These air fryer seedai are small, crisp savoury snacks made with rice flour, urad dal flour and plain flour. For my version of uppu seedai, I boil the dough balls first, knead the cooked dough again, roll small balls and air fry them at 150°C until golden. No deep frying is needed.
Seedai are often prepared for Krishna Jayanthi, also called Gokulashtami. This batch used one-third of a larger dough that I also shaped into murukku and mini thenkuzhal. The ingredients below are one-third of that shared batch; the full dough was what I actually made and tested.
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Why make seedai in the air fryer?
This method uses boiling followed by air frying rather than deep frying. After the large dough balls have boiled, knead them again so they can be shaped into small seedai. The seedai cook at 150°C for about 25 minutes, with oil sprayed during cooking.
Ingredients for air fryer seedai
- Rice flour
- Urad dal flour
- Plain flour (maida)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cumin seeds
- White pepper
- Oil
- Water
Traditional seedai spices and seasonings
Traditional uppu seedai recipes vary from home to home. Some use cumin seeds, white sesame seeds, a little asafoetida (hing), and grated coconut for flavour; butter is also common in the dough. For my air fryer version, I kept the seasoning simple with just cumin seeds and white pepper, along with salt. I did not add sesame seeds, hing, coconut or butter to this batch.
How to make air fryer seedai
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
Mix the rice flour, urad dal flour and plain flour with salt and baking soda. No roasting is needed.
Step 2: Add water and oil
Add oil and water to the flour mixture.
Step 3: Knead the dough
Knead until a firm dough holds together.
Step 4: Divide into large balls
Divide the dough into large, roughly equal balls.
Step 5: Boil the dough
Boil the dough balls in water for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool until safe to handle.
Step 6: Re-knead and season
Break up the cooked dough, add the cumin and white pepper, and knead again until workable.
Step 7: Cut into small pieces
Roll the cooked dough into long cylinders and cut into small equal pieces.
Step 8: Shape and prepare the air fryer
Roll into small balls and toss with oil. Preheat the air fryer to 150°C and transfer to the tray in a single layer.
Step 9: Air fry until golden
Air fry at 150°C for about 25 minutes, spraying oil three times during cooking. Cool completely before eating.
Tips for crisp seedai
Keep the balls small and similar in size, avoid overcrowding the air fryer tray, and let the seedai cool completely before storing. The 25-minute timing is for the size shown in my photos; check your own air fryer and adjust if needed.
Variations
The same cooked dough can also be pressed into murukku or mini thenkuzhal. I cooked those shapes for 15-17 minutes at 150°C rather than 25 minutes for seedai. These shapes will have their own recipes.
More air fryer snacks
For other crispy Indian snacks, try air fryer fafda, air fryer methi mathri, or air fryer gathiya for another savoury snack.
Air Fryer Seedai Recipe
Air Fryer Seedai Recipe (Crispy Uppu Seedai)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup rice flour
- ⅓ cup urad dal flour
- ⅓ cup plain flour maida
- 2 small pinch baking soda approximately ¹/₁₂ teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds jeera
- 1 teaspoon white pepper scaled from original notes; quantity to verify
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons oil
- Slightly less than ⅓ cup water added gradually
- Additional oil for tossing and spraying
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Combine rice flour, urad dal flour, plain flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add oil and water: Add the oil and gradually add water to form a dough.
- Knead: Knead until you have a firm dough that holds together.
- Shape large balls: Divide the dough into roughly equal large balls.
- Boil: Place the dough balls in boiling water and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle.
- Knead again: Break up the cooked dough, add cumin seeds and white pepper, and knead again until smooth and workable.
- Cut: Roll the dough into long cylinders and cut into small, equal-sized pieces.
- Shape and oil: Roll each piece into a small round ball and toss lightly with oil.
- Preheat: Preheat the air fryer to 150°C (300°F). Arrange the seedai on the air fryer tray in a single layer.
- Air fry: Cook at 150°C for approximately 25 minutes, spraying oil three times during cooking.
- Cool: Remove when golden brown and allow to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
Frequently asked questions
Yes. My version uses boiled and re-kneaded dough, followed by air frying at 150°C.
Store-bought rice flour can be used in seedai recipes, but I have not recorded whether my tested batch used store-bought or homemade flour.
No. I shaped the dough after boiling and re-kneading, then cooked it without a freezing step.
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