Seeyam is one of diwali special recipes that we make every year. Seeyam is called by different names in different regions, even the making differs. I have shared the authentic Chettinad version of seeyam recipe here. It tastes so delicious that you need to try it and enjoy.
About Seeyam
Seeyam is a unique sweet snack made using jaggery, chana dal as inner stuffing coated with rice, urad dal batter on the outside. Seeyam is a crunchy sweet snack very popular in Chettinad cuisine. Though it takes time and effort to make traditional seeyam, it is worth it I would say as it tastes so delicious. Seeyam is made by first soaking raw rice with dal together, grinding it to make a slightly thick batter. We make the inner stuffing by cooking chana dal with jaggery, make small balls out of it, dipping it in the rice batter and deep frying in oil. I so so love seeyam / suzhiyan, amma makes it very rarely. I never knew seeyam is also one of diwali special recipes till I celebrated my first diwali at my in-laws place. That is when I was aware that Seeyam is Diwali special sweet.
Seeyam Video
Every year there is a tradition to keep a kadai with oil for frying on Diwali morning and my mother in law said they always make seeyam for this purpose. I can eat seeyam even for breakfast yes I love it so much! Welcoming the festivals even before the real festival comes – the gift of food blogging I should say! I have tried so many recipes for posting it here which I have not even planned to attempt .I love both poli and seeyam, the chana dal filling itself is so tasty that transforming it into any form makes it even more tastier.
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Seeyam Ingredients
Raw Rice – Raw rice is traditionally used to make seeyam so I suggest to use the same too. It adds crisp texture to the seeyam. Urad Dal – Whole white urad dal is added to give fluffiness to the batter. Chana dal – Chana dal or Bengal gram forms the base of the inner sweet stuffing. Coconut – Grated coconut is added to the sweet stuffing for taste and flavor. Jaggery – Jaggery is used for sweetening. Oil – Any cooking oil can be used to deep fry masala seeyam. Groundnut oil or Refined oil can also be used. Salt – Salt is added for taste to the batter. Ghee – Ghee adds a richness and flavor to the stuffing, also helps in less sticking.
How to make Seeyam Step by Step
1.Soak 1/2 cup urad dal and 1/2 cup raw rice together for 2 hours. 2.Rinse it well, transfer to mixer jar, add water little by little and grind. 3.Grind to a thick smooth batter. Do not add more water, the batter should be thick. 4.Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl. The batter should be thick at the same time in flowing consistency. Add salt and 2 teaspoon water to the batter to adjust the consistency. Set aside. 5.The batter should be thick at the same time in flowing consistency. Set aside. 6.Now take 1/2 cup jaggery in a pan along with water. Let it dissolve. Heat it up until jaggery melts completely no need to check for any consistency. Once jaggery melts switch off and set aside to cool. 7.Pressure cook 1/2 cup chana dal along with water for 6 whistles in medium flame. 8.Dal should be easily mashable. Set aside. 9.Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a pan, add 1/3 cup coconut saute for 2 mins. 10.Then add cooked dal to it., give a quick saute. 11.Then mash it using a masher. 12.Cook until it comes together. 13.Strain and add jaggery syrup. Mix well. 14.It will be goey at this stage once jaggery syrup is added. 15.Cook until it becomes thick like shown below. Add ghee at the final stage if its sticks too much. 16.Add a pinch of cardamom powder mix well and switch off. 17.When the mixture is warm make small balls and keep it ready. 18.Heat oil in a kadai – take one ball at a time. 19.Dip the ball in the batter coat well. 20.Wipe excess on the sides as shown below. 21.Heat oil – Gently drop it oil. Do in batches. You can fry 2-3 at at time depends on the size of the kadai. 22.Fry until golden.Flip over and fry. 23.Drain and set aside. Repeat to finish the batter. Crisp outside with a sweet stuffing inside this tastes delicious.
Expert Tips
If you don’t have time to soak and grind then you can use idli batter for the outer wrap, its purely your preference. If the batter is runny then the seeyam will drink more oil so keep an eye when you grind the batter. If you are making in bulk, then use grinder. Batter made with grinder is best but when we make a small batch mixer is ok too. If you left over batter you can use it for making masala seeyam. You can mix maida along with salt and water to form a slightly thick batter. Dip the chana dal balls and make the coating. Instead of grinding rice, you can use rice flour(idiyappam flour) too. Add little water and salt to make a thick batter and use it for outer covering.
Serving & Storage
Seeyam is best when served hot. You can serve it for breakfast or as a snack. I would not suggest storing the fried seeyam as it may turn soft. Alternatively you can make the batter and stuffing ready, store it and then fry whenever you want to serve it. The batter, stuffing keeps well in fridge for about 2-3 days.
1.What is the difference between Suzhiyan and Seeyam?
Suzhiyan is just the other name for Seeyam. But the main difference between suzhiyan and seeyam is for suzhiyan they use maida flour batter but for seeyam we can either use idli dosa batter or make fresh batter which is Chettinad special recipe. I personally prefer seeyam with rice batter covering as its crunchy though suzhiyan is easy to make as its instant.
2.Can I make the stuffing with just coconut?
Yes you can make the sweet stuffing with just coconut alone too but traditionally chana dal along with coconut is used for making sweet stuffing. If you have any more questions about this Seeyam Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Seeyam Recipe ? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
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