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!
Seeralam, Lentil Idli Fry Recipe, Lentil Nuggets
Recipe for Seeralam – lentil idlies tossed in a masala. A very healthy evening snack for children. With step by step pictures.
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
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
Instructions
- 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!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Evening Snack
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
Hi, Love your recipes! The mushroom biryani was a hit!
Can I use dessicated coconut instead of fresh coconut in this recipe?
You willl need fresh coconut for this recipe
Mama your receipe are very healthy and easy to prepare ; hats off to you
Can i make adai with that batter?
You can try!
The recipe is quite new to me.. Gonna try this.. Definitely it will be a healthy snack 🙂
Hope you like the recipe. Yes its a really healthy snack!
Hi
Many of ur recipes call for peanut oil plz can u explain is peanut oil good for health or it’s better in taste . We here use refined oil for cooking . It would be great if u could take time to explain
Peanut oil, coconut oil and sesame oil is the traditional oil used in a lot of homes for cooking in Tamilnadu. My family has always used these oils only. So I use it at home. Its always debatable whether its good for health etc…I do cook with refined oils when I have to deep fry.
Very nice recipe. Will try it.
Never heard of this before.