Ever wonder how a simple dish like a sevai can transport you to a different time in memory? Well that happens with me and every time I eat I never forget to remember those days. I even wonder if those days were really as wonderful they are in my memory. Well I guess they must have been if I remember about those times so much.
The many mornings when Amma would so adventurously declare that she is making Idiyappam for breakfast. The glow and the delight that comes to my step was infectious. Later about couple of hours later, with the spirits still intact we would declare we will conquer the Idiyappams sometime. By then everybody at home would have tried their hands at making the dough come through the thin holes of the idiyappam maker.
By then, Amma would have changed about 3 -4 achus/ press for us to experiment. And by then Amma would have also declared that she will lay hands on the best recipe for making idiyappam at home without getting anybody to help her. Well it was a long time ago and finally she did lay her hands on the best recipe that finally made her press out delicately pretty idiyappams. It was sad that the discovery came late, as by then we had ready to make idiyappams / sevais available for us to buy. The work involved to make the sevai at home was almost too much, that we decided we might as well buy it precooked.
Thus came to an end the story of how we never ventured at making Idiyappams at home, though we do have a foolproof recipe that comes out very pretty. For those of you who are not initiated into what a Sevai means, it's a thin rice noodle made with rice flour dough, pressed out as thin strings, steamed and then eaten in many ways.
Well technically Sevai is different from Idiyappam. What we were attempting to make at home was Idiyappam. Now we get ready to cook Sevai, Idiyappam. One wonders why to take so much pressure in preparing these at home when you get good quality brand.
Coming back to Sevai, one can make Mango Sevai, Thenkai Sevai, Tomato Sevai, Masala Sevai, Sevai Pulao, Sevai Upma. Lemon Sevai and of course simply mix it with sugar and fresh coconut.
Today's recipe will be Lemon Sevai.
The many mornings when Amma would so adventurously declare that she is making Idiyappam for breakfast. The glow and the delight that comes to my step was infectious. Later about couple of hours later, with the spirits still intact we would declare we will conquer the Idiyappams sometime. By then everybody at home would have tried their hands at making the dough come through the thin holes of the idiyappam maker.
By then, Amma would have changed about 3 -4 achus/ press for us to experiment. And by then Amma would have also declared that she will lay hands on the best recipe for making idiyappam at home without getting anybody to help her. Well it was a long time ago and finally she did lay her hands on the best recipe that finally made her press out delicately pretty idiyappams. It was sad that the discovery came late, as by then we had ready to make idiyappams / sevais available for us to buy. The work involved to make the sevai at home was almost too much, that we decided we might as well buy it precooked.
Thus came to an end the story of how we never ventured at making Idiyappams at home, though we do have a foolproof recipe that comes out very pretty. For those of you who are not initiated into what a Sevai means, it's a thin rice noodle made with rice flour dough, pressed out as thin strings, steamed and then eaten in many ways.
Well technically Sevai is different from Idiyappam. What we were attempting to make at home was Idiyappam. Now we get ready to cook Sevai, Idiyappam. One wonders why to take so much pressure in preparing these at home when you get good quality brand.
Coming back to Sevai, one can make Mango Sevai, Thenkai Sevai, Tomato Sevai, Masala Sevai, Sevai Pulao, Sevai Upma. Lemon Sevai and of course simply mix it with sugar and fresh coconut.
Today's recipe will be Lemon Sevai.
Ingredients Needed
Pre cooked Sevai - 1 packet
Lemon Juice - 1 big
Curry leaves few
Cashew nuts - 10
Mustard seeds, Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilis - 2 long.
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp
How to make lemon sevai.
In a pan cook the sevai as per the instructions. Mostly this is cooked and drained.
Heat a non stick pan with oil, saute mustard seeds, Urad dal, cashew nuts, curry leaves and red chilis. Saute well, then add the cooked sevai and mix well. Add salt and check.
This takes about 5 mins to get done if you have cooked sevai.
In this version, you just saute onions till it turns colour, proceed with adding the cooked sevai to the pan.
Serve both lemon and onion sevai with pickle and your quick breakfast is ready.
