack or a paper towel. Store it in an airtight container, and it can be used for 15-20 days.
Serving suggestion for Sev :
Serve the homemade sev as a crunchy and flavorful snack. Enjoy it on its own or use it as a topping for chaats ,Poha and other dishes.
Sev
Equipment
- 1 Sev mould to press the sev shape in oil.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Besan gram flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp smoked hot oil
- 1 tbsp ajwain carom seeds
- 1/4 cup water to soak the ajwain
- Water as required to make a smooth dough
- Oil for deep frying the sev
Instructions
- Soak ajwain in 1/4 cup water and set it aside for at least 30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric, and black pepper powder. Add smoked hot oil to the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon and then use your hands to mix it well.
- Grind the ajwain in the mixer jar. Strain the soaked ajwain water into the mixture.
- Gradually add water as needed and knead to form a smooth, pliable dough. Knead it well for 5 minutes and incorporate some air into the dough.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- Attach the ‘sev’ attachment to the sev maker. Fill the sev maker with the prepared dough. Use wet hands to fill in the dough; otherwise, the dough will stick to hands. Dip your hands in water as and when required.
- Once the oil is hot, press the sev maker directly over the hot oil, moving it in a circular motion to form concentric circles or straight lines. Use a slotted spoon to open up the sev added to the hot oil so that the sev fries evenly.
- Fry until the sev turns golden and becomes firm. Flip or turn the sev halfway so that it fries on the other side too. Ensure the flame is medium to prevent burning.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried sev from the oil and place it on absorbent paper to drain excess oil.
- Allow the sev to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.
