Millets in everyday Cooking
Millets are versatile in the way they can be used – in Idli / Dosa / Pongal / Rotti (flatbread) or even Upma or Sevai (vermicelli Upma). Of late, the market is also flooded with good variety ready to use millet flours, of which I like a few local brands from Chennai / Tamilnadu (which are available online too these days).
I had used part of the Thinai millet flour to make these Instant Millet Uttapam (or Cheela) – recipe on Instagram. And a portion of it to make these wonderful snack for Krishna Jayanthi – Seedai (savoury flour balls deep fried crispy) and makes for wonderful jar snacks that one can indulge with a cup of tea (and for people like me, with some hot Tulsi Herbal tea).
What is Thinai Cheedai / Seedai ?
Seedai or Cheedai are crispy crunchy, deep fried savoury flour based snacks, usually made for festivals like Krishna Janmashtami. This Thinai Seedai is made with Millet flour and is completely Gluten Free. I have earlier made a traditional Uppu Seedai (Karnataka style) without Urad flour.
Do check it out as are other jar snacks like:
Airfryer Roasted Chickpeas
Airfryer Roasted Chickpeas is a quick, delicious, healthy Vegan and Gluten Free snack to make anytime.
Check out this recipe
The BEST Airfryer Makhana Chivda
Makhana or fox nuts are roasted in the airfryer with minimal spices and almost no oil to make a crunchy, addictive AND healthy snack. Fox nuts are high in protein and fibre and makes for a delectable treat
Check out this recipe
Airfryer Banana Crisps
Airfryer Banana Crisps is a low cal and low carb GF, Vegan Snack made with raw banana, Chickpeas flour and basic spices. Served as a side or a snack
Check out this recipe
I tried only a small batch, and these Uppu Seedai were also inspired by Priya’s Vella Seedai which I have bookmarked to try soon.
Other Jar snacks we make for SriJayanthi / Janmashtami are:
- Thenkuzhal (Rice-Urad dal mixture spiced fried murukku)
- Baked Pepper Sev
- Baked Sev (Baked Omapudi)
- Uppu Seedai
- Baked Diamond Cuts (Namakpare)
- Rava Laddu (Semolina Laddu)
- Baked Nippattu
FAQs to make crispy crunchy Thinai Uppu Seedai
- Can I use any millet flour ? I have used Thinai (foxtail millet flour), but I don’t see any reason why one cannot sub the millets too.
- Can I skip the butter ? If you are vegan use vegan butter. But white butter is what gives this the crunch, so dont skip. Some homes like my grandmas also add a ladleful of hot oil to give it crunchiness but that’s a personal choice.
- I don’t have Urad dal flour at home, can I use store bought ? I have also used store bought Urad dal flour
- My Seedai got soft / crumbly after 2-3 days – what could be the reason ? Do not make a huge batch of the dough. Make small portions and don’t alter the proportion of butter and flour. Some varieties of flour may absorb less / more water depending on quality, so add accordingly
- My seedais are dissolving in the oil- what to do ? Dry roasting the millet flour on low flame till warm is key to crispy crunchy seedai.
- Seedai are bursting (most common / dangerous issue)- what do I do ? After rolling the seedai, place them on a soft clean white cloth for 10-15 mins, so any residual moisture can be avoided (which results in bursting).
PIN FOR LATER
Thinai Uppu Seedai | Millet Seedai
A Traditional Bhakshanam or Jar snack made with Millet flour and mild spices
Prep time – 15 mins, Fry time – 15 mins, Makes – Approx 200 grams of Seedai
- 1 cup Thinai Millet flour
- 1 TBSP Rice flour
- 2 TBSP split black gram flour (Urad dal flour, store bought)
- 2 TBSP fried gram flour (Pottukadalai Maavu / roasted dalia powder)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 TBSP White Butter (softened)
- 1/8 tsp Asafeotida (hing, skip for GF)
- 1 cup Oil (to deep fry)
How to make Thinai Seedai
- In a deep bottomed thick pan, roast the millet flour till light steam arises, but doesn’t change colour. Keep aside.
- Similarly dry roast the urad dal flour and rice flour separately on very low flame
- In a mixer jar, dry grind the pottukadalai / roasted gram till fine – sieve and discard any hard, uneven parts.
- In the same mixer jar, pulse the sesame seeds and cumin seeds till coarse. Keep aside.
- In a large bowl, add all flours into a large sieve. Sieve 2-3 times thoroughly
- Now add the salt, crushed sesame and cumin seeds, mix well.
- At the end add softened butter. Rub the butter throughly in the dry flour mix. The mixture should be crumbly, yet make a tight fist when held.
- Now add warm water little by little to make a tight dough. Do not knead too hard, the dough has to come together.
- Add a tsp of oil and cover it and keep for 5 mins
- Pinch out small roundels of this dough and arrange on a soft porous white towel.
- Air dry it for 10-15 mins without covering it.
- At the end of the resting time, heat oil in a deep pan,
- Check if moderately hot by dropping a small piece of dough. If it rises up too quickly, its too hot, too slow means the oil is cold.
- It should rise up gradually to the top.
