Ratlami Sev are spicy, tangy and crispy noodles prepared with gram flour (besan) and aromatic spice powders. This deep-fried snack is easy to prepare and is one of the most popular snacks consumed by Indians all over the world and especially is given more importance on Indian festivals such as Diwali.
Usually, ‘The festival of Diwali’ is seen as ‘The festival of sweets’ but that’s not true at all! Savoury dishes also play a huge role in Diwali menu too.
On Diwali and New Years Day, when guests, friends and family pay a visit to wish Diwali greetings, we offer a plate full of Diwali Sweets and Snacks . We enjoy having sweets and savoury goodies turn by turn. That’s how I like to enjoy Diwali feasts, a couple of bites of Habshi Halwa , then a spoonful of Poha Chevdo , sweet and savoury combination works so well with these delicacies.
Most of the Gujarati households prepare a huge batch of sev, either plain or with flavoured during Diwali period. It is so easy to prepare, stays fresh for longer and can be made with basic ingredients that can be found easily in any Indian kitchens.
What is Sev
Sev is one of the Indian snacks that is prepared with gram flour and deep fried in oil. It’s crispy and crunchy thin or thick noodles that can be plain salty or spiced with spicy masalas such as red chilli powder, turmeric, black pepper powder or lemon juice.
Sev is easily available in Indian shops, but can be made at home in no time. Sev is a snack and can be consumed on its own, or with tea, also used as a topping on chaat dishes such as BhelPuri, Sevpuri or Dabeli.
Gujaratis use sev in making authentic kathiyawadi sabji ‘ SEV TAMETA NU SAAK ‘ – Sev and tomato curry.
There are many varieties of sev you can find in the market, Thin Sev, Thick Sev, Nylon Sev and Ratlami Sev.
Ratlami Sev
Ratlami Sev is a well-known snack from the Indian city Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. Sev made in Ratlam is very popular and one of the tastiest snacks found in India.
Usually, sev is made with a couple of spices, but in Ratlami Sev, you can find quite a few various spice powders. The sev is then again sprinkled with a tongue-tickling seasoning to make this sev more spicy, tangy and delicious.
How to store Ratlami Namkeen Sev
Once you have prepared a batch of sev, let it cool completely. Then break the sev into 1″ or 2″ sizes. Store in a clean and dry airtight container and keep it at room temperature. Ratlami sev will stay fresh and crunchy for 2-3 weeks.
How to serve Ratlami Sev
Ratlami sev can be served on its own or can be consumed with hot or cold beverages. I love to add this sev in my bombay sandwich for extra crunch.
You could also top it with finely chopped raw onion, pomegranate seeds and fresh coriander.
Ingredients for Ratlami Sev
For this delicious and tongue tickling snack, you will need
Gram flour aka Besan or chickpea flour. You will need fine variety.
Whole spices such as clove, cinnamon, peppercorn, cumin and whole coriander seeds, carom seeds and star anise.
Tangy and spicy powders like Garam masala (optional), Black salt ( Kala Namak-Sanchar) and Chaat Masala.
Oil to deep fry the sev. I have used sunflower oil.
Equipment
To make any kind of sev you’ll need SEV SANCHO ( hand pressed machine ) which is easily available in the Indian shops or online.
Frying Pan
Slotted spoon – Jaro
How to make Ratlami Sev
First, dry roast all the whole spices on a skillet without burning them. Once, cooled down grind roasted spices.
In a mixing bowl mix some oil oil and water, whisk well until well mixed. Add ground spice mix, garam masala, Black salt, regular salt and chaat masala. Mix well once again. Then add gram flour ( little by little ) and mix it well and knead a soft dough.
Heat the oil in a kadai, add a couple of tablespoons of hot oil into the dough and mix it with the spoon. Take a sev machine and use a medium whole disc. Fill the machine with the dough and press in hot oil in a large circle.
After a minute, sprinkle just a couple of drops of water on it. This process will make sev soft inside but crispy and crunchy outside.
Fry the sev both sides and remove it with the slotted spoon. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining dough.
Once it’s done, break sev in to small pieces. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix on the fried sev. Let it cool. Break it into small pieces and store in an airtight container.
Other Diwali Snacks Recipes
Farsi Puri
Kenyan Chevdo
Cornflakes Mixture (Makai No Chevdo)
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Ratlami Sev
Equipment
- 1 Sev Sancha
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Slotted spoon
Ingredients
For Spice Mix
- 2 tablespoon whole peppercorn Mari
- 2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds Dhana
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds Jeeru
- 1 tablespoon cloves Laving
- 1 tablespoon carom seeds Ajwain-ajmo
- 1 star anise Badiya or Chakri Phool
- 1 teaspoon garam masala Optional
- 1 teaspoon black salt Kala Namak – Sanchar
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
For Ratlami Sev
- 250 grams gram flour Besan
- 4 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon spice mix
- 125 ml water
- oil to fry
Instructions
- Dry roast first six ingredients 2 tablespoon whole peppercorn , 2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds , 1 tablespoon cumin seeds , 1 tablespoon cloves , 1 tablespoon carom seeds , 1 star anise in a pan or skillet without burning it.
- Let it cool completely.
- Place it in a coffee grinder and grind until you get a fine powder, you may want to sift the powder to get a finer powder.
- Now mix 1 teaspoon garam masala , 1 teaspoon black salt , 1 teaspoon chaat masala leave it aside for later use.
- In a big bowl, add 4 tablespoon oil and 125 ml water and mix well with electric bitter or egg whisker with the hands.
- Once it mixes well, add 3 tablespoon spice mix and salt ( not too much as there is some black salt in the mix) and mix well.
- Now add 250 grams gram flour little by little and knead a soft dough.
