Sev (Crunchy Fried Chickpea Noodles)

Sev are crunchy fried noodles made from a dough of chickpea flour and water. Chickpea flour, also called gram or besan flour, is a staple in South Asian cooking. It can be made from either raw or roasted chickpeas and is very crunchy when fried. It’s often used to batter and fry vegetables in a manner similar to tempura.

Traditionally, the dough is very stiff and pressed through a brass extruder into hot oil. This stiff dough yields dense and sturdy sev, but it is impossible to cook without a sev extruder. I prefer a thick batter instead, which can be readily extruded with just a piping bag. The sev made from this batter has a more reserved crunch, but it’s a compromise I’m happy to make if it means I can abstain from purchasing such a specific unitasker. Stored in an airtight container, sev stays crisp for a long time, making it ideal for preparing in large batches.