Garlicky Spinach Sev
Garlicky Spinach Sev combines blanched baby spinach with a smooth puree of garlic, green chilies, and carom seeds mixed into a besan (gram flour) dough, which is then fried into crisp sev. The spinach puree imparts a bright green color and a subtle vegetable flavor, balanced by the heat of green chilies and the aromatic kick from carom seeds. The frying process crisps the sev, making it perfect for snacking or using as toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 box 5 to 6 ounces of baby spinach
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 to 4 green chili
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds
- 1½ cups besan fine gram flour
- 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Blanch spinach for 1 to 2 minutes or until they start to wilt. Transfer the spinach into an ice bath so it stops cooking. Blanching allows the spinach to be cooked to a perfect tenderness while retaining the bring green color.
- Drain the water completely and squeeze the spinach leaves by tightly pressing them with your hands to discard the remaining water.
- Add garlic, green chilies, and carom seeds to the blender jar and blend together. Then add the blanched spinach to make a smooth puree.
- Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl. Add besan/chickpea flour salt and ½ tablespoon of oil to the puree, mix well and knead to form a soft dough. Note: Depending on the thickness of the puree, you may need more flour. The dough will be soft and sticky. Add the remaining oil that will help take out any dough stuck to the bowl or on your hand and shape the dough into a ball.
- Keep a frying pan or kadhai on medium heat and heat oil for frying.
- Take the sev press and insert the sev disc with medium-thick holes. Next, fill up the tube of the sev press with some of the prepared dough keeping a 1-inch gap at the top. Tightly secure the top lid/handle on the tube.
- Test the oil for optimum temperature by adding a small piece of dough to the oil, which should rise up gradually in 5 to 10 seconds. If it rises up too fast, lower the heat and if it does not rise up in 10 seconds allow the oil to heat up further.
- Carefully, start pumping out the sev in a circular motion directly in the hot oil. I usually do 1 round spiral shape, then stop pumping the press and break the dough by hand so I get one palm-sized circular nest of sev in the oil.
- Fry the sev for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Then slowly turn the sev over and continue to fry for another 2 minutes on low heat. Make sure the oil is not overheated and sev does not burn. Carefully take it out on a paper towel-lined tray. The sev will continue to crisp up as it cools down.Increase the heat for the frying pan back to medium-high and continue pressing another sev spiral and frying. Repeat the process of filling the press, pumping sev, and frying for the remaining dough.
Air Fryer Sev
- To air-fry sev, line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and lightly spray it with oil. Then Make a single layer of sev spiral directly inside the basket.
- Air fry at 330 F for 5 minutes. Open the basket. Spray a little more oil and cook for an additional 4 to 6 minutes checking frequently the last few minutes making sure the sev is not browning. Carefully take the sev out, it will continue to crisp up as it cools down.
Notes
- Blend spinach, garlic, chilies, and carom seeds into a very fine puree to prevent clogging the sev press.
- Discard stems if using regular spinach, as they may get stuck in the sev press.
- Adjust the gram flour amount based on puree thickness; dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
- Maintain medium-high oil heat for frying; cook sev 2-3 minutes per side to keep the green color.
- Sev crisps further upon cooling after frying; handle gently to retain crispness.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 166
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 166kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 21g | 7% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 1258mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 272mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 23IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 22mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.