Vella Seedai

The Tradition and Joy of Making Vella Seedai

Vella Seedai is more than just a snack; it’s a labor of love, often passed down through generations. The process, from roasting the flours to rolling the dough into perfect little balls, is a tradition that brings families together. While the task may seem daunting, especially for beginners, mastering the art of Vella Seedai is immensely rewarding. Each bite brings the flavours of tradition and the warmth of home, making the effort well worth it.

My First Attempt at Vella Seedai

In 2014, I decided to try making Vella Seedai for the first time, and to my delight, I managed to perfect it on my first attempt. The key to a successful batch lies in the precise combination of ingredients and the correct frying technique. Including urad dal flour in the mixture makes the Seedai extra crispy, but if you prefer a softer texture, you can skip the urad dal flour.

How to Make Vella Seedai

The process involves mixing rice flour with jaggery and urad dal flour, shaping the mixture into small balls, and frying them to golden perfection. It’s crucial to fry them on low heat to ensure even cooking without burning. The result is a crunchy, sweet snack that’s both satisfying and flavourful.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Vella Seedai

• Sift the Flour Thoroughly: Always sift the rice flour and urad dal flour to remove any lumps. This is essential for a smooth dough and helps avoid cracks in the Seedai.

• Dry Roast the Flours: Lightly dry roast the flours until they release a pleasant aroma. This step helps create a crunchy texture and reduces the chances of the Seedai bursting during frying.

• Master the Jaggery Syrup Consistency: Melt the jaggery with minimal water and strain it to remove impurities. Cook the syrup until it thickens slightly, ensuring the Seedai holds together without becoming too sticky.

• Knead the Dough Properly: Knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable, ensuring it’s neither too dry nor too sticky. A well-kneaded dough is crucial for shaping the Seedai without cracks.

• Shape with Care: Roll the dough into small, even-sized balls, ensuring the surface is smooth and free of cracks. This prevents the Seedai from breaking apart while frying.

• Fry on Medium Heat: Fry the Seedai on consistent medium heat to ensure even cooking and a golden-brown color. Frying on high heat can cause them to brown too quickly on the outside while remaining undercooked inside.

Baked Vella Seedai: A Healthier Alternative

For those looking for a healthier twist on traditional Vella Seedai, baked Vella Seedai offers a fantastic alternative without sacrificing taste. Baking the Seedai instead of deep-frying allows you to enjoy this classic treat with less oil, making it a guilt-free indulgence. The baked version retains the sweet, rich flavour of jaggery and the satisfying crunch, but with a lighter texture, making it perfect for those mindful of their diet.

Enjoy the Perfect Vella Seedai

By incorporating these tips into your preparation, you can make Vella Seedai that is not only flavourful but also perfectly textured, ensuring every bite is a delightful experience. Whether you’re new to making this traditional snack or looking to refine your technique, these tricks will help you achieve the perfect batch every time.

I hope you give this recipe a try and find as much joy in making and eating Vella Cheedai as I did. With practice and attention to detail, you can achieve that perfect balance of crispiness and sweetness. Enjoy this festive treat with your family and friends!

Check my other Gokulashtami recipes 

Homemade butter and ghee

Uppu Cheedai

Thattai murukku 

Gokulashtami

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Vella Cheedai / Seedai

Niranjana Sankaranarayanan

Vella cheedai / Seedai is a snack that is prepared for Gokulashtami.   My amma and paati have told me that it is always challenging to make vella seedai. Because either it will become hard or it will dissolve in oil.  This is the first time (2014) I made this recipe and by luck I got it good. Hope you too will make this recipe and enjoy!!!  Urad dal makes the seedai crispy and if you want to make the soft seedai, you can skip adding the urad dhal flour.

Check my other Gokulashtami recipes

Homemade butter and ghee

Uppu Cheedai

Thattai murukku

Gokulashtami

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Snack, Sweet

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 6

Equipment

• Frying pan

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Rice flour roasted to kolam powder texture
• 1 tbsp Urad dal flour
• 1 tbsp Shredded Coconut
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp White Sesame
• 3/4 cup Jaggery
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1/4 cup Water

Instructions

 

Rice flour

• Please refer home made rice flour  except the roasting step.
• For vella seedai, you have to roast the rice flour until you get kolam powder texture. There is no need to roast until it turns light brown.

Urad dhal flour

• Roast the urad dhal in a heavy bottomed pan until you feel the aroma of urad dhal.
• Now grind the roasted urad dhal in a mixer and sieve it to get the smooth flour.
• Again grind the left out particles on the sieve and sieve it. Repeat this step until there is no left out particles on the sieve.
• Store it in a container.
• Urad dal powder is ready.

Making Dough

• Dissolve the jaggery in water and strain it in another vessel if your jaggery has dirt in it.
• Heat the jaggery syrup until it boils well.  Add cardamom powder into it.
• The jaggery syrup is ready. There is no need for any string consistency.
• In a bowl add rice flour, urad dhal flour, butter, sesame and mix it well.
• Now add the jaggery syrup into the flour slowly. Donot add it at one stretch.
• Its fine if you are left out with some jaggery syrup.
• Mix it well with the spoon and then make a stiff dough. The dough for Vella Cheedai / Seedai is ready.
• Refrigerate the dough for an half an hour.

