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Sevai is a type of rice noodle from South India that can be eaten on its own or as a base for more elaborate Indian cuisine. Indian home cooks often make sevai with parboiled rice extruded in a specialized noodle press. Sevai gets its texture from rice paste, which is then softened in a steamer. This noodle is usually eaten with small amounts of oil and is popular in many Indian households for both dinner and breakfast.
Santhakai refers to another method of making this type of rice noodle. Instead of rice, santhakai is usually made from wheat or a type of flour called ragi. The process of making from scratch is very similar to making sevai. In some areas of India, the terms are used interchangeably for the same types of noodles. Indian cooking experts state that the two are different dishes due to the difference in raw ingredients.
Rice noodles are common in Indian diets due to their versatility and ability to pair well with different flavors. Along with vegetables, noodles are one of the staples of traditionally vegetarian Indian cuisine. Lemon and coconut are the favorite flavor options for sevai.
To make rice sevai from scratch, the home cook begins by boiling the rice and then soaking it until it is soft enough to knead it into a paste. While prepared sevai can be found in Indian specialty stores, experienced Indian cooks recommend starting with rice, stating that the resulting sevai tastes more authentic. Creating rice paste for sevai is the most labor-intensive part of the process, but mixing and kneading are essential for a good end result.
Many Indian home cooks grind soaked rice and then cook it until it resembles a very thick paste that looks like bread dough, which they then cool slightly and knead. At this point, salt is mixed in for flavor and oil is added to keep the pasta from sticking to the inside of the steamer or pasta maker. The home cook then rolls the dough into small round or oval balls that are easier to pass through the extruder.
Before the balls of pasta can go through the pasta extruder, they need to be steamed for about 15 minutes. This step is important in giving these rice noodles their unique texture. The finished noodles can be mixed with flavorings such as grated coconut, curry, lemon zest, and sesame oil.