Method of Preparing Shevai (Rice Noodles / Shavige / Idyappam)

"Ukde Tandla Shevai (Shevayi) / White Boiled Rice Noodles" ... Also known as Shavige / Rice Vermicilli / Idyappam / Noo Kadde in different language in different parts of the country .... A lovely dish that can be served with any spicy curry dishes or just with coconut oil and Adgai / Pickle etc. This is a traditional method of preparing shevai / sevai using white ukda rice / boiled rice that turns out really soft and Yumz ... Enjoy .... 

I have already posted the method of preparing ukda rice shevai before. I am repeating the same here with more pictures to enable amateurs to get a proper knowledge of method of preparing of shevai. I had not included step by step pictures earlier, which I have tried my level best here with. Do go through the details properly, also observe the pictures for a clear method of preparing shevai. 

Shevai is one of the most famous breakfast dish of Amchi’s. There are many types of shevai prepared with various combinations. Shevai can be prepared Using white or Red Ukda Rice and also normal surti kolam Rice, Wheat, Nachani etc. to name a few, but the preparations vary a bit from each other. Further many items can be prepared out of the prepared shevai too. Shevai can be sun dried too for later use. The amount of dishes prepared are vast in numbers. I will post each and every one as I prepare them. However explaining the method is a bit difficult and I would suggest you watch any video on You tube or observe your Friend or Relative prepare this before you start making on your own. I have added a lot of photographs to helap you understand the procedure too. Shevai Dante ie Shevai making machine is a must. You can also use the Chakli maker to do Shevai from the one which has medium sized holes.

The preparing method of shevai may look very tedious for an amateur. However, once you get the jest of the same you will learn to make them easily. The recipe included here is for shevai prepared from Ukda rice ie. white boiled rice. White boiled rice takes a bit longer time to soften than other rice, so you have got to soak it at least of 8-10 hours or overnight. 

Method: Wash and soak 2 cups of White boiled rice in water for 8-10 hours. Wash again and grind the soaked rice to get a smooth fine rava textured paste, adding water as required. Grease a heavy bottomed kadai and put in the ground mixture. Add salt to taste. Now keep the kadai on medium flame and keep stirring the mixture continuously. After some time the mixture starts getting thick. Do not stop stirring, as the mixture starts to thicken and leave the sides of the kadai turn the heat to minimum and continue till the mixture thickens completely and forms as a solid mass. To check if the batter is done, just touch the mixture with wet hands, if done it will not stick to your fingers, or else a little bit of the paste will stick to fingers. Remove from fire and let it cool a bit say for 5-10 minutes. 

Now keep some cold water in a bowl and dip both hands in it take some portion of the mixture and make them into oval shaped dumplings. Be careful as the mixture is hot. You can wear plastic gloves if not comfortable. Apply a small pressure on the rice dumpling by pressing your finger lengthwise on it… this is for even steaming of the rice dumpling. Do not let the mixture cool much as it starts hardening and then it becomes very difficult to shape them. So you have got to make the dumplings fast. 

Keep the prepared oval shaped dumplings in a Idly steaming vessel (pedavana) over a plate. Check that you have added water in the vessel before keeping the dumplings. You can steam this immediately or after a few hours. But you should be ready to press out the shevai once it is steamed coz. If the dumplings after getting steamed have to be pressed out hot. If they turn cold it becomes very difficult to press them out of the machine. Steam the dumplings kept in the pedavan (Idly steaming vessel) for about 20-25 minutes. 

The shevai making machine should be kept ready before keeping the prepared rice dumplings for steaming. Grease the moulds of the dante / shevai pressing machine with coconut oil. Also check that all the holes of the moulds are clear and there are no blocks whatsoever. All these things should be checked before the steaming process. Once the rice dumplings are steamed put each dumpling hot with the help of tongs and spatula into the mold and press through to form shevai’s. I have added a picture of both the machine and pressing shevai details one.

The shevai should be placed on a wet cloth immediately once it is pressed out this ensures that they remain separate and do not stick to each other. On a plate wet one white towel / cotton cloth / ankso and put on one layer, keeping aside the other to cover up once that layer is filled. Once you have filled up one layer, lay on the other end of the cloth on top to cover up the sevai and add on the second layer. Repeat if necessary. Let the sevai rest for a few hours on the cloth and them put them in an stainless steel box for use. If you want to keep them for more than few hours its better you put it in the fridge though it remains good for a day at room temperature. But I do not take that risk as I am not sure if the same will be over within the stipulated time. The next day you can prepare usli by crumbling them and adding on seasoning or add on godda churnu too, tastes Yumz. 

Ukda Rice Shevai is done and ready to be served. Serve with coconut oil, pickle (Adgai), batate songa etc. This shevai can be served with any spicy curry too. The hit combination is Potato+ Onion Songa. You can serve them with any bendi/koddel/gashi too……. Even chicken curry.

** Important Note : I am posting a picture of the Ukdo tandulu / White boiled rice I use for preparing the shevai. Preparation of shevai with boiled rice does not need the addition of coconut to bring in softness. Again, you have to give a few tries to learn the perfect method and not give up if you fall short the first time round you prepare shevai. After grinding right amount of water should be added to the paste and then stirred to a thick mass on heat. If the water content added is less the shevai will turn out brittle and break or become rubbery after a few hours. While too much addition of water makes is mushy while you press the shevai also it will come out mashed up in some places. Right textured shevai needs both good ukda rice as well of addition of right amount of water.

** The smoothly ground thick paste should be thinned out with addition of water some what in the ratio of 1:2 and not more. Say for one quantity of thickly ground ukda rice paste add in two cups of water mix well, there should be no lumps and then keep it on medium flame and keep stirring till it slightly thickens, once it does so, lower the heat to minimum and continue till it turns up into a rolling mass of thick paste. When you touch the same with wet hands the paste should not stick to your hands, if it does, you should continue mixing the same on low heat till it does not stick to your wet hands. Then allow to cool for some time before making them into balls. Make a slight dent on the same and then keep it in pedavan. Rest method I have mentioned above.

** You can also check up on the following link for some other combinations with shevai 

http://gayathrifoodbytes.blogspot.in/2015/01/ukda-rice-shevai.html