Khara Shevai

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Deep fried spicy crisp besan flour noodles of different thickness

makes about 800g totally

650g plain khara Shevai

140g fried peanuts, cashews and curry leaves

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian, south indian

Keyword: khara sev

Servings: 800 gms

Author: Radhika @ justhomemade

Ingredients

1/2 kg Besan flour or chickpea flour kadale hittu
2 tbsp rice flour
3-1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp fine hing/asafetida
1/3 cup hot peanut oil for the dough saati
about 2 cups water for binding the dough
salt to taste
peanut oil for deep frying

for tempering

1 cup peanuts
1/4 cup cashew nuts
12 sprigs or one big handful of curry leaves washed and towel dried

Instructions

Wash and dry the chakli press thoroughly. wash with tamarind and salt in case of a brass chakli press. Keep aside.
Sift the besan and rice flours into a large mixing bowl to get rid of lumps. Do not skip this step. If the tiny lumps remain, they'll get stuck inside the chakli press while pressing.
Sprinkle hing, red chilli powder, salt and mix well. Traditionally, solid hing was first mixed in water and then that hing water was mixed into the flour.
heat 1/3 cup oil in a deep wok or kadai on medium heat. when the oil is very hot, pour it over the flour. Test the hotness of the oil by dropping a few drops of oil on the flour. Oil is ready when it sizzles as soon as it touches the flour. This step is important to get crisp Khara Shevai
This process is called "Saati" in Kannada and is common in many deep fried recipes
Mix well with a spoon to distribute the hot oil and then with your hands to incorporate the oil into the flour till crumbly. Be careful to not touch the hot oil directly. Hold the dough tightly in your fist and let go. If it holds shape, the flour is ready for binding.
Set the kadai with oil for deep frying over medium heat
While the oil heats up, Divide the flour into two sections. Make a portion with about a cup of flour. Adding water little at a time, bind into a not too stiff dough. If the dough is too stiff, Khara Shevai will break in the kadai (also will be difficult to press) and if it is too wet, it will not turn out crisp after frying.
If the dough is too stiff, wet your palm gently and mix well to make the dough softer and smoother.
Slightly grease the insides of the Chakli press with oil.
Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a bit of the dough. it is ready when the dough rises immediately.
Keep it on medium heat.
Fill the dough into the chakli press, shut it close and twist or press the dough into the oil in circular motion.
Flip once when it raises up in the kadai using a slotted spoon. When frothing reduces and it turns golden brown, strain it with a slotted ladle and remove on to large bowl lined with paper tissue.
Repeat with the remaining dough working with small portions at a time until done.
Lastly, for the tempering, in the remaining oil, fry peanuts, cashews and curry leaves until cashews are golden brown and peanuts split up and take out onto the tissue paper.
Toss them all together with the Khara Shevai.
Pour the sev into a dry airtight container once cooled.
Serve as a side or snack as is. Guaranteed to not last too long :)

Notes

Besan/chickpea flour must be very fine

If you so like it, you can make only one thickness of Shevai instead of using 3 types - very fine, medium and ribbon discs

Use a good quality Hing to offset the gassy after effects of Besan flour

keep a bowl of water and towel next to the flour bowl to dip and wash hands and work quickly after filling the dough in the press

More notes in the text section above