Madhura seva is a sweet fried thick noodle shaped chick pea snack quite popular in Kerala .It is a teatime snack /nallu mani palharam almost all malayalees love . "Madhura" means sweet and "seva" means noodle like. I like it too and love it more because it starts with the letter M 😉 and the childhood memories I've attached to them 😍..
Past Memories
During childhood days,amma used to make all types of snack and we always (almost) had all these varieties of snacks stored in our pantry /store-room in a huge tin .Oh how I loved this huuuge tin ! Always made me smile more,lure-d more and EAT more - my edible happy place/thingy 😁 .Even at school I would be day-dreaming like mungeri lal ke haseen sapney (remember this old DD1 serial??) 😃😉 ,how I am gonna grab handfuls of those snacks and munch with joy once I reach home.
Are you wondering how could Amma make a huge tin of snack ? She had to.Thanks to her very very very good daughter (ponnu mol/noBadmaaashBeti/moi) ! After all,her main intention was not only preparing all these snacks for us but also for all the guests we would expect almost everyday.
In north India (Bokaro),the little place I grew up in,we had loooots of very good family friends .In fact ,everyone were so good because they all are simple people - basically middle class - no show offs,no competition - just ordinary people from different parts of India ,living together in harmony - working ,looking after family,enjoying festivals together ,like unity in diversity .We all share a special bond till today...My face illuminates if I hear Bokaro from somewhere,if I meet someone from there,they are like family,good news from there makes me smiiiiiiile and bad news breaks me .A part of my heart still resides there.Thanks to parents for raising us in Bokaro !!
All my friends/family (mostly) are not that crazy about Bokaro anymore and have basically left that middle class mentality too but I am still stuck there...I love being that way no matter where I am...And sometimes I wonder if it is a curse ...Endey balmaay samshyam/I think I am an ET(Extra-Terrestrial) ,out of this world ..hmm..(Don't tell NASA ..shhh )👾
So,Amma knew I had that innate capability to finish any sweets/snacks within a day or two.A huge tin may be a life saver.No wonder why I was a chubby kid back then (I am still 😒which is mainly because of the fat-ty gene I inherited :( no thanks for this Amma:| 😡)..Those days I had zero knowledge about eating healthy and I ate carefree and amma at times pampered us with such edible love (sweets/snacks) too (abb nahi toh kab khaogey/Ippozh alley ithokey kazhikyaan pattu)..Though we hardly ate from outside/shop ..That's why I've so many edible memories to cherish and stuff to stuff/write...I had a yummy childhood !!😍🙌
Present memories
Fast forward now,Amma won't make sweets/snacks that often but whenever we are here for a vacation ,she has a list of food items she believes she must make for us for sure .You see,at my home,no one is supposed to be skinny by any means.If you are slim-trim ,you will be stamped as SICK !If my parents know you by any way and by chance your paths cross any day ,then pls for God sake look v.healthy and if you are plumpy/chubby,Oh my,you made my parents day - that means you are super healthy (from khaata-peeta khandan/nallonnum kazhikyunney kudumbama something :P )
No one can trick\impress them with their chiseled jawline,long slim legs or 6 packs ...They are strictly forbidden!!
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| Power of Mother's one roti !!Me too guilty as charged!! |
By their esteemed grace and effort, when we leave India,we might have gained minimum 5 pounds :( ..Frankly speaking,this is something I am terrified about being here for long...I tell her that we have no interest in such snacks anymore better take rest but she won't budge .I wonder how she makes all these.After making just 2 curries I am like ,"Can I get an oxygen mask pls??"
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| Types of Idiappam Makers/Sev Makers -Picture credit from left :1.Amazon.in-BiLanca 2.Rediff Shopping-ECI 3.NatureLOC |
Even in this lock-down ,we get to eat 3-5 curries ,as it is always.I don't take any minute credit for the same as I am not a good helper and she is a perfectionist,I may just double her work and mess her mood.😐😂😋She will be like how is her son-in-law tolerating me and my cooking !! 😠😢😒😏.
