Each region in India has its own
unique way of celebrating Janmashtami, and this is reflected in the variety of
sweets that are prepared for the occasion.
In Tamil Nadu ,Two varieties of
seedai and verkadalai urundai, are prepared. The festival is celebrated in the
evening as Krishna was born at midnight. Most people observe a strict fast on
this day.
Seedai is of two variations:
!. Uppu seedai – snack
2. vella seedai - sweet
Uppu seedai or salt seedai is a
popular snack in Tamil Nadu and is a popular fried offering made for
Gokulashtami. It is made with ground rice and urad dal and can be
stored for a month. This dish requires experience in the kitchen because the
seedai balls may burst in the oil if the dough is not moisture-free. Recipe Here
Seedai is one of the integral part
of the offerings made for Gokulashtami. I love sweet seedai more than uppu
seedai. Also sweet seedai is easy to make and has very less chances for
bursting too so perfect for beginners to try.
The word ‘Vella’ means jaggery in
tamil and ‘Seedai’ is a crispy snack so Vella Seedai is basically sweet seedai
made with jaggery. Vella Seedai is prepared using rice flour, urad dal flour
along with jaggery, butter, sesame seeds and coconut.
The butter in the snack resembles
the fondness of Krishna for butter and the sweetness resembles the
fondness of children for sweet – hence extensively made on Gokulashtami or
Krishna Jayanthi or Janmashtami. The snack is offered to God as neiveidhyam and
then consumed.
Traditionally seedai is made from
the scratch by making homemade flours which includes rice flour and urad dal
flour then making seedai. But these days many don’t have the time to make the
flours from the scratch so you can make use of store bought flours.
You can make your homemade flour
or use store bought ready made flour too. What ever flour you use make sure to
roast and sieve it that is the important step to avoid bursting of seedai. Then
while making jaggery syrup make sure to strain and use. The dust particles if
not strained may lead to bursting seedai so take care.
Moisture – The moisture or
air trapped inside the balls will make the seedai burst so pricking with holes
with a toothpick or any sharp object and resting it in a dry cloth for 30
minutes are the tips given by my friend. Also roasting coconut ensures there is
no moisture in it also.
Sieving – Whatever flour you
use either homemade or store bought roasting and sieving is a must.
Jaggery syrup – While making
jaggery syrup you need not check for consistencies, just boil until jaggery
dissolves that is enough. Also make sure to strain the syrup before using.
Grinding – If the rice and
urad dal flour are not grind and sieved well they will end up having small
grains in between which will cause the seedai to burst. So make sure both the
flours are sieved well and are very fine.
Rolling – Do not roll the
balls tight, do them as smooth and gentle as possible. If you roll it tight
then air bubbles might get trapped inside making them to burst. Also don’t
expect to get perfect rounds just pinch roll and allow it to rest.
Drying – After the balls are
made make sure to rest it in a cloth for a while for the extra moisture to
leave. The wetness or moisture in the balls may lead to seedai bursting so
always give it a good resting time.
Seedai can be served as a snack
with evening tea or coffee. Store in an airtight container to retain freshness.
Need not refrigerate. Keeps well for about a week.
No comments:
Post a Comment