Omapodi recipe with step by step pics. Omapodi is a delicious and crispy South Indian snack of sev laced with the delicate aroma and flavor of ajwain or carom seeds (known as omam in tamil language).
Omapodi is very easy to make and does not need much expertise in cooking. Usually, various types of sev are made during Diwali. Omapodi is one such savory dish that is made as a Diwali snack.
In this omapodi recipe, you can increase or decrease the amount of spiciness by changing the amount of red chilli powder.
I have already shared two types of sev recipes earlier:
You can make omapodi a few days before Diwali and store them in air-tight jars or a steel dabba. This recipe makes for about 300 grams of omapodi. You can easily halve or double or triple the recipe. omapodi is also used in making the popular South Indian Mixture recipe. another fried snack which is made during Diwali is this Kara boondi.
Omapodi are a good tea time snack. you and your family can munch them any time of the day or while watching a movie or reading a book.
How to make omapodi
1. Heat a small pan and keep flame to a low. Add 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds).
2. Stirring often roast ajwain for some seconds till they are aromatic. No need to brown them. Let them cool down.
3. Then add them in a small dry grinder jar or a spice grinder.
4. Grind to a fine powder. Keep aside. You can even crush ajwain in a mortar-pestle. In this case, when adding ajwain, use a tea strainer and sift the ajwain powder through it. This is done so that when pressing through the sev maker, the dough strands do not break.
Making omapodi dough
5. In a mixing bowl or pan take 1 cup besan (gram flour) and ½ cup rice flour.
6. Add the ground ajwain powder.
7. Then add 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing), 2 pinches turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon salt. You can add salt as per taste. Turmeric powder can be skipped. For a spicy omapodi, you can increase the amount of red chilli powder. for more crispiness you can add a pinch of baking soda also.
8. Mix very well with a spoon or spatula.
9. Now heat 1 tablespoon oil in a steel bowl or a steel measuring cup.
10. When the oil becomes hot, add it to the flour mixture. Instead of oil you can also use ghee or butter.
11. Mix oil with the flour mixture with a spoon or spatula.
12. Now add water in parts. First add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well and begin to knead to a smooth dough. Overall I used 7 tablespoons of water. You can add 6 to 7 tablespoons of water depending on the quality of besan and rice flour.
13. Knead to a smooth dough. If the dough becomes sticky, then you can add some more besan. If the dough looks dry, then add some more water and knead again. Cover the bowl.
Frying omapodi
14. Use the disc shown in the below picture for preparing omapodi. You can even use the disc with fine holes. Also heat a kadai and add oil as required for deep frying omapodi.
15. Apply some water or oil in the sev/murukku maker. Then take a portion of the omapodi dough and place it inside the sev maker. Cover with the top part and keep aside.
16. Let the oil in the kadai become medium hot. Check the oil temperature by adding a small tiny piece of the dough. If the small piece of dough comes up gradually and steadily on top, the oil is hot enough to fry. If it comes up too quickly, then oil is too hot. If it settles down at the bottom of kadai or comes up very slowly, the oil is not hot enough for frying omapodi.
17. When the oil is hot enough, directly press holding the sev maker on top of the oil and let the sev directly fall in the oil.
18. while pressing rotate in a concentric circle from the center to outwards similar to making a Chakli. Do not overcrowd the kadai with omapodi. Add as much as needed without overcrowding the kadai. Be careful when pressing the sev in the oil.
19. After the sev is pressed in the oil, break the top sev strands with a spoon or knife and let the sev strands fall in the oil.
20. After adding the sev, do not touch them immediately with the slotted spoon as they break. Let them get fried first for a minute. They need to become crisp first and then you can turn them over with the slotted spoon.
21. Gently begin to turn with a slotted spoon.
22. Now fry the second side.
23. You can turn over a couple of times for even frying.
24. When the oil stops sizzling, continue to fry for some more seconds till the omapodi are golden and crisp. Turn over as needed when frying. Do not break the sev while frying as then it becomes extra work to remove the small pieces of sev from the oil. So fry the entire round shaped omapodi as one piece and do not break it.