Well,there is another romantic reason behind making 1000 curries😮 coz that's exactly how her patidev/my baap :D/Achcha loves it ,her ladla/big bro/Don ka baap loves it (like 1001 curries -more the merrier! 😵) ..Thankfully hubby/big boss is not like them...he is like just 2 curries max .
By the by,if son-in-law /daughter-in-law,grand kids are at home ,then mother is soooper inspired\out of control to cook more .They are so pampered with food that even their own respective parents would stand behind and hide.I feel so happily jealous then 😥 ...because I and big bro/Don ka baap would get very less compared to them,like we don't matter anymore :( (Ye sarasar anyay hai/injustice! I'll go to food court I warn you mama😎 ..well to eat😜)
So,Madhura seva is one in her list (TICK).I always wanted to make them but I didn't know the exact recipe .So,this time I learnt it too ..
I bet there are many versions of Madhura seva and I am gonna show you how to make Madhura seva amma's style :
Madhura seva
Ingredients
Chick Pea Flour/Kadala Maavu/Besan - 250 gm
Rice Flour - 1 Cup
Eggs - 2 Nos.(optional)
Water - 1-2 Cups
Salt as needed
Sugar Syrup
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 5-6 Nos.
Oil for deep frying
Equipment
Idiappam Maker/seva maker
Disc with multiple holes
Preparation of Madhura seva
- Sieve the chickpea flour/Kadala mavu to remove any insects /dirts ,if any and also in that way ,we can get lump-free fine chick pea flour.
- Add rice powder and mix well.
- Break two eggs into it and mix well.
- Mix salt and water well.
- Add this salty water to the above chick pea flour,rice powder and egg mixture and knead it into a soft dough.
- Heat oil in a pan and once they are medium hot,lower the flame.
- Put the disc with multiple holes into the Idiappam maker .
- Then put small balls of the dough like 1-2 without over filling it till top into the idiappam maker.
- Then put the lid on and either press it (if that's the kind of idiappam maker is ) or rotate the handle in a circular motion into the oil.
- Once they turn golden yellow ,flip them to fry the other side as well.
- Adjust the heat,be careful not to burn them or brown them.
- Once both sides are well cooked/fried,using a slotted spoon transfer them to another utensil.You can place a neat kitchen towel/tissue paper onto the plate/utensil to absorb any excess oil.Let them cool a bit.
- Then break the fried sevas into 2 inch long pieces .
- Repeat and finally put off the flame.
- Seva is READY!
- Now crush the cardamom pieces .Keep them aside.
- Boil water in a heavy bottom pan/wide kadai .
- Add sugar to it.
- Boil till it becomes thick and sticky .It will start boiling all over especially bubbling at the border.
- Put off the flame and immediately put all fried sevas into it and give it a good mix to coat the sugar well.
- Allow it to dry and it will turn white .
- That's it Madhura seva is READY!!
- Now munch and crunch a little then store it in an air tight container .
- Enjoy everyday till it finishes with a hot cuppa chai/chayya/Tea.
- You can skip eggs.
- You must use a WIDE kadai/pan for deep frying and Sugar coating :D.
- The sugar syrup need not be a 1 string/thread consistency ,thick-sticky consistency will do.
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| Something hilarious I came across..lil adul-tish but come on nowadays kids know way more than an adult does.. |
Dear men,no offense,I am not a man-hater kind of feminist something but you know truth is bitter ..eehaaaa...Pls ask the women at your home to try out this Madhura seva recipe for sure ,you may turn little sweeter ..eeehaa..and dear women/comrades ,pls try this recipe for your man/family for sure and add more madhuram/sweetness to life.:)
Enjoy your COVID/Lockdown vacation - Stay sweet and strong !! We can do it...HIGH 10!💪🙇
