Uppu Seedai and Vella Seedai for Krishna Jayanthi

Happy Krishna Jayanthi

Uppu Seedai (Savoury)

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Urad dal flour - 2 TBSP, roasted until light brown and aromatic
Butter - 2 TBSP, room temperature
Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Freshly grated coconut - 1 TBSP
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for deep frying

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Add water little at a time and make a tight dough.
2. Spread a clean and damp cloth or paper towel on the counter top.
3. Take a small marble sized dough and roll it into a ball, using your palm.
4. Heat oil in a pan.  Drop the rolled balls little at a time.  
5. Move the balls gently to prevent them from sticking together.
6. Fry on a medium heat, until golden brown.
7. Place it on a paper towel to drain of excess oil.

Vella Seedai (Sweet)

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 1 cup, sifted
Urad dal flour - 2 tsp, roasted until light brown and aromatic
Jaggery - 1 cup, grated
Thinly Sliced Coconut Pieces - 1 TBSP
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
oil - for frying

Method: 

1. In a large skillet, dry roast the rice flour on a low flame, for a minute and until aromatic.
2. Let it cool completely.  Add the urad flour, sesame seeds and the thinly sliced coconut pieces and mix well. 
3. Place 1 cup water and 1 cup jaggery in a pan.  Heat until the jaggery dissolves completely.
4. Strain the jaggery syrup using a fine mesh strainer to remove impurities. Add cardamom powder.
5. Boil the strained jaggery syrup in the same pan.   Remove from the heat.
6. Using a ladle, add the syrup little by little into the flour mixture until it forms a tight tough.  
7. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.
8. Grease the palm with some ghee and roll the dough into small balls.  A little bigger than a marble.
9. Heat oil to medium high. The oil should not be smoking hot.
10. Drop 5 or 6 rolled balls in hot oil.  Wait for a minute and gently move it around to prevent them from sticking together.
11. Deep fry until dark brown.