Vella Cheedai / Seedai

Today is Janmashtami or Gokulashtami - Lord Krishna's birthday. On this festive day, cheedai/seedais, which are deep-fried balls made primarily with rice flour and black gram flour, are prepared. As with most Indian delicacies, there are sweet and savory versions of cheedai. 

I'm sharing a popular sweet version of cheedai today. It is a simple preparation with jaggery syrup sweetening rice flour and black gram flour. Some toasted sesame seeds, coconut and cardamom season the cheedais with crunch and flavor. 

Cheedais have a notorious reputation for bursting when frying in hot oil. It has led to many unfortunate accidents. However, sweet cheedais are less prone to bursting than its savory counterpart. So, if you are attempting this for the first time, be a little cautious and step slightly away from the oil, keeping your face and limbs at a safe distance when the cheedais are frying. But, don't fret much. If an accident-prone clumsy person like me can make this cheedai safely, so can you!

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice flour
2. 2 cups grated jaggery / brown sugar
3. 1/4 cup whole skinned black gram / ulundu / urad dal
4. 1/4 cup grated coconut
5. 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
6. 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
7. 1.5 tablespoons ghee / clarified butter
8. Oil for deep frying (canola, sunflower or vegetable oil)

Preparation:

1. Dry roast the rice flour until warm. Do not let it change color. Sieve the flour and discard any hard lumps or stones. Break down the softer lumps and sieve again. 
2. Dry roast the black gram until reddish brown. Cool and grind to a smooth powder. Sieve the flour and discard the coarse bits. 
3. Dry roast the sesame seeds until they begin to change color. Remove from heat. In the remnant heat of the pan, lightly toast the coconut. 
4. In a saucepan, begin to heat/melt the jaggery with a tablespoon of water. Keep a small cup of water next to you. Keep stirring and melting the jaggery for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat. When the jaggery melts and begins to very gently bubble, drop a small bit into the cup of water. If the jaggery doesn't dissolve in the water, take it from the water and try to roll it between your fingers. If the jaggery is too soft to be rolled, but doesn't dissolve in the water then you have reached the optimum stage. Immediately remove from heat and mix in cardamom and the toasted sesame seeds and coconut.
5. Slowly add the rice flour and mix it into the jaggery syrup with the help of a ladle. Next, add the black gram flour and mix it in. 
6. Add ghee to the mixture, and when warm enough to handle, begin to knead the dough. You may have to add water, depending on how much moisture there is. I had to slowly add a little more than 1/4 cup of water to pull the dough together. Knead and sprinkle water as needed to pull the dough together. The dough need not be as soft as roti dough. When you can roll small balls of the dough that don't crack, the dough is ready. 
7. Start heating oil in a pot. As the oil heats, roll out marble sized balls of the dough. Check if the oil is hot by adding a small piece of the dough to the oil. If it begins frying and sizzling immediately, the oil is ready. Now, reduce the heat to low-medium (because you want the insides of the dough to cook) and add about 5 balls at a time and deep fry on both sides until they turn maroonish brown in color. Remove and drain on paper towels. 

The cheedai will crack slightly in places, don't be alarmed. Store in an air-tight container and enjoy as a snack!