Kaarasev

Kaarasev is a South Indian savory. It tastes best when served warm or on room temperature and goes so good with coffee, tea or cool drinks. Generally kaarasev is made during Diwali as one of the sweets and snacks. The flavor of the pepper and carom seeds is phenomenal.. Kaarasev has a great shelf life. Store them in an airtight container. Generally we need the kaarasev kattai to do the kaarasev but I made it with the carrot scrapper and it worked like a charm. I am very happy to share this snack for BM...











Ingredients
Kadalai maavu / Besan – 2 ½ cups
Rice flour – 1 cup
Asafetida – ¼ tea spoon
Salt – 1 ½ tea spoons
Chili Powder – ¾ tea spoon
Crushed coarse pepper – ½ tea spoon
Pepper Powder – ½ tea spoon
Carom Seeds Powder (omapudi) – ¼ tea spoon
Oil – To fry


Method
Heat oil in a pan
Mix all the dry ingredients together well.
Make a well in between and add water slowly to make a stiff dough
Press the dough through the kaarasev maker or in my case the carrot scrapper directly to the oil
The oil temperature before putting the kaarasev should be around 340 degrees F and once you add the kaarasev into the oil, the temperature will get reduced by itself to 265 – 270 degrees F.
Fry them on medium flame until all the moisture gets evaporated or until golden from all sides. This should take around 7 to 8 minutes
Remove from oil and serve or store in an airtight container.


Points to note about Carom Seeds – from http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/ajwain.html -
Ajwain seeds contain many health benefiting essential oils such as thymol, a monopterone derivative class of chemical compound, which gives aromatic fragrances to seeds. It also contains -pinene, cymene, limonene and terpinene.
The active principles in the ajwain may help increase the digestive function of the intestinal tract by increasing gut juices (gastro-intestinal secretions).
Thymol, the essential oil obtained from ajwain has local anaesthetic, anti-bacterial and antifungal properties.
Like caraway, ajwain seeds are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins, and anti-oxidants. Ajwain seeds have long been used in traditional Ayurveda and unani medicines for various ailments. Extraction obtained from this spice sometimes used as carminative in treating flatulence and indigestion.
Thymol's germicide and antiseptic properties utilized in many cough remedies. In India, the seeds are used to ease asthma.
Ajwain seed oil has highest percentage of thymol.

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Sending this to Pari's Give me Some Snacks,  Vardhini's Diwali Bash, Nupur's What is With my Cuppa, My Diwali Basket,  Festive Feasts, Anu's Diwali event, Gayathri's WTML, hosted by Preeti,  Celebrate - Navrathri / Diwali, Jagruti's page, Surabhi's let's party, Preeti's page, Potluck, Serve it, Denny's page