Garlic Sev vs. Ratlami Sev vs. Ujjaini Sev – What’s the Difference?

Sev is snacking’s best friend. It has become a staple in Indian households and is often considered a classic accompaniment with tea, chaat, or a bowl of salad. Sev, especially when home-made, is brought to a whole new level. After perfecting the sev recipe in my home, and bringing the taste of Ujjain to my home, we decided to build The Malwa Story. Since then, we have been tasting, testing, and comparing sev recipes with the likes of street and artisanal vendors. In this article, we aim to outline the major differences between Garlic Sev, Ratlami Sev, and Ujjaini Sev.

Quick Overview: What are the Three Sev Styles

·         Garlic Sev — this is mildly spicy sev, often a dominant note of roasted, fresh or powdered garlic and is very addictive to snack on

·         Ratlami Sev — this is sev is from Ratlam and is very spicy, with heat from a combination of breaking and black pepper; the sev is very dry and has a spicy, horseradish-like finish.

• Ujjaini Sev — is from Malwa where spice is welcomed but is less hot. And out of all, this is the most aromatic.

All of these are under Traditional Sev Varieties and are enjoyed by fans of Indian Namkeen and Spicy Sev Snacks. The refinement of these comes from the ingredients, portions, methods, and most importantly, the nuances of region.

Elements and flavor collection

Main flour and lipids

Besan (Gram flour) is the base for all 3. The minor distinctions to the base are the type of fat and the amount of roasting that occurs.

• Garlic Sev sometimes is neutral oil but can also add a stream of ghee for texture, along with the roasted garlic or garlic powder which is slotted into the dough.
• Ratlami Sev is a dryness out of the base, especially the oil used, which is traditional for frying. It is also made to be very dry to allow the spice coating on the strands.
• Ujjaini Sev has a small amount of ghee, or a blended fat, used to bring a touch of richness with a golden color and silky mouthfeel.

Spices and flavouring

• Garlic Sev: The garlic is the star of the show. The cumin and ajwain (carom) is complemented with little black salt or regular salt. The end combination of these spices is aromatic and savoury, but not spicy.
• Ratlami Sev: Features bold chili, black pepper, and coriander that's been roasted. The spice hit is upfront and can linger for a while. This is the sev of choice for those who like snacks like Spicy Sev Snacks.
• Ujjaini Sev: The predominating flavour is like anise (saunf) combined with a little chili for a milder heat, and a lesser amount of garam masala. This gives the spice balance a sweet and spicy background while still being aromatic.

Texture and mouthfeel

Individual bites are where the real difference for these shapes can be noticed:

• Garlic Sev: Ends up being quite crispy, but also a touch brittle since the garlic can dry the dough quite a bit. This works particularly well for chaats, since it can be easily crumbled for toppings.
• Ratlami Sev: Very crunchy with quite thin strands. They also provide a dry finish along with a powdery spice but good enough to be eaten on their own.
• Ujjaini Sev: Has rounded the crunch a bit more with strands that are a bit thicker and feels less powdery on the tongue.

Temperature and oil quality affects the quality of sev. High-temperature frying seals crispness while low-temperature frying makes sev oily. Cooking sev wrongly can result in an over cooked and oil saturated product. The Malwa Story has consistently good control over the oil used in frying and shows good continuous and even coloration of the sev.

Color, fragrance, and texture

• Garlic Sev: Pale with gold and small brown spots some of which are over roasted garlic; smells like roasted garlic.
• Ratlami Sev: A light brown and deep gold color. Sometimes dark red with sprinkled on chili powder with a brown speckled appearance and smells of slight roast.
• Ujjaini Sev: A bright gold color and can have some warranty thin whole fennel seeds or a greenish herb of a lightly sweet fragrant smell.

The smell of the sev matters a lot when considering the quality and freshness of the ingredient used in the making. Consistent and bright color shows a good quality besan roast and even frying.

Storage and shelf life

All sev can be stored in an air tight and moisture proof container. Shelf life is approximately.

• Sev bought in the store (if it has preservatives): 1.5-to-3-month shelf life depending on the oil.
• Sev made at home: 7-14 days for prime freshness in crunch, aroma, and texture.

Keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature is best. The Malwa Story is a great brand that we recommend, vacuum-sealed and nitrogen-flushed pouches preserve crispness without using any preservatives.

How to use each sev in food

·         Garlic Sev is great as an extra crunchy addition to veggie raitas, sandwiches, and peanut chutney; and yes, garlic can do it all even with raitas that have a whole lot of tangs.

·         Ratlami Sev is the best way to spice up your bhel, sev puri, and masala chai. Do pay attention to the spice level as this goes great with sweet chutneys and can also be eaten with raw onion.

·         Ujjaini Sev is the most versatile sev that goes great in most farsan mixes, and drier chaat variants. It can even be served just as a side with poha and upma to add extra crunch.

Tip: If the sev softened a little this can be fixed by toasting a thin layer in a non-stick pan for 20 to 30 seconds.

How to tell authentic sev from mass-produced versions

Simple, Short Food Labels. No 10-ingredient list, and stuff you can’t even pronounce. Just: besan, oil/ghee, salt, spices, and some love.

Natural, Roasted Aroma. No fake scents, just spices and roasted besan.

Good Craftsmanship. No boring uniformity in texture, and real looking color is a must.

• Taste test: Balanced spice. Not overly salty, or don't leave one with an aftertaste of chemicals.

This brand, like The Malwa Story, is also noting other small regional vendors, as they have spent much care and detail, and also the effort to put in the care like quality small batch crafted. Vendors note efforts of custom small batch: roasted besan, fresh spice grinding, and traditional extrusion.

Making a small batch comparison and quick tasting at home

When side by side comparison is done, and for the purposes of this exercise, obtaining all three is needed.

• Pour each sev from the pouches into respective bowls
• Take each, one at a time, and smell. Note any dominant scents (garlic, chili, fennel).
• With everything, take a small bite and then chew slowly (initial crunch, then spice in the mid-palate, then finish spiciness).
• Pair with a neutral sip (strained water and unsweetened spiced tea is always a good option) and a tangy bite (lemon or raw onion) to understand how the flavours hold and work together.

This method isolates texture and spice profiles so in the end one can make a better judgment.

Conclusion and buying advice

When deciding on the three flavors, Garlic Sev, Ratlami Sev, and Ujjaini Sev, you should consider what you like to get out of your snack. Do you want a snack with a garlicky aroma? Do you want something with a bold chili heat? Or something with a more balanced aroma? If you like rounded flavors, then Ujjaini Sev would be best for everyday use. If you want some for chaat, then Ratlami Sev would be the ideal option as it is a champion for spicy chaat. If you like bold flavors with something extra savory to pair then Garlic Sev would be best.

For gifting or your own shopping, you should seek out small batch brands with traditional preparation and a clear and honest list of ingredients. I, like many, spent my childhood in Ujjain watching the sev-making process, so I am a big fan of small packets of each style to figure out which one best fits your palate. Now, I help curate the recipes at The Malwa Story and I want to encourage you to take the same approach in trying a selection to discover a new favourite.

Quick checklist before you buy

• Short ingredient list with no preservatives
• Uniform golden color and fresh smell
• When first opened, it should be crisp
• Storage instructions are included to keep it fresh

Also Read: What Makes The Malwa Story Sev Different from Regular Market Sev? A Detailed Comparison