This week I got the opportunity to write for one of my blogger friends, Hetal of Pretty Polymath . I’m pretty excited for two good reasons. First, this is my very first guest blog post ever. Second, Hetal came up with a brilliant topic – favorite childhood food.
Needless to say, these rice dumplings or kozhukkattas were one of my favorite foods during my childhood. Dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery – they’re the perfect afternoon snack.
What’s your favorite childhood food?
More Kerala Snacks:
- Kerala Banana Chips
- Parippu Vada or Masala Vada
- Uzhunnu Vada or Urad Dal Fritters
- Kerala Chicken Cutlet
- Banana Bonda
- Banana Fritters or Pazham Pori
- Unniyappam
- Jaggery Unniyappam
Ingredients
Jaggery mixture:
- ▢ 1 and ½ cups jaggery
- ▢ ¼ cup water
- ▢ 2 cups freshly grated coconut
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom cardamom powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin cumin powder
Rice balls:
- ▢ 2 and ½ cups roasted rice flour
- ▢ 1 and ½ cups water
- ▢ Salt
Instructions
Make jaggery filling:
- Place jaggery in a saucepan. Cover with water. Stir to combine.
- Place the saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute or until jaggery melts.
- Remove from heat.
- Cool completely.
- Strain.
- Transfer the melted jaggery back to the saucepan placed over medium-low heat.
- Add coconut. Stir. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute or until the water from coconut evaporates.
- Once the mixture is dry, add ground cardamom and ground cumin. Stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Leave to cool.
Make rice dough:
- Boil water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with salt.
- Place rice flour in a large bowl.
- Add water, little by little, and use a spoon to bring together flour.
- When the flour is cool enough to touch, use your hands to make smooth dough.
Make kozhukatta:
- Divide the mixture into 10 small balls.
- Shape them into little pockets, fill with 2 tablespoons jaggery filling.
- Roll and seal the pockets.
- Place in a steamer. Steam for 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- For detailed “how to melt jaggery” - click here
- Roasted rice flour is available from Indian grocery stores
- You can add chopped roasted cashew nuts to the jaggery filling if you like, however, the classic recipe is nut free.
Nutrition
Ingredients
Jaggery mixture:
- ▢ 1 and ½ cups jaggery
- ▢ ¼ cup water
- ▢ 2 cups freshly grated coconut
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom cardamom powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin cumin powder
Rice balls:
- ▢ 2 and ½ cups roasted rice flour
- ▢ 1 and ½ cups water
- ▢ Salt
Instructions
Make jaggery filling:
- Place jaggery in a saucepan. Cover with water. Stir to combine.
- Place the saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute or until jaggery melts.
- Remove from heat.
- Cool completely.
- Strain.
- Transfer the melted jaggery back to the saucepan placed over medium-low heat.
- Add coconut. Stir. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute or until the water from coconut evaporates.
- Once the mixture is dry, add ground cardamom and ground cumin. Stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Leave to cool.
Make rice dough:
- Boil water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with salt.
- Place rice flour in a large bowl.
- Add water, little by little, and use a spoon to bring together flour.
- When the flour is cool enough to touch, use your hands to make smooth dough.
Make kozhukatta:
- Divide the mixture into 10 small balls.
- Shape them into little pockets, fill with 2 tablespoons jaggery filling.
- Roll and seal the pockets.
- Place in a steamer. Steam for 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- For detailed “how to melt jaggery” - click here
- Roasted rice flour is available from Indian grocery stores
- You can add chopped roasted cashew nuts to the jaggery filling if you like, however, the classic recipe is nut free.
