I always talk about our favourite Indian restaurant in Sydney (Abhi’s), but there is another place that we love to go to. It is called Billu’s Indian Eatery and we like to go there on weekends when they serve some of the food we enjoy the most: Indian street food. They have some of the best Aloo Tikki, Bhel Puri, Pani Puri and chaats in town. Our favourites are definitely their Channa Bhatura (a big fluffy fried bread served with chole – chickpeas) and Papri Chaat. Today, I want to share with you the recipe for a fried snack called Sev that can be served with chaats (or with tea or Masala Chai). It is made with gram flour and turmeric and it looks like thin noodles. To make Sev you need a special brass tool called Sev Sancha (or Murrukku maker) which you should be able to find at your local Indian store, like I did. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Archana’s Kitchen
Ingredients (makes approximately 5 cups):
2 cups besan/gram flour
½ tsp turmeric powder
4 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ cup water (+ 1 or 2 tbsp to add slowly if needed)
1 ½ tsp salt
Sunflower oil for deep frying
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl except for the water. Gradually add the water and knead until you get a stiff dough.
Grease the inside of the Sev Sancha with oil and place the plate with many tiny holes into the press.
Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan. When hot put the dough into the Sev Sancha and press it out into the oil in a circular movement. Cut it out with a knife. Quickly turn the sev in the hot oil over to fry on both sides. Make sure you do all this quickly as sev cooks quite fast and if it turns brown it is going to taste bitter: it has to remain golden (it will take approximately 30-40 seconds per side to cook). Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
Repeat until the dough is over.
Serve when cooled and store any left-overs in an air tight container.
I want to make this just for the fun of doing it. I know it’s delicious if you say it is but I don’t think it would matter. It looks so cool to make!
I usually buy these at indian stores in those packets. It’s great to see i can make them myself…looks like fun and even better than the stuff in packets!
What a fun looking recipe! Buzzed you! =)
You’ve brought back some memories with this recipe! My mom used to make this all the time when we were growing up 🙂 Yours is perfectly done!
WOW, i think you are amazing, a reluctant mother who is never experimenting is now going to learn the amazing skills of cooking from an easy to follow teacher. thank you so much.
I need a sev can,it must have about 4 inches in diameter and about 6 to 8 inches in height.The design must be the same like the one used to make the sev showm.
Manu, I need to buy another Murrukku maker since I did not carry mine from Bombay. Where did you get yours from? I have checked a few local Indian grocery stores and none of them carry it 🙁
Hi Trisha! Are you in Sydney?? I got mine in Harris Park, but any Indian grocery store should have it. You may need to ask, as they sometimes keep kitchenware and tools at the back of the store.
Yes Manu I am. I have checked and spoken to a few in and around Epping but haven’t had any luck. Will pop by Harris Park soon. Also, where would I be able to buy a gnocchi paddle like the one in your Pasta and Gnocchi tutorials please?
I got mine in Leichhardt. There was a kitchenware store at the Norton Plaza, but I am not sure whether it still exists or not. Any kitchenware shop in Leichhardt should have it though.
Thanks Manu 🙂