- Gently slide in a batch of the rolled seedai and let it sizzle for 1-2 mins, do not disturb
- Fry on medium-high flame till they are golden brown on all sides and the sizzling stops (no residual moisture)
- Remove with a slotted ladle to a bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining seedai.
- Once it comes to room temperature, store in a glass / steel airtight container
- Enjoy Thinai Seedai with a hot cup of coffee / tea or serve as bhakshanam for Krishna Jayanthi.
Thinai Uppu Seedai | Millet Cheedai | Easy Jar snacks
Thinai Seedai or Cheedai are crispy crunchy, deep fried savoury flour based snacks made with Millet flour , usually made for festivals like Krishna Janmashtami or served as a snack with tea or coffee.
Equipment
- Deep Fry Pan
- Spice Grinder
- Slotted Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup Foxtail Millet flour Thinai Maavu, store-bought
- 1 TBSP Rice flour
- 2 TBSP split black gram flour Urad dal flour, store bought
- 2 TBSP fried gram flour Pottukadalai Maavu / roasted dalia powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 TBSP White Butter softened
- 1/8 tsp Asafeotida hing, skip for GF
- 1 cup Oil to deep fry, any neutral oil
Instructions
- In a deep bottomed thick pan, roast the millet flour till light steam arises, but doesn’t change colour. Keep aside.
- Similarly dry roast the urad dal flour and rice flour separately on very low flame
- In a mixer jar, dry grind the pottukadalai / roasted gram till fine – sieve and discard any hard, uneven parts.
- In the same mixer jar, pulse the sesame seeds and cumin seeds till coarse. Keep aside.
- In a large bowl, add all flours into a large sieve. Sieve 2-3 times thoroughly
- Now add the salt, crushed sesame and cumin seeds, mix well.
- At the end add softened butter. Rub the butter throughly in the dry flour mix. The mixture should be crumbly, yet make a tight fist when held.
- Now add warm water little by little to make a tight dough. Do not knead too hard, the dough has to come together.
- Add a tsp of oil and cover it and keep for 5 mins
- Pinch out small roundels of this dough and arrange on a soft porous white towel.
- Air dry it for 10-15 mins without covering it.
- At the end of the resting time, heat oil in a deep pan,
- Check if moderately hot by dropping a small piece of dough. If it rises up too quickly, its too hot, too slow means the oil is cold.
- It should rise up gradually to the top.
- Gently slide in a batch of the rolled seedai and let it sizzle for 1-2 mins, do not disturb
- Fry on medium-high flame till they are golden brown on all sides and the sizzling stops (no residual moisture)
- Remove with a slotted ladle to a bowl.
- Repeat with the remaining seedai.
- Once it comes to room temperature, store in a glass / steel airtight container
- Enjoy Thinai Seedai with a hot cup of coffee / tea or serve as bhakshanam for Krishna Jayanthi.
Notes
FAQs to make crispy crunchy Thinai Uppu Seedai
- Can I use any millet flour ? I have used Thinai (foxtail millet flour), but I don’t see any reason why one cannot sub the millets too.
- Can I skip the butter ? If you are vegan use vegan butter. But white butter is what gives this the crunch, so dont skip. Some homes like my grandmas also add a ladleful of hot oil to give it crunchiness but that’s a personal choice.
- I don’t have Urad dal flour at home, can I use store bought ? I have also used store bought Urad dal flour
- My Seedai got soft / crumbly after 2-3 days – what could be the reason ? Do not make a huge batch of the dough. Make small portions and don’t alter the proportion of butter and flour. Some varieties of flour may absorb less / more water depending on quality, so add accordingly
- My seedais are dissolving in the oil- what to do ? Dry roasting the millet flour on low flame till warm is key to crispy crunchy seedai.
- Seedai are bursting (most common / dangerous issue)- what do I do ? After rolling the seedai, place them on a soft clean white cloth for 10-15 mins, so any residual moisture can be avoided (which results in bursting).
Nutrition
Calories: 13kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gTrans Fat: 0.005gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 2mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 0.02gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 0.3mgIron: 0.03mg
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have not tried this snack but looks like a delicious and handy snack to indulge in to ward off hunger pangs.
absolutely Mayuri. it’s addictive too, but ok to indulge ocassaionally right>
We love seedai but its been a long time I made it at home. Good to have a millet seedai recipe.
thank you !
Seedai is a classic namkeen and making with millet is a healthy choice. I love your detailed instructions with tips to make the perfect seedai. Great post!
thank you, Radha !
Thinai seedai looks yummy . Perfectly rolled and golden brown. I am having some thinai maav with me and I think I will definitely make it soon. Glad that you liked my recipe of Vella seedai 🙂
thank you, gurudakshina to ur tips too!
Wow this Millet flour seedai sounds so yum. Must make some for the coming festivities.
thanks !
Seedai can be quite tricky to make, but you have aced the process! These have turned out beautiful, super crunchy and perfect. Love the use of millet flour here.
thank you, Priya !
A new recipe for me. Looks so delicious. A great snack for festive time. I would love to try it soon
thanks Sujata