25. Once done then remove with a slotted spoon or a strainer spoon draining off the extra oil.
26. Place them on kitchen paper towels. Fry the remaining omapodi in the same way.
27. When they are cooled, then place them in an airtight container or box. Now you can break omapodi if you want when placing them in the container.
28. Serve omapodi as a Diwali snack or a tea time snack.
If you are looking for more Diwali faral then do check:
Omapodi Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 cup besan (gram flour) or 120 grams besan
- ½ cup rice flour or 100 grams rice flour
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 2 pinches turmeric powder - optional
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or add as required
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee or butter
- 6 to 7 tablespoons water or add as required
- oil as required for deep frying
Instructions
preparation to make omapodi dough
- Heat a small pan and keep flame to a low. Add 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds).
- Stirring often roast ajwain for some seconds till they are aromatic. No need to brown them. Let them cool down.
- Then add them in a small dry grinder jar or a spice grinder.
- Grind to a fine powder. Keep aside. You can even crush ajwain in a mortar-pestle. In this case, when adding ajwain, use a tea strainer and sift the ajwain powder through it. This is done so that when pressing the sev it does not break.
making omapodi dough
- In a mixing bowl or pan take 1 cup besan (gram flour) and ½ cup rice flour.
- Add the ground ajwain powder.
- Then add 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing), 2 pinches turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon salt. You can add salt as per taste. Turmeric powder can be skipped. For a spicy omapodi, you can increase the amount of red chilli powder.
- Mix very well with a spoon or spatula. now heat 1 tablespoon oil in a steel bowl or a steel measuring cup.
- When the oil becomes hot, add it to the flour mixture. Instead of oil you can also use ghee or butter.
- Mix oil with the flour mixture with a spoon or spatula.
- Now add water in parts. First add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Mix well and begin to knead to a smooth dough. Overall I used 7 tablespoons of water. You can add 6 to 7 tablespoons of water depending on the quality of besan and rice flour.
- Knead to a smooth dough. If the omapodi dough becomes sticky, then you can add some more besan. If the dough looks dry, then add some more water and knead again. Cover the bowl.
frying omapodi
- Use the disc shown in the below picture for preparing omapodi. You can even use the disc with fine holes. Also heat a kadai and add oil as required for deep frying omapodi.
- Apply some water or oil in the sev/murukku maker. Then take a portion of the omapodi dough and place it inside the sev maker. Cover with the top part and keep aside.
- Let the oil in the kadai become medium hot. Check the oil temperature by adding a small tiny piece of the omapodi dough.
- If the small piece of dough comes up gradually and steadily on top, the oil is hot enough to fry. If it comes up too quickly, then oil is too hot. If it settles down at bottom of kadai or comes up very slowly, the oil is not hot enough for frying omapodi.
- When the oil is hot enough, directly press holding the sev maker on top of the oil and let the sev directly fall in the oil. While pressing rotate in a concentric circle from the center to outwards similar to making a chakli. Do not over crowd the kadai with omapodi. Add as much as needed without overcrowding the kadai. Be careful when pressing the sev in the oil.
- After the sev is pressed in the oil, break the top sev strands with a spoon or knife and let the sev strands fall in the oil.
- After adding the besan sev, do not touch them immediately with the slotted spoon as they break. Let them get fried first for a minute. They need to become crisp first and then you can turn them over with the slotted spoon.
- Gently begin to turn with a slotted spoon. now fry the second side.
- You can turn over a couple of times for even frying.
- When the oil stops sizzling, continue to fry for some more seconds till the omapodi are golden and crisp. Turn over as needed when frying.
- Once done then remove with a slotted spoon or a strainer spoon draining off the extra oil.
- Place them on kitchen paper towels. Fry the remaining omapodi in the same way.
- When they are cooled, then place them in an air tight container or box.
- Serve omapodi as a diwali snack or a tea time snack.
Notes
- You can easily halve or double or triple the recipe.
