October 03, 2018

Seeyam | Sugiyan | Chithunde


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Seeyam / Sugiyan/ Boorelu/ Chithunde/ Suyyam; call it by any name -this is a very traditional South Indian dessert made for various occasions. Some family traditions call for making this sweet during Navratri ,Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi while some families make it during Sumangali Pooja or Shraddh / Devasam . In my family it is made during shraadh (the day we pay obeisance to the departed souls) . I am sure many families must be following this ritual of making this as an offering while paying homage to the ancestors / departed souls in the family .
There are various ways in which this dessert can be prepared , some use the Bengal gram / channa dal. - jaggery filling while some use the coconut jaggery filling . I have used the coconut jaggery filling for the same as per my family practice . Likewise the outer covering also varies , some use udad dhall / black gram batter while some use rice flour - maida batter and dip these filling roundels into the batter to coat well and deep fry them in oil .


Preparation Time : 30 mins
Frying time : 10-15 mins
Complexity - difficult

Seeyam , suyyam, sugiyan, how to make suyyam, iyengar suyyam, Chith unde , devasam suyyam, Shraddha samayal, devasam thaligai, thenga poornam sugiyan, sumangali prarthanai, boorelu, chithunde, Srardham, devasam




Ingredients
1 cup fresh grated coconut
3/4 cup grated jaggery or powdered jaggery
1/2 tsp cardamom powder / elaichi powder
3 tablespoon rice flour
1/2 tablespoon maida
2-3 tsp rava / sooji / semolina
Pinch of salt
Oil to deep fry

Method
In a pan, melt the jaggery in about 1/4 cup water , strain it in case of impurities. To this jaggery syrup add the coconut , cardamom powder and cook it well on medium flame until you see a nice glossy texture on the coconut and the mixture will leave the sides of the pan and form a nice filling. Let the filling cool well . ( The filling should be like how we make it for modak/ kozhakattai)


Once the filling / poornam has cooled down, make small lemon sized balls and keep ready.


Prepare a thick batter like that of idli batter using rice flour , maida , rava and a pinch of salt by adding water little by little . Dip the filling into this batter and coat it well such that the coconut filling is evenly coated with the batter and deep fry in medium flame until it turns crispy and golden brown.

Pro Tip from my paati a.k.a grandmother 
  • While frying you might see the coconut filling slightly ooze out from the balls, donot worry, that is because the jaggery melts in hot oil . 
  • Infact she would say , the consistency of the filling and oil's temperature for frying is perfect only when the filling oozes out . 
  • The outer batter coating shouldn't be very thick, else you can feel the batter more while eating. 
  • The speciality of this sweet , is that the coconut filling must hit your taste buds as soon as you take a bite . If the outer coating is thick then you won't be able to feel the filling .


Let it cool, before you serve.


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4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful recipe that can be made for many occasions. Chitunde is new to me but I love the flavours here. Will make for our the feast thali I have to make. Thanks.

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  2. Good to know about Chitunde, sounds so flavoursome. I will be making it soon as I have not tasted it.

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  3. These are the classic dishes you need for most celebrations. My mother in law taught me to make sugiyan for the anniversaries.

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  4. One of the best dessert for May festive occasion. Sounds so irresistible. Will definitely try your version soon. I am sure I will love it. - Preethi

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