Kozhukattai
Steamed rice flour dumplings — rice flour kneaded with hot water into a smooth dough, portioned, filled with a sweet coconut-jaggery-cardamom stuffing (pooranam) or a savoury seasoned urad dal filling, shaped into half-moons or cylinder forms, and steamed in banana leaf or a steamer until the outer shell is translucent, soft, and slightly chewy. The definitive Vinayaka Chaturthi (Ganesh festival) preparation; the entire Tamil Brahmin community makes kozhukattai for the Pillayar Chathurthi offering, the sweet version as naivedyam and the savoury as part of the meal. The outer rice shell must be smooth without cracks; a cracked kozhukattai is considered inauspicious for the festival offering.
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 1 cup | raw rice |
| 1 cup | grated coconut |
| 1 cup | jaggery |
| 1 teaspoon | cardamom powder |
| 1 pinch | salt |
| 1 tablespoon | ghee |
| 1 cup | water |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours.
- 2 Drain the water and spread the rice on a cloth to dry for 30 minutes.
- 3 Grind the dried rice into a fine flour.
- 4 In a pan, add jaggery and water, and heat until the jaggery melts completely.
- 5 Strain the jaggery syrup to remove impurities and return it to the pan.
- 6 Add grated coconut and cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup and cook until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
- 7 In a separate pan, heat ghee and add the rice flour with a pinch of salt.
- 8 Gradually add water while stirring continuously to form a smooth dough.
- 9 Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in your palm.
- 10 Place a spoonful of the coconut-jaggery filling in the center and fold the dough over to form a dumpling.
- 11 Seal the edges and shape into a crescent or round shape.
- 12 Steam the dumplings in a steamer for about 10-12 minutes until cooked.
- 13 Serve warm.
Tips
Ensure the rice flour dough is smooth and not too dry to avoid cracks while shaping the dumplings.