Salt Cheedai

This a very nice after noon snack to munch. This is usually made in our community for Krishna Jayanthi. This is the first time I am trying and it was a success .
In india I have heard my mother's generation talk about cheedai which can betray you. If there are lumps in the rice or urad flour it might pop and spread the oil all over the working area.
So all these years I was not prepared to take a risk. My mother would send cheedais whenever somebody comes from India. My kids and hubby likes it so much whenever they are walking past kitchen counter they would take some and munch. So I thought why not I try it.
I included my small ones to help me make small balls from the dough. They had fun since they had a counting game.
Also I was very careful with the oil. So here it is from my kitchen for you to try.

Ingredients

Raw Rice – 2 cups
Urad dal – ¼ cup
Butter – ¼ cup
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds, pepper pdr – 2 tsp each
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil for deep frying

Method

Wash and soak rice for 1 hr and drain it. Spread it over a piece of cloth. After 2-3 hrs grind it in the mixie into rice flour. In a kadai fry the flour till it is light brown in low heat. Sift through a coarse sieve so that there are no lumps.

Fry the urad dal till it is light brown. Grind it in the mixie into a smooth flour. Sift and Mix it to the rice flour.

Add the butter, salt to taste, asafoetida, cumin seeds and pepper pdr. Mix well. Add enough water to make it into a thick dough. Spread a wet towel. Pinch small balls of the dough and put it on the towel so that it does not get dry.

Heat the oil. Put the Cheedai(10-15 nos at a time) into the oil and fry it till golden colour.

PS: Instead of pepper pdr , chilli pdr can be used.