- Heat oil in a kadai, add one tablespoon HOT oil into the dough and mix it with the SPOON.
- Take a sev no snacho ( sev machine ) and fill it with the dough and press the machine over the HOT oil ( See pics above ) Make large circle of sev.
- After a minute, sprinkle a couple of drops of water onto the sev and fry the sev both sides.
- Remove it from the oil, and repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.
- Once all the sev done, sprinkle the remaining spice mix on it and break the sev into small pieces.
- Let it cool completely then store it in an airtight container.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Ratlami Sev
Equipment
- 1 Sev Sancha
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Slotted spoon
Ingredients
For Spice Mix
- 2 tablespoon whole peppercorn Mari
- 2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds Dhana
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds Jeeru
- 1 tablespoon cloves Laving
- 1 tablespoon carom seeds Ajwain-ajmo
- 1 star anise Badiya or Chakri Phool
- 1 teaspoon garam masala Optional
- 1 teaspoon black salt Kala Namak – Sanchar
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
For Ratlami Sev
- 250 grams gram flour Besan
- 4 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon spice mix
- 125 ml water
- oil to fry
Instructions
- Dry roast first six ingredients 2 tablespoon whole peppercorn , 2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds , 1 tablespoon cumin seeds , 1 tablespoon cloves , 1 tablespoon carom seeds , 1 star anise in a pan or skillet without burning it.
- Let it cool completely.
- Place it in a coffee grinder and grind until you get a fine powder, you may want to sift the powder to get a finer powder.
- Now mix 1 teaspoon garam masala , 1 teaspoon black salt , 1 teaspoon chaat masala leave it aside for later use.
- In a big bowl, add 4 tablespoon oil and 125 ml water and mix well with electric bitter or egg whisker with the hands.
- Once it mixes well, add 3 tablespoon spice mix and salt ( not too much as there is some black salt in the mix) and mix well.
- Now add 250 grams gram flour little by little and knead a soft dough.
- Heat oil in a kadai, add one tablespoon HOT oil into the dough and mix it with the SPOON.
- Take a sev no snacho ( sev machine ) and fill it with the dough and press the machine over the HOT oil ( See pics above ) Make large circle of sev.
- After a minute, sprinkle a couple of drops of water onto the sev and fry the sev both sides.
- Remove it from the oil, and repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.
- Once all the sev done, sprinkle the remaining spice mix on it and break the sev into small pieces.
- Let it cool completely then store it in an airtight container.
- Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Habshi Halwa is an elegant and moreish Indian dessert, certainly a sweet that is fit for a Royal menu. One of the best and magnificent Indian delicacies is rich in flavours, taste and aroma. This halwa is sticky, chewy, soft and nutty. If I had to describe this Halwa in one word it would be ‘Phenomenal’
Sweets, I can’t and won’t live without it, especially this time of the year and that too homemade. I love to prepare fresh mithai each and every Diwali without fail instead of buying from the store. I hardly buy sweets from the shop, so over the years, I have taught myself to make a few favourite ones from scratch. Not only on Diwali but throughout the year, the unbeatable freshness of homemade sweets and mithai and the taste keep me busy in the kitchen.
HABSHI HALWA
Habshi translates ‘dark’ or colour ‘black’, according to history this recipe comes from the royal kitchens during The Moghuls and it is supposed to be eaten during colder months. Habshi Halwa made up with many ingredients like Milk, Desi Ghee, Sprouted wheat, Nuts and few spices and takes a long time to prepare.
I have not followed any particular recipe from the internet, also I have tried to write the recipe in details as possible, including some tips that I’ve learnt and understood over the years. I hope that in the future my daughter and also you try your hand at making it for family and friends !!!
HOW TO MAKE HABSHI HALWA
HABSHI HALWA
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. wheat berries Gehun white or red
- litre full-fat milk
- 350 g homemade khoya/mawa
- 250 g desi ghee
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 cup cashew nuts
- ¼ cup pistachio nuts
- Pinch javentri powder mace
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg powder
- 10 threads of saffron
- ½ tsp. cardamom powder
- 1 tbsp. kewra water
- Few drops of edible brown colour
Instructions
- First, we need to sprout Wheat Berries.
- Rinse wheat berries with warm water, place in a bowl and add fresh water, cover the bowl with the clean kitchen towel and soak berries for up to 24 hours.
- Next day remove water from the berries, rinse with the freshwater.
- Take stainless steel or plastic sieve, line one clean and fresh kitchen towel.
- Place soaked wheat berries on it, loosely cover with the kitchen towel and let the sieve sit on the pan.
- If the towel gets dry sprinkle some water on it.
- After 8-10 hours you will see sprouted wheat.
- Once you are ready to make halwa, once again rinse sprouted wheat berries in freshwater.
- Place sprouted wheat and little milk in a grinder and make a coarse paste.
- Take remaining milk and wheatpaste in a heavy bottom kadai and combine well.
- Start cooking milk and wheat mixture on a very low heat, continuously keep stirring until mixture reduces to 1/3.
- Add grated khoya, and keep stirring for 10-12 minutes.
- Now add sugar, once again mixture will go more liquidy due to sugar dissolving.
- Keep stirring, after 20-22 minutes add saffron and kewra and keep cooking and stirring the mixture until very thick. This process can take another hour or two. ( In between add colour, mace, cardamom and nutmeg powder )
- Once the mixture gets very thick, slowly add desi ghee and stir well another 40-45 minute.
- Add cashew nuts and keep stirring until halwa no longer sticks to kadai.
- Spread the halwa mixture evenly in a greased thali or tray.
- Sprinkle crushed pistachio, press gently and leave it to cool completely.
- Cut the halwa into the desired shape.
- Enjoy delicious and delectable homemade Habshi halwa 🙂
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
