Indian
Gluten freeUppu seedai
Crunchy fried rice flour balls
உப்பு சீடை: crunchy fried rice-flour balls for Gokulashtami in Tamil homes
For Gokulashtami, Tamil households draw tiny rice-flour footprints from the doorway to the puja room as if baby Krishna had walked in, and the trays set before him always hold uppu seedai, marble-sized balls of rice and urad flour with coconut, sesame and butter, fried until hard and crunchy. They keep for weeks in a tin. Common mistake, and a famous one: damp flour or trapped air makes seedai burst in the oil, so the rice flour is dried, the coconut squeezed, and each ball rolled smooth without cracks; they are done when the bubbling almost stops and they sound hollow when stirred. Chef's tip: prick each ball once with a needle before frying, and fry the first two alone as a test.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 8
- Per serving
- 210 kcal
Ingredients
For the seedai
- 7 oz rice flour
- 1 ½ tbsp ground urad dalroasted
- 2 tbsp fresh grated coconutsqueezed dry
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp buttersoft
- 1 pinch gluten-free hing (asafoetida)
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ cup waterabout
To fry
- 3 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 7 oz rice flour in a heavy pan on a low heat for 3–4 minutes until it feels light and powdery but has not coloured. Sift it with 1 ½ tbsp ground urad dal into a bowl and let it cool.
5 minStep 2: Add 2 tbsp fresh grated coconut, 1 tsp white sesame seeds, 1 tbsp butter, 1 pinch gluten-free hing (asafoetida) and ¾ tsp salt and rub together, then add ½ cup water a little at a time to make a soft, smooth dough that does not crack when pressed.
5 minStep 3: Roll the dough into balls the size of a chickpea, without pressing hard; they must be smooth with no cracks. Lay them on a cloth for 10 minutes and prick each once with a needle.
20 minStep 4: Heat 3 ¼ cups oil for deep-frying in a kadhai to about 325°F, medium-low. Fry a test batch of two first, standing back. Then fry handfuls for 8–10 minutes, stirring gently, until the bubbling has nearly stopped and they are pale golden and hard.
25 minStep 5: Drain on paper and cool completely before storing in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does uppu seedai take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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Perfect for:Janmashtami