Sheedai - Savoury Rice Dough Marbles

SHEEDAI

Sheedai is easy to prepare and is an interesting nibbler's delight, which is mostly remembered only during Sri Krishna Jayanthi. This is the day to celebrate the birth of Lord Sri Krishna, when sweets and savouries relished by babies and children are prepared as offerings to the divine baby .

It is customary for the professional cooks to pray and perform a short pooja to the hearth, stove or choola before commencing to prepare a feast.This is supposed to be an assurance for a good feast and protection against any probable fire hazards or accidents. Like wise special care is observed while preparing Murukkus and Sheedais because they have a tendency to erupt and burst like crackers once they touch hot oil, splashing the same on the cook's face. A small quantity of dough is shaped like a cone which represents Lord Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles and the Sheedai Pillaiyar is fried with a prayer before the whole lot of Sheedais are fried.

Grand mothers love to make 'Cheepees' out of the dough for their adorable baby Krishna. The Sheedai dough is shaped like popsicles or bread sticks and fried and offered to the Lord and then given to the babies in the house.

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 2 glasses ( 1 glass holds 250 ml of liquid)

Split black gram dal - 2 heaped tbsps

Butter - 2 tbsps

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Salt - 1 pinch

Coconut gratings - 2 tbsps

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - for frying

METHOD

1. Dry roast black gram dal till the colour changes into red and lets out a pleasant aroma.

2. Cool the dal and grind to a very fine flour.

3. Mix all ingredients rubbing the butter thoroughly into the flour mixture.

4. Add water little by little and knead well till a stiff soft dough is formed.

5. Cover the dough and let it stand for 15 minutes.

6. Pinch small marble sized dough and shape like marbles.

7. Make all the Sheedais and leave them to dry on a kitchen towel for another 15 minutes.

8. Heat oil and drop about 20 Sheedais into it and lower the flame.

9. Cook until they become golden in colour turning them now and then with a perforated ladle.

10. Drain on a paper towel when done, increase flame and drop in the next batch.

Enjoy nibbling the Sheedais whenever you have the craving.