Lemon Sevai is a traditional evening tiffin in Tamilnadu. In marriages, for evening snack, Lemon Sevai is one of the common evening snack. Lemon sevai is much similar to lemon rice. The tempering and adding lemon juice is same as Lemon rice. Instead of cooked rice we are going to use cooked rice noodles.
Sevai and Idiappam are usually mistaken as same dish. Technically both are different. Sevai is made using Parboiled/Idli rice. Idiappam is made using raw rice. Also Idiappam is almost instant, we can use store bought rice flour and make Idiappam instantly, but on the other hand for Sevai is not instant. Though the time and effort for making sevai is more than Idiappam, still the taste of sevai is worth the effort.
Conventional way of making Sevai:
- Soaking Parboiled / Idli rice for 2-3 hours
- Grinding the rice to a smooth batter
- Cooking the rice batter along with salt and oil to a thick dough in a kadai like we cook for Kozhukattai mavu
- Making big dumplings out of the sevai dough and drop in hot water and cook till they are nicely cooked
- The cooked dumplings are then put inside Sevai Nazhi or maker and squeezed to make noodles. I have attached below the conventional Sevai Maker(Nazhi)
The squeezing process is little complicated and tiresome. We need to hold the legs of the sevai maker with our legs and turn the handles with both of our hands. If the cooked dumplings are warm, it will be easier to squeeze and if the dumplings become cool, it will be very hard to squeeze and it may require 2 people sometimes.
My MIL makes Sevai very often and she never hesitates or feel tired of making sevai. She enjoys making and every time she makes it all by herself without even getting any help. The sevai would be utmost delicious because of her passion.
Can we do Sevai without Sevai Maker?
Yes, Surely. I have not brought Sevai maker to USA. So whenever I feel like eating, I use Ommapodi Mould and press to make Sevai. Only difference is instead of cooking dumplings and then squeezing, we need to first squeeze the prepared sevai dough and then steam cook as we do for Idiappam.
Recipe Card for Lemon Sevai Recipe:
Lemon Sevai Recipe | Lemon Rice Noodles Recipe
Equipments Needed
- Heavy Bottomed Pan
- Ommapodi Press and mould
- Idli Plates
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Parboiled Rice 1 Cup - 250ml
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt Adjust as Needed
For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Peanuts
- 1 teaspoon Split Urad Dal
- 1 teaspoon Split Bengal Gram (Channa Dal / Kadalaparuppu)
- Few Curry leaves
- 2 Red Chili
- 2 Green Chili
Instructions
- Wash and soak parboiled rice for 2 hours. Set this rice aside for 2 hours. After 2 hours, drain the water from rice and take it to mixer jar
- Grind the rice to a smooth batter like dosa batter. Heat a pan. Add the ground batter and start stirring
- Add salt and gingelly oil and keep stirring in medium flame till the batter becomes thick like a dough. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool
- Take ommapodi mould and press. Grease it with oil. Add prepared dough and close it with press lid. Grease oil in idli plates. Squeeze out the press to make like sevai.
- Steam cook the squeezed sevai for 5 minutes. Allow the cooked sevai to cool off completely
- Then crumble the sevai and set it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard Seeds, cumin seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add split urad dal & bengal gram dal and fry the dal till it turns light brown color
- Then add peanuts, turmeric powder, red and green chili, curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
- Add hing and switch off the flame. Add cooked & crumbled sevai and mix gently. Squeeze juice out of 1 lemon. Adjust salt and mix gently till the seasoning is completely mixed with the sevai.
- The delicious Lemon Sevai is now ready to serve!
Nutritional Info
Instructions with Step by Step Pictures:
- Wash and soak parboiled rice for 2 hours. Set this rice aside for 2 hours. After 2 hours, drain the water from rice and take it to mixer jar
- Grind the rice to a smooth batter like dosa batter. Heat a pan. Add the ground batter and start stirring
- Add salt and gingelly oil and keep stirring in medium flame till the batter becomes thick like a dough. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool
- Take ommapodi mould and press. Grease it with oil. Add prepared dough and close it with press lid. Grease oil in idli plates. Squeeze out the press to make like sevai.
- Steam cook the squeezed sevai for 5 minutes. Allow the cooked sevai to cool off completely
- Then crumble the sevai and set it aside.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard Seeds, cumin seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add split urad dal & bengal gram dal and fry the dal till it turns light brown color
- Then add peanuts, turmeric powder, red and green chili, curry leaves and fry for few seconds.
- Add hing and switch off the flame. Add cooked & crumbled sevai and mix gently. Squeeze juice out of 1 lemon. Adjust salt and mix gently till the seasoning is completely mixed with the sevai.
- The delicious Lemon Sevai is now ready to serve!
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| Lemon Sevai Recipe |
