Indian Cooking Challenge- Chegodelu/Chekodelu

For this month’s ICC challenge we were asked to make a savory from Andhrapradesh ‘THE CHEGODELU’. I wanted to make this in the beginning of the month, but I was advised to stay away from frying and fumes because of severe congestion in the chest which ultimately got diagnosed as Pneumonia. Gladly I could just squeeze in today, the last day of ICC when I am supposed to post, to make these cuties.

We were given two recipes, I used the first one.I had read the recipe when it was announced and did not find it too complicated to try.. as now I have a better hand in making the ‘Ukad’ with rice flour i.e to make a dough by steam cooking method. The chegodelu’s are  a little time consuming but worth all the effort. They are nicely crispy and tasty too. As a type this post I have already laid my hand on these and finished a few, I hope I can keep a few for everyone to try…

Recipe by Srivalli
Ingredients Needed:
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Split Yellow Moong dal - 2 tblsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Ghee or oil - 1 tblsp, Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method to prepare the Chegodelu
Making the dough
Soak moong dal in water for half hour to 1 hour.

In a deep bottom pan, boil water, then add salt, ghee and moong dal. Bring it to boil, simmer and slowly add the rice flour. Using a rolling pin or the ladle, mix the flour with water by stirring it well. When the flour is mixed and done, turn off the heat immediately. Cover with lid and keep aside for 10 to 15 mins. It’s always better to have a little less water while making the dough than having excess water.

Once the dough is cool, add chili powder, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and mix well. Knead till you get a smooth dough. Adjust the salt and spice depending on your preference. I needed to add a little water to make a smooth dough. The best way is to take small portions and knead them well, if required use water.

Grease your fingers and pinch out a  small ball (size of a large marble) and roll it on flat, clean  surface to  a rope of about 2-1/2 – 3 inches length.

Bring the two ends to together and press to form a rope. Ensure the ends are firmly pressed as not to give out during frying. Continue with the rest of the dough until you are done with the entire batch. You can either cover it with a plate or a cloth to prevent the dough from getting dried.

Frying the Chekodelu

Heat a pan with oil, enough to fry 7-8 at a time (I have tried to save my time).  The temperature should not be smoking hot.Check if the oil is in the correct temperature, by dropping a tiny bit into the oil. Then gently slide the rings or the chekodelus  in batches of 7-8. The flame has to be on high until the chekodelus come up to the surface, then lower the flame to medium and cook till you get a golden colour on the chekodelus.

When the chekodelus are golden all over, using a slotted ladle, remove to a kitchen towel and cool. Store in an air tight container for longer shelf life.

Notes: Remember to turn the heat to medium to high and high to medium for getting the chekodelus to golden colour and also to be cooked evenly. Only this way you get crispy chekodelus. These should not be cooked on low flame as they will absorb more oil and can turn soggy also at times.

Variation:   Instead of Cumin and Sesame seeds, 1 tsp of Ajwain or Omam can be used along with chili powder.

I added a little asafetida to mine.