Kodo Millet Fryums – Varagu Vadagam Recipe

Glad that this is my 50th post 🙂 This recipe of mine got published in Chellamaey magazine – May 2016 Edition.

Heard that summer sun is still nimble in India. Prepare an easy and healthy vadaam and store it for rest of the year. I just tried our usual pazhaya soru(Old rice) vadaam using kodo millet and it was a super hit!

I have already posted my successful experiment on saamai ilai vadagam(Little Millet Fryums). This varagu killu vadagam is a very easy one. This is crispier than our usual rice vadagam. Do try and enjoy every bite! Soo healthy and sooo crispy!!!

Preparation

1.Wash kodo millet twice or thrice. As shown in second thumbnail in the below pic, handpick the millets and transfer to a cooker so that any sand/stone will be settled in the bottom of the vessel.

2.Add 1.5 cups water(3 x millet measure) and keep it soaked for 1/2 an hour.3.Cook in pressure cooker for 3 whistles or until soft. Once cooked, leave it as such for 6 to 8 hrs. After that, mix/mash the rice with ladle and pour water more than immersing level.4.Let it be soaked in water for 8 hrs or overnight. In the morning, squeeze out the water and transfer the rice to mixie jar.5.Grind for 2 to 3 pulses and transfer to a bowl. Add cumin seeds.6.Add salt, turmeric powder and plain chilli powder.7.Mix well with hand and in a large plate/Thaambaalam, pinch out vadaams in equal intervals.8.Keep the plates in hot sun and let it dry for 2-3 days depending upon the sun. Do not forcefully peel out the vadaams. Once dried, it will peel out by itself. In hot oil, fry 2-3 vadaams and taste it. If it is not chewy but crispy, then it is dried completely.9.Store in air-tight container and whenever required, fry vadaams in hot oil, drain in tissue paper and ta..da.. it’s ready to munch!

Tips/Tricks

• Cook the rice in an afternoon, so that you shall soak it in the night and pinch vadaams in the morning to dry it in the sun for a longer time.
• While grinding in mixie, if you grind it to fine paste, it will make vadaams stick to your teeth while eating. If you opt not to grind, it will start falling off from the cluster after drying. So, grind coarsely.
• Though it will start peeling out by the second day, dry for 1 more day for longer shelf life.
• While frying vadaams, keep the flame in medium so that it is not burnt but properly fried.