Sevai is a traditional rice noodles made using Raw Rice. The dough will be made using rice and it's further made to rice noodles using Seavi Nazhi (Sevai Maker). It looks similar to Idiappam but the method of preparation is different. The process of making Sevai is slightly time consuming and tiring, but it's worth the effort.
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.
How to Serve Sevai?
Sevai is usually served plain with Pulissery in my MIL’s place (Nagercoil). Pulisery served with Sevai is an ultimate combo.
Sevai can also be served in different flavors. We first need to crumble the noodles and then flavor them
Lemon Sevai: We need to follow exactly the tempering we usually make for lemon rice and instead of rice we can toss the crumbled sevai and mix well
Tamarind Sevai: We first need to prepare tamarind based mix as we prepare for Puli Aval or Tamarind rice and then toss the sevai and mix gently
Coconut Sevai: We need to prepare the tempering and fry the coconut till light brown as we prepare for coconut rice and then toss the sevai and mix gently
Coconut milk and Sugar: We can also serve the plain sevai with coconut milk and sugar, like we make for Appam.
Recipe Card for Sevai Recipe | Parboiled Rice Noodles Recipe:
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian, Tamil Brahmin, Tamil Nadu
Equipments Needed
Mixer Grinder
Pressure Cooker
Heavy Bottomed Pan
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 40 minutesminutes
Soaking Time: 2 hourshours
Total Time: 3 hourshours
Servings: 4people
Calories: 180kcal
Author: Sowmya Venkatachalam
Sevai is a traditional rice noodles made using Raw Rice. The dough will be made using rice and it's further made to rice noodles using Seavi Nazhi (Sevai Maker). It looks similar to Idiappam but the method of preparation is different. The process of making Sevai is slightly time consuming and tiring, but it's worth the effort.
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.
Cooking 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
Squeezing Process
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 Process
Steam cook the squeezed sevai for 5 minutes. Allow the cooked sevai to cool off completely
Then crumble the sevai and set it aside.
Serving Time
Serve the delicious Sevai with Mor Kuzhambu and enjoy this healthy noodles!
Notes
We can use the prepared Sevai and make different tempering for coconut, Lemon Sevai and serve variety Sevai!
Nutritional Info
Nutrition Facts
Sevai Recipe | Parboiled Rice Noodles Recipe
Amount Per Serving (0.5 Cup)
Calories 180Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Protein 10g20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Instructions with Step by Step Pictures:
PREPARING BATTER
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.
COOKING BATTER
Heat a pan. Add the ground batter and start stirring. Add salt and gingelly oil
Keep stirring in medium flame till the batter becomes thick like a dough. Switch off the flame and allow it to cool
SQUEEZING PROCESS
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 PROCESS
Steam cook the squeezed sevai for 5 minutes. Allow the cooked sevai to cool off completely
SERVING TIME
Serve the delicious Sevai with Mor Kuzhambu and enjoy this healthy noodles!
I love this dish very much and wanted to try it for a long time.. i wanted to know whether we could use raw rice or idly rice instead of parboiled rice… It would be very helpful for me if u let me know aunty…
Hai madam.I have tried many of ur receipes.I have an small doubt.whenever I use pulungalarisi arising for idiyappam.it become as dry as earlier.but in hotel and all it is very soft.what is the secret?but I already know the method of making idiyappam with rice flour with murky achy.that is not so easy for big family.so I need any idea for softness.
Hello ma'm, I am not sure how long to stir the batter before steaming it. How many mins. should I stir to make a dough? When I made it, the dough turned out sticky .. Was not able to roll the dough into a ball for steaming. So the end product also turned sticky. Help!! ☺️
Hi aunty
I love this dish very much and wanted to try it for a long time.. i wanted to know whether we could use raw rice or idly rice instead of parboiled rice… It would be very helpful for me if u let me know aunty…
Hi Meera
Parboiled rice is nothing but puzhungal arisi which we use for grinding idly flour. We have to use this only instead of raw rice.
Hi Mami
Could you please let me know where can I buy Sevvai nazhi in Chennai. I am coming on vacation in August
Cheers!!
Hai madam.I have tried many of ur receipes.I have an small doubt.whenever I use pulungalarisi arising for idiyappam.it become as dry as earlier.but in hotel and all it is very soft.what is the secret?but I already know the method of making idiyappam with rice flour with murky achy.that is not so easy for big family.so I need any idea for softness.
Hello ma'm, I am not sure how long to stir the batter before steaming it. How many mins. should I stir to make a dough? When I made it, the dough turned out sticky .. Was not able to roll the dough into a ball for steaming. So the end product also turned sticky. Help!! ☺️
i wanted to know whether we could use idly rice for the above sevai…
I could not even think of SEVAI with Puliseri, without PAPPADAMS and Aviyal