Deep Frying Seedai

• Now apply ghee on your hands and make balls out of the dough.
• Spread it on a newspaper so that it absorbs the extra moisture.
• After making balls, again refrigerate. This will make sure that the balls dont dissolve while frying.
• Now heat oil in a pan and deep fry the balls.
• Take care that it donot distort in shape. Remove it from the oil once it turns golden brown.
• Immediately after frying it will be soft, but will become crispy inside too once it cools down.
• Donot close the container immediately as it may make the vella seedai very soft.

Baking the Seedai

• Baking Vella Seedai is a great alternative to deep-frying, allowing you to enjoy this traditional snack with less oil while retaining its delicious flavor and crunch. Here’s how you can bake Vella Seedai perfectly:
• Follow the same method as the traditional recipe to make the dough for the Seedai. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or butter paper.
• Place the balls on the prepared baking tray, leaving some space between each ball. Grease the paper lightly with coconut oil to prevent sticking.
• Roll the dough into small, even-sized balls.
• Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking.
• Lower the oven temperature to 190°C (374°F). Bake the Seedai balls for 5 minutes.
• Remove the tray from the oven. Lightly brush the Seedai balls with coconut oil. Flip the balls to ensure even baking and return the tray to the oven.
• Reduce the temperature to 180°C (356°F). Bake the Seedai for another 5 minutes.
• Switch to the grill option on your OTG (Oven, Toaster, Grill) setting.
• Lower the temperature to 170°C (338°F).
• Grill the Seedai for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until they are crisp and golden.
• Keep a close eye on the Seedai during this step, as baking times can vary depending on your oven.

Video

Notes

Both the rice flour and urad dhal flour should be ground and sieved several times until you get the smooth flour.

The dough should be tight so that it will not dissolve in oil.

You can also roast the sesame if necessary.

Donot close the container where you have stored the vella seedai immmediately. This will soften the recipe.

After making the balls spread it on a newspaper so that the extra moisture is absorbed.

This is prevent the bursting of seedai.

Refrigerate the dough so that it is not pliable but stiff.

Keyword Cheedai, Seedai, Sweet Seedai, Vella Cheedai

INSTRUCTIONS

Rice flour

• Please refer home made rice flour  except the roasting step.
• For vella seedai, you have to roast the rice flour until you get kolam powder texture. There is no need to roast until it turns light brown.

Urad dhal flour

• Roast the urad dhal in a heavy bottomed pan until you feel the aroma of urad dhal.
• Now grind the roasted urad dhal in a mixer and sieve it to get the smooth flour.
• Again grind the left out particles on the sieve and sieve it. Repeat this step until there is no left out particles on the sieve.
• Store it in a container.
• Urad dal powder is ready.

Making Dough

• Dissolve the jaggery in water and strain it in another vessel if your jaggery has dirt in it.
• Heat the jaggery syrup until it boils well.  Add cardamom powder into it.

• The jaggery syrup is ready. There is no need for any string consistency.
• In a bowl add rice flour, urad dhal flour, butter, sesame and mix it well.

• Now add the jaggery syrup into the flour slowly. Donot add it at one stretch.
• Its fine if you are left out with some jaggery syrup.
• Mix it well with the spoon and then make a stiff dough. The dough for Vella Cheedai / Seedai is ready.
• Refrigerate the dough for an half an hour.  

Deep Frying the Seedai

• Now apply ghee on your hands and make balls out of the dough.
• Spread it on a newspaper so that it absorbs the extra moisture.

• After making balls, again refrigerate. This will make sure that the balls donot dissolve while frying.
• Now heat oil in a pan and deep fry the balls.
• Take care that it donot distort in shape. Remove it from the oil once it turns golden brown.
• Immediately after frying it will be soft, but will become crispy inside too once it cools down.
• Donot close the container immediately as it may make the vella seedai very soft.

Baking the Seedai

Baking Vella Seedai is a great alternative to deep-frying, allowing you to enjoy this traditional snack with less oil while retaining its delicious flavor and crunch. Here’s how you can bake Vella Seedai perfectly:

• Follow the same method as the traditional recipe to make the dough for the Seedai. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or butter paper.
• Place the balls on the prepared baking tray, leaving some space between each ball. Grease the paper lightly with coconut oil to prevent sticking.
• Roll the dough into small, even-sized balls.

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking.
• Lower the oven temperature to 190°C (374°F). Bake the Seedai balls for 5 minutes.

• Remove the tray from the oven. Lightly brush the Seedai balls with coconut oil. Flip the balls to ensure even baking and return the tray to the oven.
• Reduce the temperature to 180°C (356°F). Bake the Seedai for another 5 minutes.
• Switch to the grill option on your OTG (Oven, Toaster, Grill) setting.
• Lower the temperature to 170°C (338°F).

• Grill the Seedai for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until they are crisp and golden.
• Keep a close eye on the Seedai during this step, as baking times can vary depending on your oven.

Note

• Both the rice flour and urad dhal flour should be ground and sieved several times until you get the smooth flour.
• The dough should be tight so that it will not dissolve in oil.
• You can also roast the sesame if necessary.
• Donot close the container where you have stored the vella seedai immmediately. This will soften the recipe.
• After making the balls spread it on a newspaper so that the extra moisture is absorbed. This is prevent the bursting of seedai.
• Refrigerate the dough so that it is not pliable but stiff.

I posted this recipe in 2014. Now I have updated it with video and new pictures.

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