Vella seedai (crispy sweet snack)

Name: Vella seedai
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 cups rice flour; 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp urad dal flour; 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder; 8 cardamom pods; 1/2 cup small coconut pieces; 2 heaped tsp white sesame seeds; 1.25 cups powdered jaggery (2 cups if they are mini blocks); 150 ml refined oil for frying

Published October 24, 2018 · Updated October 25, 2018

This is what I call a bumper recipe :). Every time we have have some festival around the corner it’s either something during a week day which implies when I am home, I am already seeing finished products ready to be devoured or it’s on a weekend which implies I am home but mostly sleeping and when I get up, I am already seeing finished products ready to be devoured :D. Even if I suggest to my MIL that I can get up early for documenting, she gets all jittery because she’s already handling multiple bakshanams (goodie/ festival must have food items) and me in the middle of everything to document is just going to be a hassle and nothing else. And not forgetting to mention – her way of measurement is generally different from the American standard cup measurements which means she takes the measurements her way & then passes it on to me for my blog measurements, hahahaha. So in short you get why I am saying this one is a bumper recipe :). I gotta document this goodie that is made during Krishna Jayanthi (Krishna god’s happy bday) which I absolutely absolutely love. I distincly remember having made this just once before when I was in bangalore & my parents were so excited they both were fighting to give each of their recipes :D. After I had finished making these, both of them were questioning my method to conclude which one of them were the winners :D. I am quite sure I would have pleased my dad and not my mom because I just had to impress dad & never had it in me to break his heart for these things (I think I reserved the heart breaking for things I should have actually not broken his heart for :D). Anywho, as it stands now I have no clue what exactly I did that day & I don’t want to be thinking that going forward as well and hence knew I had to document this. For once, my mil was all ready & enthu about it only cos she said she already had the measurements bang on & the dish never fails. And ooh, vella seedai are these small, on the outside crispy but inside soft kinda balls done using Jaggery (vellam) & primarily rice flour with other condiments.

Vella seedai

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp urad dal flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
8 cardamom pods
1/2 cup small coconut pieces
2 heaped tsp white sesame seeds
1.25 cups powdered jaggery 2 cups if they are mini blocks
150 ml refined oil for frying

Instructions

Dry roast cardamom pods. Remove the skin & powder (grind/ pound) the seeds. Set it aside.
Dry roast the urad dal flour in high heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a large bowl. bowl.
Add the rice flour, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder, coconut pieces to the same bowl. Mix well.
In a small vessel, heat jaggery along with water. Once the jaggery is dissolved in water, turn off the heat.
Pour the jaggery water on top of the flour mixture & mix well. Keep aside some hot water & add to this mixture if needed.
The consistency of the mixture should resemble that of a super mashed banana. The mixture will solidify as it gets cooler.
Once the mixture is cooled down, add the sesame seeds & mix well.
Grease your palms & make small balls (a big grape size) and set them on a plastic sheet or greased plate.
Meanwhile, heat up some oil in a pan & fry the balls in batches of 10-20 at a time.
Fry the balls in medium heat for 5-7 minutes (or till they turn golden brown).
Transfer on to a kitchen towel or an oil draining vessel & let the balls cool down.
Once entirely cooled down, transfer to an airtight container & enjoy the bakshanam for upto 7-10 days.

Recipe Notes

If the mixture becomes very watery, add a bit of rice flour.
You can use cardamom powder directly if you have it.

Stepwise pictures

Dry roast the cardamom pods, remove the skin & grind it / pound it. Set it aside. Also dry roast urad dal flour for 2 minutes on high heat & transfer to a large bowl.

To this add the rice flour, nutmeg, cardamom powder & chopped coconut pieces. Mix well.

In a small vessel, heat jaggery along with water.

Once the jaggery is completely dissolved in water, turn off the heat.

Add the hot jaggery water on top of the flour mixture & mix well. Keep aside some hot water & add to this if needed.

The mixture consistency you are looking for should be like a super mashed banana (since the mixture is still a bit hot, the mixture will further solidify).

Add the sesame seeds once the mixture cools down & combine well.

The consistency you are looking for is a slightly pasty flour.

Grease your palm & roll small balls (a big grape) from the mixture.

You can make these and set it on a plastic sheet or a greased plate.

Meanwhile, heat oil to fry these.

Once your oil is hot enough, fry the balls 10-20 at a time (more or less will depend on the oil and the pan) on medium heat till they become golden brown in colour.

Transfer to a vessel that drains excess oil or onto a kitchen towel. Once they cool down, transfer them to an airtight container. They stay well for upto 7-10 days.