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.

Mixture

To make mixture:

Add 2tbsp oil in a pan. Put 2 tsp redchilli pdr, a pinch asafetida, 5-6 curry leaves, ½ cup peanuts , ¼ cup pottukadalai and a handful kismis. Fry it in low flame stiring every now and then.

Soak ½ cup thin poha in water for 5mnts. Drain the water. Add this poha also to the above fried things and fry again for another 5 mnts.

Add the prepared boondi and omappodi (break it into small pieces) to it.

Add some salt if necessary. Add 1 tsp oil in the end and mix well.

Let it cool down and then store it in a tight container.

To make Bhoondi:

1. Take 1 cup Bengal gram flour. Add 2 tbsp of rice flour and a pinch of soda. Add salt to taste. Add enough water to make it a semiliquid batter.
2. Heat oil in a deep pan. Keep the boondi ladle(it will have holes) on top of the oil.
3. Add 1 ladle batter and just tap it. Small drops of boondi will fall into the oil.fry it .
4. See that it doesnot turn colour. Repeat this till all the batter are done.

To make Omappodi:

1. Mix 1 cup Bengal gram flour, 1/2 cup rice flour, asafetida, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp redchilli pdr and salt to taste. Make it into a thick dough adding enough water.
2. Heat oil in a pan.
3. Fill the press with the dough. Holding it over the hot oil press it into circles.
4. When it is fully cooked take it out and put it on apaper towel. Repeat this for the rest of the dough.

Thattai

Raw rice – 2 cups
Urad dal – ¼ cup
Butter- 1/4 stick
Bengal gram dal – ¼ cup
Redchilli pdr – 2 tsp
Asafoetida – 2 pinches
Curry leaves – 3-4

Method

1. Soak the rice in water for 2 hrs. Wash and drain the water. Spread it on a cloth for 1 hr. Grind it in the mixie and make it into pdr. Sift it.
2. Fry the urad dal into light brown with out adding oil. Grind it in the mixie and sift it.
3. Soak the Bengal gram dal in water for 15mnts. Drain it.
4. Add the urad flour,soaked Bengal gram dal,redchillipdr,butter,curry leave,asafetida to the rice flour. Add enough water to make it into a dough and let it sit for 5 mnts.
5. Take a ziplock cover. Apply oil on it . Make small balls of the dough and pat it on the ziplock cover into a round shape(make thin rounds). Deep fry 4-6 at a time in oil.