OMA PODI | SEV | Gram flour noodles

Every Diwali, Oma Podi (Oh-muh Poh-dee) is a must. I remember my Paati (Grandmom) used to make close to 2 kilograms of Oma-Podi!! It took her 4-5 hours & she used to do it so patiently! I can’t see myself getting cooked in the kitchen for 4 hours! For me, cooking is fun as long as it doesn’t take too long. But since I made this with my Mom, it didn’t seem too hectic! My mom did all the hard-work whilst I ogled, tasted, corrected, pressed the Podi-maker & transferred the fried savory to the container! ;-) So, yes, Momma, if you ever read this post >> 50% credit to you! :-D

For making this, you need a Noodle-maker / Sev maker. It has several really tiny holes in the bottom. You can stuff any dough in it & press & you'll get thin long noodles. It looks like this - 

Ingredients – (Makes around 4 cups)

Chickpea Flour / gram flour / Besan / Kadalai Maavu – 3 cups

Fine Rice Flour – 2 cups

Salt – to taste 2 tablespoons

Water – to knead 2 cups

Carom Seeds / Ajwain / Omam – ½ cup

Oil – for deep frying

** Here, cup can be taken to be around 150 grams. But whatever cup you are using, use the same for all ingredients so that it is proportionate

Method

1) Lay a newspaper on your kitchen table. It tends to get a bit messy!

2) Sift both the flours SEPARATELY.

3) In a large mixing bowl, take the Chickpea flour (besan) and Rice Flour & mix well.

4) Add the salt. You could add red chili powder too. But I skipped

5) In a blender / mixer, grind the carom seeds to fine powder. Then, mix them with warm water. After 2 minutes filter the carom-seeds water (run it through a sieve) to get the carom seeds flavored water. Pour this little by little into the flour mix. THIS IS WHAT WE USUALLY DO TO GET THE FLAVOR. YOU CAN SKIP IT & USE PLAIN WATER OR ANY OTHER FLAVORED WATER TOO.

6) Make a sticky dough >> not too liquidy (or it wont hold in the Sev-press) nor too thick (it will be difficult to press)

7) Heat enough oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed pan.

8) Open the Sev Maker / Press / Achchu & stuff it with some dough.

9) Close & slowly start pressing it & move your hands in a circular motion within the pan like so –

10) Once you make enough to fry it the oil, simply break the link with your fingers. 

11) Let it fry on one side for about 4-5 minutes & the other side for the same. Until it is slightly golden & crisp!

12) Remove in a tissue paper to absorb excess oil. Your Oma Podi is ready!

This is what it looks like. But since it is not possible to store it this way, we just crush it to make tiny bits & then store it. Oma Podi can be eaten just like that or as a part of a Mixed Snack (Mixture; about which I’ll be posting soon)

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