Deep Fried Chickpea Dough Balls (Chyueeam)
Cheyeeam are deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas.
Total Time
8 hours
½ kg kadalai paruppu (Bengal gram, small brown chickpeas)
½ kg vellam (jaggery, unrefined palm sugar)
10 elackai (cardamom pods)
½ kg maida mavu (refined wheat flour)
Water
Salt, to taste
1 litre cooking oil
Soak kadalai paruppu in clean water for at least 8 hours. They will double in size, so allow extra water for them to soak up.
8 hours
Boil kadalai paruppu. This should take about 40 minutes in a regular pot on the stove, or about 9 minutes in a pressure cooker (plus 10 minutes to depressurise).
40 minutes
Grind boiled kadalai paruppu with the jaggery and elachi, without adding any water, to make a dough.
Make small balls with the dough.
Make a thin batter with the maida and water. Add salt as needed.
Dip the dough balls in the batter.
Pour the oil in a pan. Heat until a small piece of dough floats and bubbles when added.
Add a few battered dough balls. Deep fry individually until golden.