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.
About Vella Seedai
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.
Vella Seedai Video
Vella Seedai Ingredients
Rice flour – Traditionally homemade rice flour is used to make seedai. Soaking raw rice, then drying it for a while then grinding, sieving then again roasting and sieving is the best method for making homemade rice flour. You should be able to draw a line using the flour, after roasting this is the perfect way to check if the flour is ready. Urad dal flour – I have used homemade urad dal flour . You can use store bought flour too. Butter – Butter is added to give a melt in the mouth texture to the seedai. Jaggery – Use good quality jaggery for best taste and color. Make sure to prepare syrup and strain it to remove impurities. Sesame Seeds – Sesame seeds are traditionally added to the dough while making seedai. You can replace it with cumin seeds too. You can add black sesame seeds or white sesame seeds too. Coconut – Coconut is added for taste and crunch in the seedai so do not miss it. Cardamom powder – Cardamom powder gives great flavor to vella seedai.
Tips to make Seedai and How to avoid Seedai from bursting in oil
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.
How to make Vella Seedai Step by Step
1.I used homemade flours that I made and stored – you can check the making in the recipe card. If using store bought flour also you need to roast it. Add 1 cup rice flour, roast until its easy to draw a continuous line as shown here, Set aside to cool. 2.Next roast 2 tablespoon urad dal flour for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool. 3.Roast 1 tablespoon coconut until there is no moisture and becomes dry.No need to roast until golden.Set aside to cool. 4.To a sieve add roasted rice flour and urad dal flour. 5.Sieve well. Discard the remains. 6.Sieved flours ready. 7.Add 1/2 cup jaggery to a sauce pan. 8.Add 1/4 cup water to it. 9.Boil until jaggery dissolves completely. No need to check for any consistency. 10.Strain and keep aside. 11.Discard the remains. Set aside to cool down a bit. 12.To a mixing bowl take sieved flours, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds,1 tablespoon roasted coconut and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder. 13.Mix well first for the butter to be evenly distributed. 14.Then add the strained jaggery syrup. 15.The syrup is runny only as we are not looking for any thick consistency here. 16.Mix well, it will look crumbly. 17.Add water little by little to form a dough. 18.Gather to form a dough.The dough should not be too loose. 19.Pinch a small piece of the dough and roll it out into small balls little bigger than a marble. 20.Roll gently, do not roll tight.If there is a crack its ok as it helps to let out the moisture through the crack which will avoid bursting. It should be slightly bigger than a marble. 21.Let the seedai rest in the cloth for 20 minutes at least for the extra moisture to be absorbed. If you want prick the balls using a tooth pick just one prick for each ball. 22.Heat oil – First test by adding one ball. Then add in small batches. Fry in low medium flame. 23.Roll and fry for even frying. Fry in batches. 24.Fry till it is deep brown in color only then it will get cooked inside properly. 25.This browns faster because of the jaggery syrup in it. So make sure to fry in low medium flame. 26.Drain in a tissue, cool down then store in an airtight container. Store in a dry airtight container.
Expert Tips
Make sure to sieve the flours. Add the remaining coarse flour to the next batch grind it then sieve repeat this process. Just roast the flours without changing the color. Straining the jaggery syrup is must to remove impurities. I used homemade rice flour and urad dal flour. You can try with store bought flour too. I used butter at room temperature, you can melt the butter and add it too. While rolling, if there is a crack its ok as it helps to let out the moisture through the crack which will avoid bursting.
Serving & Storage
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.
1.Can we use the same flour base prepared for salt seedai?
Yes we can use the same flour base prepared for Seedai in Vella seedai. We additionally add jaggery and a pinch of cardamom to get the sweetness & flavor.
2.What is the portion of vella seedai and uppu seedai I am supposed to make for the festival?
Generally Vella Seedai and Seedai (Salt) are made in equal proportions. However if you have kids and sweet tooth make more of Vella seedai, else, make more of the regular seedai.
3.Does Vella Seedai mean white seedai?
No Vella seedai is Sweet / Jaggery Seedai. Vella though means white in Tamil, the one we refer here is to Jaggery (vellam in Tamil) seedai. Irony is that Vella seedai is brown.
4. What are the important things to care in preparation of this recipe?
a. Flour has to be without specks.b. If the flour is from store, make sure to roast it.c. Ensure dough is dry before frying in oil.d. Oil should be very hot before frying. If you have any more questions about this Vella Seedai Recipe do mail me at [email protected]. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter . Tried this Vella Seedai Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
