Name: Chettinadu Masala Seeyam / Masala Cheeyam recipe by Sandhya Ramakrishnan at BetterButter
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Raw rice – ¾ cup (I used sona masoori); Idli rice – 1 tbsp; Ullutham paruppu / Urad dal – ¾ cup; Onion – 1 large (finely chopped); Green chili – 4 (finely chopped); Curry leaves – few; Oil – 1 tbsp plus more to deep fry; Mustard seeds - 1 tsp; Asafetida – ¼ tsp; Salt – to taste; Coconut – ¼ cup (grated or chopped finely)

ABOUT Chettinadu Masala Seeyam / Masala Cheeyam RECIPE

I love Chettinad cuisine and I have had the opportunity to make a few in past. My favorite one by far is the Chettinad Vellai Paniyaram. It was such a delicate dish that just melted in our mouth.

Ingredients Serving: 4

Raw rice – ¾ cup (I used sona masoori)
Idli rice – 1 tbsp
Ullutham paruppu / Urad dal – ¾ cup
Onion – 1 large (finely chopped)
Green chili – 4 (finely chopped)
Curry leaves – few
Oil – 1 tbsp plus more to deep fry
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafetida – ¼ tsp
Salt – to taste
Coconut – ¼ cup (grated or chopped finely)

Instructions

Wash and soak the raw rice, idli rice and urad dal together for about 4 hours.
Grind them to a very smooth and thick batter. I used my wet grinder to grind the batter as it yields fluffy batter which results in fluffy seeyam.
You could grind it in blender / mixie as well, but make sure you grind it into a thick batter adding just enough water as needed. Add salt needed and mix up the batter well.
In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. When the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds and let it crackle. Now add the asafoetida, onions, green chili, curry leaves and salt needed for the onion. Fry them until the onions soften a bit.
Now add the grated / chopped coconut and give it a quick stir. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool down a bit.
Add this mixture to the ground batter and mix it well.
Heat oil in a pan and gently drop rounded handful of batter into hot oil for deep frying. You could add a few at a time (depending on how big your pan is). Use wet hands to scoop the batter and drop it in oil. It makes it easier to form.
Fry them until they are golden brown on all sides and then remove it on a paper towel lined dish.
Serve hot with Chettinad special Kara chutney!

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