Pidi Kozhukattai /Upma Kozhukattai from Tamil Nadu

Contributed by Meenakshi Rajagopalan

Pidi Kozhukattai - South Indian dumplings made with rice flour, jaggery, coconut and sesame oil/ghee. Is a staple in many houses as a breakfast or as a quick evening snack. As kozhukattais are steamed well, it's healthy, easily digestible and filling.

Ingredients

1. 3 Cup White Rice 1 Cup - 250ml
2. 2.5 Cups Water
3. 1 tsp Salt
4. 1/4 Cup Grated Coconut

Ingredients for Tempering (tadka)

1. 1 tbsp Oil
2. 1 tsp Mustard seeds
3. 1 tsp Split Urad Dal
4. 1 tsp Split Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)
5. 1 tsp Yellow Moong dal
6. 1 tsp Arhar Dal
7. Pinch of Jeera
8. 2 Red Chili
9. a Pinch Asafoetida (Asafetida / Hing)
10. Few Curry Leaves

Procedure

1. Wash 3 cups of white rice and drain and leave it aside for a few hours.
2. Parallely take one spoon each of Arhar, Yellow Moong, Chana Dal, Urad Dal with half a spoon of Black Pepper and Jeera
3. Wash the Dal and drain and then add Pepper and Jeera and keep it aside for a few hours to dry.
4. In a dry mixie, first coarsely grind the dal then add the rice and grind them together.
5. In a kadai/pan take a few spoons of oil and splutter mustard seeds, add some Arhar dal, chopped green Chilli, finely chopped Ginger, dry Red chillies and Hing.
6. Then add water in the ratio of 1:3 to the Rice
7. Let it boil, add Curry and Dhania leaves and salt.
8. Once it boils add the ground dry mixture little by little while stirring continuously, so that no lumps are formed.
9. Now cover and cook and keep stirring every few minutes.
10. Then get the idli plates greased and start making round balls of the mixture.. (once you can tolerate the heat) you can keep a bartan with cold water and keep dipping your hands in it so that u can manage doing this step.
11. Steam and then eat.

Best served with sambar or tomato onion chutney.