Chettinad Masala Seeyam / Masala Cheeyam Recipe

Chettinad Masala Cheeyam Recipe

Ingredients

Seeyam Batter – 2 Cup --------click here for recipe

Javvarisi / Sago - handful

Small onions / Shallots (chopped) – 10 nos

Green chilli ( chopped) – 3 to 4 nos

Curry leaves - few

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Salt required

Turmeric - pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Kara Cheeyam

Method

1. Prepare the seeyam batter from here“Seeyam Batter recipe”

2. Soak javvarisi in water for 15 minutes, drain & squeeze well and set aside.

3. Add chopped onion, green chilli, grated coconut, javvarisi, turmeric and required salt to prepared seeyam batter.

4. Heat oil in a small pan add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. When mustard splutters add this tempering to the seeyam batter and mix well.

5.  Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry, drop the seeyam batter like small bondas into hot oil, fry until golden in color.

6.  Serve hot with Rojapoo Chutney or Coconut chutney

Masala Seeyam Recipe

Chettinad Innipu Cheeyam / Sweet Seeyam Recipe

Chettinad Sweet Seeyam

Ingredients

Seeyam batter – 2 cups ----------click here for recipe

Moong dal – 100 gms

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery – 500 gms

Cardamom powder  – ½ tsp

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Cashewnuts broken – few

Innipu Cheeyam

Method

1. Pressure cook moong dal until soft and mash.

2. Boil jaggery in water until single string consistency on a non stick sauce pan, add grated coconut, powdered cardamom, broken cashew nuts, mashed moong dal and ghee, stir fry until dry and set aside the filling to cool.

3. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai to deep fry.

4. Shape the moong dal filling into gooseberry size balls, dip in the prepared seeyam batter until well coated. 5. Deep fry the seeyam balls in hot oil until golden brown.

Seeyam Recipe

Chettinad Seeyam Batter / Basic Seeyam Batter / Cheeyam Maavu

Innipu Seeyam

Masala Seeyam

This is the authentic and basic seeyam batter recipe for making both Masala Seeyam and Sweet Seeyam. Click links here for Masala Seeyam and Sweet Seeyam recipes.

Ingredients

Raw rice – 1 cup

Whole urad dal – ¾ cup

Method

1.      Soak urad dal and raw rice separately in water for 4 hours.

2.      Grind both soaked dal and raw rice together in a wet grinder to a thick, smooth and fine batter.

3.      This is the basic seeyam batter with which you can make both Masala Seeyam and Sweet Seeyam.

Chettinad Roja Poo Chutney / Thakkali Vengayam Chutney

Mallipoo Idli with Rojapoo Chutney what a lovely( flowery) combination☺.

Chettinad Roja Poo Chutney

Ingredients
Tomatoes big( Apple or Roma variety) - 2 numbers
Shallots / small onions - 10 numbers
Dried red chillies - 7 numbers
Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Chettinad Red Chutney

Method
1. Add 2 tsp oil in pan, add red chillies followed by onion and sauté for few seconds, then add tomatoes and tamarind paste, sauté on low heat for 2 mins. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
2. Grind the cooled mixture along with required salt and very little water if required. Remove the chutney to a bowl.
3. Again heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, sauté and add this tempering to the chutney and mix well.
Serve Roja Poo Chutney
Idli
Dosa
Chapati

Chef's tip
1. Traditionally country tomatoes which are sour is used for this chutney. Since I used apple tomatoes aka banglore tomatoes I used 1/4 tsp tamarind paste for sourness.
2. Substitute 1 big onion instead of shallots.
3. Add red chillies according to your taste.

Nethili Karuvadu Varuval / Dried Anchovies Fry

Nethili Karuvadu Varuval

Ingredients

Dried Anchovies ( heads removed) - 250 gms
Red chilly powder - 1 and 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 3 to 4 tbsp
Salt to taste

Dried Anchovies Fry

Method
1. Soak the dried anchovies in cold water for 4 to 5 mins, wash couple of times until the anchovies are clean and runs clear. Squeeze anchovies well and place it in a bowl.
2. Make a paste out of red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder,  lemon juice and very little salt.
3. Add this masala paste to anchovies and mix well with fingers, if required sprinkle little water. Marinade for at least 10 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a pan when hot add curryleaves followed by marinated anchovies. Fry anchovies on low heat until dry and crispy. The whole frying process will take about 10 minutes.
Serve Nethili Karuvadu with
Curd rice
Rasam rice

Nethili Fry

Chef's tips
1. You can store the fried anchovies in airtight container in refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
2. While frying anchovies keep your kitchen windows open and ventilated,  as the pungent smell will fill the room.