Kara Kozhukattai
- 50 min
- medium
- Serves 4
Kara kozhukattai, steamed rice flour dumplings with chana dal, coconut and a mustard tempering. Medium-spicy, serves 4, about 50 minutes plus soaking.
Good for: Vinayagar Chaturthi, Rainy Day
Ingredients
Chana Dal, For Soaking2 tbsp
Water, For Soaking100 ml
Salt1½ tsp
Rice Flour300 grams
Oil2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds1 tsp
Urad Dal (split)1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli2 grams
Green Chilli, Finely Chopped15 grams
Ginger, Finely Chopped6 grams
Curry leaves4 grams
Asafoetida0.5 grams
Coconut (Grated)½ cup
Contains: wheat.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 432kcal | 1728kcal |
| Protein | 6.8g | 27g |
| Carbohydrate | 67g | 269g |
| Fat | 15g | 59g |
| Fibre | 4.2g | 17g |
| Sugar | 1.1g | 4.4g |
Method
Rinse the chana dal and soak it in the soaking water for 1 hour. Drain it well. Finely chop the green chilli and ginger, break the dry red chillies, rinse the curry leaves, and grate the coconut.
Heat the cooking water and salt in a kadai on medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes until the water starts to boil. Lower the flame and add the rice flour slowly while stirring. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the flour absorbs the water and forms a soft, thick mass.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same kadai on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the mustard seeds and fry for about 30 seconds until they splutter. Add the urad dal, dry red chilli, green chilli, ginger, curry leaves and asafoetida, then fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the dal is light golden and the raw smell is gone.
Add the grated coconut and drained chana dal to the tempering. Fry on low flame for 2 minutes until the coconut is warm and the dal is mixed through. Add this tempering to the cooked rice flour and mix well.
Cool the mixture for about 5 minutes until it is warm enough to handle. Grease your palms with some of the greasing oil and knead the mixture into a soft dough. Shape small portions into oval dumplings and press them firmly so they do not break.
Pour the steaming water into a steamer and bring it to a boil on high flame for 4 to 5 minutes. Grease the idli plates with the remaining greasing oil and arrange the dumplings with space between them. Steam on medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes until the dumplings are firm, slightly glossy and have no dry flour in the centre.
Rest the steamed kozhukattai for 3 minutes before removing them. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato chutney.
Before you start
- How long does Kara Kozhukattai take?
- 50 minutes from start to finish. That is 15 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Kara Kozhukattai serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Kara Kozhukattai vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Kara Kozhukattai spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Kara Kozhukattai?
- 300 grams Rice Flour, 2 grams Dry Red Chilli, 15 grams Green Chilli, 6 grams Ginger, 4 grams Curry leaves, 0.5 grams Asafoetida, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Kara Kozhukattai?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Kara Kozhukattai?
- About 432 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
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