Air-Fried Besan Sev (Zero-Oil)
Ingredients
- Gram flour (besan): 1 cup (~100–110g)
- Turmeric: ¼ tsp
- Red chilli powder: ½ tsp
- Black pepper: ½ tsp (crushed or ground)
- Asafoetida (hing): A pinch (optional)
- Salt: To taste
- Water: As needed (to form a soft dough)
Equipment
- Sev press / chakli maker (with fine sev disc)
- Air fryer
- Parchment paper or perforated liner
Method
01
Mix dry ingredients & spices
- In a mixing bowl, combine the besan, turmeric, red chilli powder, black pepper, hing (if using), and salt.
02
Knead into a soft dough
- Gradually add water a little at a time and knead into a soft, highly pliable dough. It should be soft enough to easily load into the sev maker and slide smoothly through the fine holes without clogging or forcing the press.
03
Prep the air fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F) for 3 minutes. Line the basket with parchment paper or a perforated liner.
04
Shape the sev
- Fill the dough into the sev press fitted with the thin sev plate. Press directly into the air fryer basket in loose, light coils. Do not overcrowd or overlap too thickly so air can circulate.
05
Air fry with active monitoring
- Air fry at 180°C. Start checking at around 4–5 minutes, then gently flip the coiled sev disc and continue cooking. Keep a close eye on it toward the end, as thin besan strands can turn from golden to burnt very quickly. Adjust the exact cooking time based on visual cues—remove it as soon as it turns light golden.
06
Cool and store
- Let it cool completely. Break the crisped coils into your desired length and store in an airtight container.
07
Reheating / Re-crisping tip
- If stored sev loses its crunch over time, pop it back into a preheated air fryer at 160°C–170°C for 1 to 2 minutes. Let it cool completely again, and it will snap back to its original crisp texture.
Calorie Breakdown (Whole Batch)
Since this version completely skips the oil, almost all the calories come directly from the gram flour:
- Besan (Gram Flour): 1 cup (~105g) provides roughly 400 kcal.
- Spices (Turmeric, Chilli, Pepper, Hing): Added in small quantities, contributing about 10 kcal.
- Water & Salt: As needed, providing 0 kcal.
Total Calories for the entire batch: approximately 410 kcal.
(Yields roughly 8-10 snack servings at around 50 kcal per serving).