Ammini (Mani) Kozhukattai

Almost every year, Ammini Kozhukattai will be prepared on Vinayaka Chaturthi as an evening snack. Amma generally prepares some for prasadam, and some for us to eat. In the evening, she prepares a fresh batch with the leftover dough, pooranam, and vada batter. Having a sweet tooth I usually make frequent visits to kitchen and attack the sweet puranum. There will be less Sweet Kozhukkatai left, so she prepares this easy snack for the evening.

Ammini Kozhukattai

Preparation Time : 5 mins |  Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2

Recipe Category : Snack

Ingredients

Rice flour – 1 cup, sieved

Water – 1 cup + 1/4 cups

Coconut – 1/4 cup

Salt – as needed

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

To Temper:

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Red Chilli – 3 ( Adjust according to your taste)

Hing – generous pinch

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

• In a sauce pan, add coconut oil and 1 cup of water and bring to boil. When it is boiling and you see bubbles, add the sieved flour (Have 1/4 cup of water boiled in separate pan/kettle)
• For the flour that I used, the extra 1/4 cup water was not needed. If you feel dough is dry, add 1 tbsp of water, else no need to add. Water added should be boiling hot water, so its better to keep 1/4 cup hot water separately

• Cook till it comes to non sticky dough consistency. Cover the dough with a damp cloth, as it tends to dry soon

• When the dough is cool enough to handle, make small spheres (Marble Size). Since rice flour is gluten free they tend to be sticky, so greasing hand with coconut oil helps
• Grease the idli plate and place the kozhukattai and steam them for about 8- 12 minutes. Remove from the plate when it comes to room temperature

• Add coconut oil to the pan, when oil is hot add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add hing, red chilli, urad dal and curry leaves. After the dal is golden brown, add the steamed balls, grated coconut, salt and mix well. It tastes yum without any side dish

My Notes:

• Traditionally, raw rice is washed well and drained, spread in a towel till the moisture drains completely, and ground into a fine powder. Since it will take time, I have used store-bought Rice Flour
• Idiyappam flour can also be used to prepare Kozhukattai
• Can combine Rice flour and water to dosa batter consistency and add coconut oil and cook till you get a dough to the consistency similar to the one shown in above picture
• To get the outer layer soft, boil the water well for making the dough. Dough should be almost cooked with the hot water so that you get non sticky pliable dough
• When the kozhukattais are done, they will be shiny. Do not over cook, it may give you rubbery and broken Kozhukattai

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