Sevai plain320.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sevai (Hindi : सेवई), shavige (Kannada: ಶಾವಿಗೆ), saemia and santhakai (
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
: சந்தகை) is a type of rice vermicelli popular in India. While typically made from rice, varieties made out of other food grains like wheat, ''ragi'', and others can also be found.


History

According to food historian
K. T. Achaya K. T. Achaya (6 October 1923 – 5 September 2002) was an oil chemist, food scientist, nutritionist and food historian. He is the author of ''Indian Food: A Historical Companion'', ''The Food Industries of British India'', and ''A Historical Di ...
, references in the Sangam literature mentions sevai and idiyappam around 1st century AD. Lokopakara (1025 CE) cookbook also mentions method of making sevai and mold-presser used for it. "Lokopakara" Agri-History Bulletin No. 6 - (Trans) Ayangarya, Y. L. Nene, Nalini Sadhale, Valmiki Sreenivasa (Trans), 2004


Preparation

Sevai is mostly made fresh starting from rice grains. It is also prepared from dried sevai packs (or
rice sticks Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rathe ...
) from Asian grocery stores. Traditionally, making sevai at home consists of the following steps (with minor variations based on location and family customs): *Soaking of parboiled rice in cold water for about 3 hours *Grinding of soaked rice using a
wet grinder A wet grinder can refer either to a tool for abrasive cutting of hard materials or to a food preparation appliance used especially in Indian cuisine for grinding food grains to produce a paste or batter. A wet grinder for abrasive cutting uses ...
into a fine paste *Making of dumplings from the rice paste and steaming the chunks *Pressing of cooked dumplings into fine strands using a type of sevai press


Ingredients

Homemade sevai is often made from 100% rice (in addition to water and salt) whereas dry
rice sticks Rice vermicelli is a thin form of noodle. It is sometimes referred to as 'rice noodles' or 'rice sticks', but should not be confused with cellophane noodles, a different Asian type of vermicelli made from mung bean starch or rice starch rathe ...
may have additives like tapioca and
corn starch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...
. In Southern parts of Karnataka, shyaavige is made of different grains with different consistencies. When made with ragi or
millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...
the vermicelli is fatter, whereas when made with rice or wheat the strands are thinner. Sevai can be made as a sweet or savoury dish. The dessert is usually made as kheer with milk, jaggery, cardamom, and saffron.


''Sevai'' versus ''Idiyappam''

Sevai is similar to ''
idiyappam Idiyappam ( ta, இடியப்பம்/இடியாப்பம், Malayalam: ഇടിയപ്പം), also known as string hopper, ''indiappa'' ( Sinhala: ඉඳිආප්ප), ''noolputtu'' ( ta, நூல்புட்டு, M ...
,'' in the ingredients and preparation. Sevai, unlike idiyappam, is typically broken or cut up rather than in piles of noodles. In this way, sevai is treated almost as a substitute for rice. Idiyappam, by contrast, is served almost as a substitute for '' appam'' with side dishes like curries or kormas. The presses used to make sevai and idiyappam are essentially the same. Sevai is also typically not served with curries like other side dishes but rather mixed with a flavoring like lemon, tamarind paste, coconut, or ''uddina pudi'' (a type of powder made from black gram dal in Karnataka). Called ''shavige'' in Karnataka, it can also be prepared with cooked vegetables and tempered with spices with a dash of lemon juice. Sevai is typically served in Tamil Nadu and other South Indian communities as a breakfast or tiffin dish, but also served as a dessert such as '' payasam'' when cooked in milk with cardamom or other spices and
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
. The cuisine of Kongu region in Tamil Nadu has a variation of this called Santhagai and is included in wedding rituals of the region. In the
Malnad Malnad (; Malēnādu) is a region in the state of Karnataka in India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountain range, and is roughly 100 kilometers in width. Malnadis a region of Karnataka ...
region of Karnataka, it may be served with
chicken curry Chicken curry is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is common in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, Caribbean, and Japan. A typical curry from the Indian subcontinent consists of chicken stewed in an onion- a ...
, unlike how it is usually served in other parts of South India. Sankethi communities also differ from the norm in that they serve idiyappam like sevai, flavored with lemon, tamarind, or ''uddina'' pudi. Other variants of sevai made with ragi,
jowar ''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a grass species cultivated for its grain, which is used for food for humans, animal feed, and ethanol produc ...
, or other grains are served plain with accompaniments like sweetened
coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...
and various edible powders including powdered
chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high ...
and
sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
. In Tamil Nadu, santhakai is often flavoured with lemon, tamarind, tomato, coconut, and curd and is usually eaten warm.


See also

* Indian cuisine *
History of Indian cuisine The history of Indian cuisine consists of cuisine from the Indian subcontinent, which is rich and diverse. The diverse climate in the region, ranging from deep tropical to alpine, has also helped considerably broaden the set of ingredients readily ...
* Noodles * Rice vermicelli * Tamil cuisine * '' Jalebi'' *
Dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...


References

{{Indian Dishes Indian rice dishes Tamil cuisine Indian noodles