Paal Kozhukattai

Hope you all had a great Ganesh Chaturthi today. We had a great Pooja at home with Sweet Kozhukkatai, Ammini Kozhukattai, Wheat Appam and kondakadalai Sundal. I had prepared Paal Kozhukkatai couple of weeks back, and thought of posting it before Ganesh Chaturthi, but I couldn’t. Today evening, while tasting Kozhukattai I decided this is my today’s post. Many version to prepare this yummy dish, and this is one

Paal Kozhukattai

Preparation Time : 10 min |  Cooking Time : 15 mins  | Serves : 3

Recipe Category : Dessert/Sweet and Snack

Ingredients:

Kozhukattai:

Rice flour – 1 cup, sieved

Water – 1 cup + 1/4 cup

Salt – as needed

Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Ghee/Butter – 1 tsp

Paal:

Thin coconut milk – 1 cup

Thick coconut milk –  3/4 cup

Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp ( Optional)

Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp

Sugar/Jaggery – 1/2 cup (I have used Brown sugar) Adjust sugar according to your taste

Saffron – few strands ( optional)

Method:

For coconut Milk:

I used 2 cup of shredded frozen coconut. Add 1 cup  + 1/3 cup of water to the coconut and grind it. Filter the grinded coconut, and the resultant milk is the thick coconut milk. Add 1 cup of water once again to the coconut residue and grind once more. Filter it again, and the resultant milk is the thin coconut milk.

• Add saffron to the thick coconut milk and keep it aside
• 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

• Add ghee and combine well. Cover the dough with damp cloth as they tend to dry

• 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. Keep Aside

• Add thin coconut milk to the pan and bring it boil (Add water if required). When it starts boiling add kozhukattai

• After adding Kozhukattai first they all will sink to the bottom. Stir occasionally while cooking. They gradually raise. Once the kozhukattais are cooked, they float. Add sugar, coconut and cardamom powder and cook for 2- 3 minutes

• Add the thick coconut milk and switch off the flame

My Notes:

• Instead of using thin coconut milk, milk and water can also be used
• Milk and coconut powder can also used instead of thin coconut milk
• Can also steam Kozhukkatai and add them in thin coconut milk
• The measurement for water and thin coconut milk can be adjusted to our choice, it should be just enough for the balls to immerse
• Make sure thin coconut milk is bit watery to avoid curdling
• Milk can be added while preparing Kozhukattai dough
• For the Paal (milk) to blend well with the balls, you can roll small Kozhukattais. After switching off give 15-20 minutes standing time for milk to blend well
• Do not cook thick coconut milk for long time as there are chances for curdling
• Instead of sugar, jaggery syrup can also be used
• Instead of making balls, you can also dump the dough in a murukku achu and press it directly in thin coconut milk
• 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
• Can use store bought coconut milk. Add  water  for thin coconut milk

Baked Uppu Seedai

For Gokulashtami, I had prepared this Baked Seedai. I have never made seedai before. Last year I wanted to do, but my mom alarmed me saying Seedai may burst, so I was scared!. This year, I badly wanted to do all the Gokulashtami special items, as this was the first Gokulashtami for my “Kutti Krishna” (My 9 month old son). I called my mom to ask about seedai proportions, and she again said a big no, and this time even stronger! My sis casually asked me why can’t I bake seedai, like baked Pakoda and Bonda, so that mom won’t get scared with me using hot oil for seedai. Why didn’t this strike me!  I wanted to try my luck baking seedai, and was happy with the result. Believe me, if you give baked seedai and deep fried seedai to someone, no one can find the difference in taste (except for the color)

Baked Uppu Seedai

Preparation Time : 10 min |  Cooking Time : 25 – 30 minutes

Recipe Category : Snack

Ingredients:

Rice Flour – 1 cup

Roasted Urad Dal Flour – 2 tbsp

Asafotida/Hing – 1/8 tsp

Coconut – 2 tbsp

Coconut Oil – 1/4 tsp ( to grease hands)

Salt – as needed

Butter/Oil – 3 tbsp + 1 tsp ( I used Butter, use oil for vegan)

Oil – to grease parchment paper

For urad dhal Flour:

Take 1/4cup of whole urad Dal and dry roast till they are golden brown. When it comes to room temperature, grind them into fine powder

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper with  oil
• Dry roast the rice flour in low flame for 2/3 minutes. Do not overcook till they change color.
• In a wide vessel, add the rice flour and 2 tblsp of urad dal flour and salt. Sieve them for even mixing

• Add butter and coconut to the sieved flour and mix well. Add water slowly and knead them into a pliable dough

• Grease your hands with coconut oil and make small balls. Place them on the parchment paper

• Bake them for 20-30 minutes. Check half way through and toss them for even baking

My Notes:

• Cumin seeds, sesame seeds and Chana Dal can be added
• If you are frying, the seedai has to be fried in a medium low flame, as it will help for even cooking. Heat oil in a pan, When the oil becomes hot gently put the seedai balls to the oil. Cook till the oil sound subsides.
• I used the store-bought rice flour. Alternatively you can wash and soak the raw rice for 1/2 hours and dry them in a cloth till mositure completely dries, and grind them into fine powder
• The seedai dough should not be too tight. Otherwise the seedai will get cracked
• Do not roll the seedai too hard

Kondakadalai Sundal

Today being Varalakshmi Pooja, I had prepared Sweet Kozhukkatai, Sundal, Wheat Appam and paruppu Payasam. Kondakadalai Sundal is also prepared during Vinayaka Chaturthi and Navarathri. It goes well with rice and as a tea time snack. Previously I had posted Channa Masala with kondakadalai, and this sundal is a no-onion no-garlic version, as it is prepared for pooja. Knowing today is pooja day, many of my friends asked for Kozhukattai recipe, knowing I would have prepared that. But to update the notes better, and to make a detailed recipe, I need to discuss with two Kozhukattai experts (my Mom and Mother in Law). Recipes for Sweet Kozhukattai and paruppu Payasam are coming soon.

Kondakadalai Sundal

Preparation Time : 5 min | Soaking Time : 8 hrs | Cooking Time : 25 min | Serves : 3

Recipe Category : Appetizer/Snack

Ingredients:

Chickpeas/Kondakadalai/Channa- 1 cup

Shredded Coconut (Fresh/Frozen) – 3 tbsp

Salt – as needed

To Temper:

Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Urad dal – 1/2 tsp

Dry Red chillies – 2

Channa Dal – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 spring

Hing/Asefotida – generous pinch

Coconut Oil- 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak  Channa overnight, or at least for 8 hours. Drain the water, add 3 cups of fresh water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Once the cooker comes to room temperature drain the water and keep Channa aside

• Add oil to the pan, when the oil is hot add ‘to temper’ items let it crackle
• Add  chana and required amount of salt and mix well and cook it on low flame for 2 mins. Add coconut and saute for a minute and switch off

My Notes:

• Coconut oil gives nice aroma for sundal, so it is preferable
• Tinned Chickpea can also be used
• Instead of adding coconut at the end, you can also add after tempering