Oma Podi/OmPodi/Sev

Blogging Marathon #40: Week 2/ Day 3

Theme: Evening Snacks

Dish: Oma Podi/OmPodi/Sev

For the last edition of the 'Blogging Marathon' on Evening snacks, I have yet another family favorite: sev or oma podi. This is my son's absolute favorite and my husband and I like it as well. When my mom was here, she usually made this for our evening snack and the below recipe is from her. I am always a bit scared with doing anything that involves deep frying in oil, and she guided me in the making of this oma podi step by step - and I have captured some of her tips and pointers below. Hopefully it is helpful to someone who is trying this for the first time.

The oma podi also has an amazing shelf life - and could stay good for up to a month when stored in an air tight container. It also can be used as an ingredient to make mixtures along with a few other additions. I have not added any spice in the recipe below, but if you like to you can add some chilli powder to make it a spicy sev.

Soak the omam or ajwain in water for about 30 minutes. Blend the omam along with the water and strain the water. Set aside.

In a bowl, place the besan, rice flour, salt and whisk to combine. Add the butter and rub with your hands until the butter crumbles within the dough. Taste the dough for salt. Adjust according to taste.

Heat oil in the kadai for deep frying.

Add the reserved omam water and make a dough. Add additional water if needed. The dough should be softer than that for murukku. Load this dough in the sev or oma podi press. Test the oil if it is the right temperature - drop a small piece of dough in the oil. As soon as you Press directly in the oil starting from the outside and ending in the inside. Reduce the heat while pressing directly into the hot oil and increase the heat for the oma podi to cook. It takes very little time for it to cook - probably 1 minute per side. Reduce heat again and using a metal skewer and slotted spoon flip the noodle. Let cook for one more minute on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Let cool completely and crush to break into small sev. Store in an airtight container.

Verdict: Crunchy and munchy, this is an addictive snack - that I have trouble keeping my hands off of. It also doesn't absorb too much oil as with some of the store bought varieties. If health conscious, you can use light olive oil for the deep frying, and it helps in adding good fat. :) An excuse for eating more of the sev. :)