Mandia(Ragi/Fingermillet ) Sev

Ingredients

1. Mandia(Ragi/Fingermillet ) flour -1.½cup
2. Besan (gram flour)-  1cup
3. Turmeric powder –  ¼  tsp
4. Red chili powder – ½ tsp
5. Asafoetida (hing)-  1 pinch (optional)
6. Ajwain (Carom) seed- ½ tsp
7. Salt – as required
8. Baking soda- 1 pinch (optional)
9. Oil- for frying

Preparation Method

• Take a plate, mix Mandia (Ragi/Finger millet) flour, salt, besan and sieve them to remove any husk or other impurities.
• Add all the spices to the mix like – turmeric powder, red chili powder, ajwain (carom) seeds, baking soda, and hing (asafetida).
• Mix the whole thing very well. Keep aside.
• Take a pan and heat 4 tbsp oil till it becomes light hot.
• Pour the light hot oil into the centre of mix flour.
• Allow the oil to slightly cool. Once the oil has become warm, then rub the oil with the flour mixture and mix it well.
• Then add the required water and begin to knead.
• The dough should be soft and smooth. (If the dough becomes sticky then add mix flour and knead again. If the dough is dry or hard, then add a few teaspoons of water).
• Cover the dough with a wet cloth and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• After 15 to 20 minutes, remove the wet cloth and knead again for a minute.
• For making the sev, grease thesevmoulds and the discs with little oil.
• Rub a little bit of oil in your hands. Take a part of the dough, roll it and gentlyplace in the sev maker. Cover the sev maker with the lid.
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai. The oil has to hot before you fry the sev. (You can do a small test by adding a piece of dough, if it rises gradually then the oil is hot enough.
• In the hot oil, directly press the sev maker to make sev. Move in a circular motion so that sev is equally distributed.
• The oil will sizzle as soon as it comes in contact with the sev.
• Once the base has turned golden and become crisp, then gently turn over and fry the other side.
• Fry until the sev becomes crisp and the oil stops sizzling.
• With a spoon remove the fried sev from the oil.
• Place the fried sev on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Repeat the same with leftover dough.
• Once they come to room temperature, then break the sev.
• Store it into an air-tight container and serve as a tea time snack .

(You can add more spices as per your requirements/ choices to make spicy sev.)

Prepared by: Sabnam Aferin

Cuttack, Odisha

You can reach her at [email protected]