As Halwa is synonymous with Tirunelvei, my hometown, Kara Sevu is always identified with Sattur, the hometown of my spouse .Sattur is also my hometown now for the past three decades after our marriage. An exclusive post has been dedicated to Sattur, under the title, SATTUR, OUR TOWN, OUR PRIDE in my other blog, Stoppingbythewords.blogspot.com. where my recollections and travels are recorded.
Preparing Kara Sevu, that week ,was in my mind and the article in,The Hindu dated, Sunday, June 23. 2013, In search of Sattur Sevu, under the column, Food safari, a fortnightly feature in the Magazine Section of The Hindu, published on Sundays made us very happy and proud.We never return from Sattur without a bagful of Sevu from Chanmuga Nadar Kadai, ( Shanmuga Nadar Shop is colloquially called so. ) for us and for our friends and relatives.So also all the other visitors to Sattur and the local people.
Normally we add garlic and red chilly.At times, pepper is added instead of red chilly and garlic for a change.This time, one important tip could be got from the article.That is the mixing of two oils, refined oil and coconut oil, which set their brand apart as truly claimed by them.It is also a secret of their crispy and munchy Chevu, which I tried on the same day.Though we have been making chevus for many years, this time, with the combination of the two oils, it was perfect, giving me joy and pride.
A big thanks to the shop and my favourite daily, The Hindu.
Ingredients :
Channa Dhal Flour / Kadalai Mavu 2 cups
Rice Flour 1/2 cup
Zeera / Cummin Seeds 1 tsp.
Chilli Powder 1 tsp.
Garlic Pods 10
Salt, Turmeric Powder, Hing
Coconut Oil 1 cup.
Any refined oil 2 cups
Method :
1. Sieve the flours and in a mixer grind the Garlic and Cummin seeds. As the quantity is less,add some water.See that it is free from the outer sheath of the garlic which may block the holes.
2. Mix well all the ingredients together by adding water. The consistency of the dough is similar to that of the Murukku dough, neither very hard nor very loose.
3.Heat the oil and press the dough in the oil like one whole big circlular piece using the Murukku mould.
4. When one side is cooked, turn it to the other side and remove from oil after the bubbles disappear.Break into small pieces when it cools.
Note :
1. Preparing Karasevu , I feel,is easier and faster than Murukku, as Murukku has to be made as separate pieces whereas Karasevu and Omapodi is one single piece.So turning to the other side and removing from oil is easy.Of course, it has to be pressed perfectly into a single piece without the dough, giving out extra small pieces.
2. When the two oils are mixed, there is a chance of the oil frothing, that is forming foams and the oil coming out of the vessel.So use a broad and little deep tawa.This is very important.The ratio of the oils was not given in the recipe.But I used sunflower and coconut oil in the ratio of 3:1.If there is no stock of coconut oil, use only refined oil.
3. Only the mixing of the oils gives the unique taste to the Sevu, being crisp after it cools.
4. In the early days, we used to prepare the Sevu by scratching the dough on a perforated tin sheet fixed on two wooden planks, the Sevu would fall in the oil in separate shreds Nowadays, with the small quantity, we use the Murukku mould where one big Kara Sevu has to be broken into small pieces.
5. Earlier we added butter and the sevu was soft but not crispy like the sevu of Shanmuga Nadar's shop. Now it is, ahaa, yenna rusi !
Preparing Kara Sevu, that week ,was in my mind and the article in,The Hindu dated, Sunday, June 23. 2013, In search of Sattur Sevu, under the column, Food safari, a fortnightly feature in the Magazine Section of The Hindu, published on Sundays made us very happy and proud.We never return from Sattur without a bagful of Sevu from Chanmuga Nadar Kadai, ( Shanmuga Nadar Shop is colloquially called so. ) for us and for our friends and relatives.So also all the other visitors to Sattur and the local people.
Normally we add garlic and red chilly.At times, pepper is added instead of red chilly and garlic for a change.This time, one important tip could be got from the article.That is the mixing of two oils, refined oil and coconut oil, which set their brand apart as truly claimed by them.It is also a secret of their crispy and munchy Chevu, which I tried on the same day.Though we have been making chevus for many years, this time, with the combination of the two oils, it was perfect, giving me joy and pride.
A big thanks to the shop and my favourite daily, The Hindu.
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| Sattur Kara Sevu |
Ingredients :
Channa Dhal Flour / Kadalai Mavu 2 cups
Rice Flour 1/2 cup
Zeera / Cummin Seeds 1 tsp.
Chilli Powder 1 tsp.
Garlic Pods 10
Salt, Turmeric Powder, Hing
Coconut Oil 1 cup.
Any refined oil 2 cups
Method :
1. Sieve the flours and in a mixer grind the Garlic and Cummin seeds. As the quantity is less,add some water.See that it is free from the outer sheath of the garlic which may block the holes.
2. Mix well all the ingredients together by adding water. The consistency of the dough is similar to that of the Murukku dough, neither very hard nor very loose.
3.Heat the oil and press the dough in the oil like one whole big circlular piece using the Murukku mould.
4. When one side is cooked, turn it to the other side and remove from oil after the bubbles disappear.Break into small pieces when it cools.
Note :
1. Preparing Karasevu , I feel,is easier and faster than Murukku, as Murukku has to be made as separate pieces whereas Karasevu and Omapodi is one single piece.So turning to the other side and removing from oil is easy.Of course, it has to be pressed perfectly into a single piece without the dough, giving out extra small pieces.
2. When the two oils are mixed, there is a chance of the oil frothing, that is forming foams and the oil coming out of the vessel.So use a broad and little deep tawa.This is very important.The ratio of the oils was not given in the recipe.But I used sunflower and coconut oil in the ratio of 3:1.If there is no stock of coconut oil, use only refined oil.
3. Only the mixing of the oils gives the unique taste to the Sevu, being crisp after it cools.
4. In the early days, we used to prepare the Sevu by scratching the dough on a perforated tin sheet fixed on two wooden planks, the Sevu would fall in the oil in separate shreds Nowadays, with the small quantity, we use the Murukku mould where one big Kara Sevu has to be broken into small pieces.
5. Earlier we added butter and the sevu was soft but not crispy like the sevu of Shanmuga Nadar's shop. Now it is, ahaa, yenna rusi !
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