Mixture / Chivda

Chivda or Mixture (as called in TamilNadu) is a popular Indian Tea time snack which consists of combining fried lentils, peanuts, puffed rice, beaten /flattened rice flakes along with different types of fried snacks like Omapodi, Murukku, Boondi, Kara Sev, Diamond Cuts?? All of them are combined together and flavored with a blend of hot spices and salt and done in various combinations according to each one's tastes.



This snack can be very well conserved in air tight tins for more than a month unless you finish all of it within that period??.. which applies to me in that case, ?coz whenever I do, I prepare a generous amount of it in order to avoid re-doing it in a short period of time as it is quite time-consuming and a lengthy procedure but it seems to be never sufficient each time.......

Well, honestly, if you give me the choice between a bowl of chips and this mixture in another, my preference will incontestably be this addicting crunchy munchy Mixture...... ok, let me try to explain this recipe now:



Ingredients you?ll have to Prepare for the Mixture:



5cups of Omapodi

3 cups of Boondi

1 cup of Murukku(didn?t add it here)

½ a cup of raw Peanuts

3 cups Beaten Rice/ Aval

½ tsp red chilly powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 sprigs curry leaves



PS: the quantity of Omapodi/Murukku/Beaten rice can be increased or decreased according to your needs



For the Omapodi:



Ingredients:

2 cups gram flour

½ a cup Rice flour

1 tsp finely powdered Ajwain/ Carom seeds

¼ tsp asafetida

Salt (1 tsp or +/-according to your tastes)

Oil for deep frying



Method:

Mix salt, powdered ajwain and asafetida in half acup of water.



Sift gram flour and Rice flours in a bowl and add the prepared water to it little by little. Knead well (may add a little more water if necessary) to make soft smooth dough. The dough should be like a chapatti dough consistency neither too hard nor too soggy.



Heat enough oil for deep frying (maybe more than 3 cups) and reduce it to medium high.



Fill up a murukku press with the dough and use the plate with small minute holes (for omapodi ) to press out the omapodi in the oil. Fry until slightly colored and turn it over.

Remove and drain when it is crispy and uniformly colored.

Crush them when it comes to room temperature and store it in an airtight container.



You may enjoy the Omapodi as it is or scroll down to continue with the Mixture preparation....



For the Boondi:



Ingredients:

2 cups Gram flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp oil

Ghee/Oil for deep frying (approximately 4 cups)



Method:



Mix the salt and baking soda along with the gram flour and add oil and knead until you get a crumbly mixture.



Add water gradually, so that you get a smooth batter (like the Dosa batter consistency, it should be neither too thick nor too watery but should have a smooth flowing consistency).



Heat ghee or oil in a wok, on medium flame; pour the mixed batter through a boondi maker by spreading the batter with a spoon or a spatula so that small drops of boondi fall in the ghee.



Fry until they become crispy. Drain on a paper towel and do the same for the rest of the batter.



Keep aside for the mixture.



This boondi can also be served as a snack apart, as a Kara Boondi if you temper it in the following way:



Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan, splutter some curry leaves, fry some peanuts and 3 or 4 crushed garlic (along with the skin) and remove off the flame. Add a teaspoon or two of chilly powder, a little bit of salt and sprinkle all this on the fried boondis and stir well. This is called Kara Boondi.



If you?re doing the Boondis for the Mixture, just skip the above step and scroll down to continue....



For the Murukku:



Please see the recipe HERE





Fry the beaten/flattened rice flakes until crispy (always on medium flame) and keep aside.



Deep fry the peanuts and the curry leaves and keep aside.





Sift together the chilly powder, salt and sugar (given under the ingredients of mixture) in a separate bowl.



Gather all the fried Omapodi & Murukku (crush them into small pieces), Boondi, the beaten rice, the curry leaves and the peanuts together in a large bowl or vessel.



Sprinkle the chilly/salt/sugar powder on it and stir it all together and let it come to room temperature before storing it in air tight containers. Happy Tea time!!!



Place for some rewards from a sweet friend Devi:





Thank you for gratifying me with these lovely awards  my friend, I'd love to pass it on to all my dear Readers!!!!





Enjoooooooooy and have a nice Weekend !!!!!