Seeralam is a very traditional tamil style recipe and there are a lot of variations found across Tamilnadu. While some recipes do not use rice, some vary on the type of lentils used. This is my aunt’s recipe and this is how we make at home. We use equal quantity of chana dal, toor dal, moong dal and rice for this recipe. Me and my son named this dish as lentil nuggets to make it interesting when he was young. The name has stuck with me till now. Its a really healthy recipe and very tasty. It makes for the perfect after school snack. Here is how to do Seeralam.
Soak 3 tablespoon each of moong dal, toor dal, chana dal and raw rice in water for a couple of hours.
Drain the water and use half a cup of the drained water to grind the dals and rice. Add in asafoetida (hing), salt and red chillies while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste.
Fill the idli plate moulds with the ground batter and steam for 15 minutes. You can also use muffin tins or ramekins if you do not have idli plates. After steaming, allow it to cool completely.
Once cooled, remove the cooked dal mixture from the mould and dice it into small pieces. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and the urad dal. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and finely chopped onion. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the diced dal-rice idlies and fry for a minute.
Add in the salt and toss well to coat. Finally, add in the fresh shredded coconut and toss well to coat. Remove from heat and serve hot!
Its a perfect evening snack!
For the lentil idlies
- 3 tablespoon toor dal
- 3 tablespoon moong dal
- 3 tablespoon chana dal
- 3 tablespoon raw rice
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 dried red chillies
For tempering
- 2 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1/4 mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon split white urad dal
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
- Soak 3 tablespoon each of moong dal, toor dal, chana dal and raw rice in water for a couple of hours.
- Drain the water and use half a cup of the drained water to grind the dals and rice. Add in asafoetida (hing), salt and red chillies while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste.
- Fill the idli plate moulds with the ground batter and steam for 15 minutes. After steaming, allow it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, remove the cooked dal mixture from the mould and dice it into small pieces. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and the urad dal. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and finely chopped onion. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft.
- Add in the diced dal-rice idlies and fry for a minute. Add in the salt and toss well to coat. Finally, add in the fresh shredded coconut and toss well to coat. Remove from heat and serve hot!
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Evening Snack
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
For the lentil idlies
- 3 tablespoon toor dal
- 3 tablespoon moong dal
- 3 tablespoon chana dal
- 3 tablespoon raw rice
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 dried red chillies
For tempering
- 2 teaspoon peanut oil
- 1/4 mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon split white urad dal
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
- Soak 3 tablespoon each of moong dal, toor dal, chana dal and raw rice in water for a couple of hours.
- Drain the water and use half a cup of the drained water to grind the dals and rice. Add in asafoetida (hing), salt and red chillies while grinding. Grind to a smooth paste.
- Fill the idli plate moulds with the ground batter and steam for 15 minutes. After steaming, allow it to cool completely.
- Once cooled, remove the cooked dal mixture from the mould and dice it into small pieces. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and the urad dal. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped green chillies and finely chopped onion. Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft.
- Add in the diced dal-rice idlies and fry for a minute. Add in the salt and toss well to coat. Finally, add in the fresh shredded coconut and toss well to coat. Remove from heat and serve hot!
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Evening Snack
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/seeralam-lentil-idli-fry-recipe/
This is a very easy recipe for making pongal using Kalkandu (rock sugar). The addition of milk makes the dish so creamy! We will be using raw rice and split moong dal for making pongal. I like to use equal quantity of dal and rice for sweet pongal. Take quarter cup each of rice and split moong dal and soak it in water for one hour. After soaking, drain the water. Add in a cup of milk and a cup of water to the rice-dal mixture. Set aside.
We will be cooking the pongal in a pressure cooker today. I like to use the pot-in-pot method for cooking pongal as lentil and milk tend to spew out of the whistle if cooked directly. Milk and dal are notorious for spewing and scorching! Here is the pot-in-pot method – I place some water (about half a cup) in the cooker and place the bowl inside. This way the rice mixture does not scorch in the bottom. Cook for a good 15 minutes (10 whistles) on medium flame. Remove off heat and allow the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside.
Take a pan and add in the cooked dal-rice mixture. Take the kalkandu – sugar and grind it coarsely to a powder and add it to the pan.
The mixture will loosen up after adding sugar. Thats OK. Keep stirring for couple of minutes.
Grind the cardamom in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Add it to the pan.
Take a pan and add in the ghee, cashewnut and raisin and fry till the nuts are brown. Add it to the pan. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for 20 minutes. The mixture will continue to thicken up as it cools.
Serve at room temperature.
You may also want to check,
பொங்கல் SAKKARAI PONGAL / SWEET PONGAL RECIPE AKKARAVADISAL RECIPE, TAMILNADU AKKARAVADISAL, AKKARA ADISIL
For cooking rice and dal
- 1/4 cup split yellow moong dal
- 1/4 cup raw rice
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Kalkandu ( Rock Sugar )
- 2 cardamom
- 3 teaspoon ghee
- 6 cashews, broken
- 10 raisins
- Take quarter cup each of rice and split moong dal and soak it in water for one hour. After soaking, drain the water. Add in a cup of milk and a cup of water to the rice-dal mixture. Set aside.
- Cook the mixture in a pressure cooker (pot-in-pot method). Cook for a good 15 minutes (10 whistles) on medium flame. Remove off heat and allow the pressure to settle naturally. Set aside.
- Take a pan and add in the cooked dal-rice mixture. Take the kalkandu – sugar and grind it coarsely to a powder and add it to the pan. Keep stirring for couple of minutes.
- Grind the cardamom in a mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Take a pan and add in the ghee, cashewnut and raisin and fry till the nuts are brown. Add in the cardamom and the fried nut mixture. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for 20 minutes. The mixture will continue to thicken up as it cools.
- Serve at room temperature.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
