Milagu Kaara Sev ( Pepper Snacky Sticks)

Kaara Sev is a very popular crispy and spicy snack which is a perfect combination for tea time. ‘Milagu’ means pepper in tamil, ‘kaara’ means spicy and ‘sev’ means sticks. This is the description for the title.

It is very famous in ‘Keela Eral’, a place near to Kovilpatti, Thoothukudi in Tamilnadu. My aunty belongs to that place. My mother’s family side, they are 6 sisters and 1 brother. So whenever my aunty comes from Keela Eral after temple festival, she used to get 1 kg. packet for everyone.

Thoothukudi is just 50 minutes from Keela Eral. Iam from Thoothukudi. So whenever we cross this place, definitely the elders in the family would stop the car and buy Kaara Sev from there. So Iam used to this snack from small age.

Not only in Keela Eral but it is famous throughout Tamilnadu. My husband likes savoury snacks more. So I make this at home now and then.

It can be made in two ways according to my knowledge- one way is very crispy and crunchy one( I have made this way); next way is soft one which is not very crispy.

On a fine rainy day or a cloudy day, this is the best combination for evening snack along with tea or coffee for all spicy savoury lover’s!!

INGREDIENTS

  • Gram flour- 1 cup
  • Rice flour- 1/2 cup
  • Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
  • Pepper powder- 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder- 1/4th tsp
  • Ajwain seeds( omam)- 1 tsp
  • Ghee- 1 tbsp
  • Asafoedita powder- 1/4th tsp
  • Salt- as needed.

PROCEDURE

Mix all the ingredients( flour, spices and salt) together in a bowl.
Warm the ghee a little. Add the ghee side by side and mix it everytime by adding little water to form a smooth semi-tight dough.
Dough is ready.
To make this kaara sev, ‘kaara sev kattai’ is used. If you don’t have, use ‘muruku or chakli maker’ with 1 or 3 holes in it. If you don’t have that too, take a ladle with big holes in it. Flat ladle with big holes in it also will help.
Heat oil in a pan. Take a small lemon sized ball of dough and keep it in ladle and start rubbing it with hand.
It starts falling like noodles from the bottom of the holes to the oil and deep fry them to light golden brown colour.
Do not make it more crowded. Stir it and fry them till the sound of the oil reduces or stops.
Drain it in a paper towel.

TIPS

  • The spice totally depends on you. You can increase or decrease the spice.
  • The dough should be semi-tight smooth. It shouldn’t be tight. If it’s tight, it will stick to the holes when rubbing it to fall down. In that case, add little water to get the desired consistency.