Kozhukattai - Sweet Dumplings

Mouth watering kozhukattai ready!

I always liked to prepare the stuffed kozhukattai because my kids and I relish the taste of the stuffing inside it. Until I started writing the recipe for Kozhukattai, I didn't realize the nutrients and healthy aspects hidden in this recipe. It has protein, fiber, calcium, carbohydrate and other nutrients and best of all it is steamed snack. I didn't know that Ganesha (Pillayar) was so health conscious :-)

Poornam (Stuffing) preparation time: 15 min
Kozhukattai preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Serving size: 20 - 22 kozhukattai

Ingredients

• Rice flour - 1 1/2 cup (ready made flour)

  

  Main ingredients

• Water - 1 3/4 cup
• Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
• Jaggery - 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds - 2 tbsp
• Grated seeds - 2 tbsp
• Elaichi - 3
• Olive oil/Ghee - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

Poornam preparation:

1. Pressure cook channa dal on medium heat for 1 whistle.
2. Roast the sesame seeds and set aside.
3. Powder the jaggery and cardamom seeds.
4. Grind the channa dal and mix all the other ingredients to form the poornam/stuffing mixture.

Poornam Preparatio

Note:

1. If jaggery has impurities, dissolve it in water. Filter the jaggery water to remove impurities. Bring the jaggery water to boil and add the ground channa dal. The mixture will start to thicken. Add other ingredients to form the poornam mixture.
2. You can also prepare fresh rice flour by soaking raw rice in water for 45 minutes, drying it in a cloth and then grinding it, followed by sieving to get fine ground rice flour.

When you flatten the dough, make sure its not too thin

Kozhukattai preparation:

1. In a vessel add 1 1/4 cup water, salt and oil/ghee and bring it to a boil.
2. Add the boiled water to the rice flour and mix to form chapati like dough. 
3. Cover the dough with a wet cloth to make sure the dough does not dry up. This prevents the kozhukattai from breaking when its being steamed.
4. Divide the flour into equal parts(about 20) almost size of gooseberry.
5. Flatten out the ball such that the edges are thin. Make sure the middle of the flattened dough is not thin otherwise the stuffing may come out.
6. Place the poornam mixture about the size of a marble in the middle and seal it on all sides either to form a onion shaped kozhukattai or a semi circle shaped kozhukattai. 
7. This is the step that takes time if you are a trying it for first time or if you prepare it very rarely.
8. Steam the kozhukattai in idli vessel for 10 minutes and serve hot.
9. For the 20 kozhukattai, I did the steaming in 2 batches(10 minutes each).

I prefer making the semicircle shape

Nutritional facts:

Appease everyone's palate with the kozhukattai

Rice flour is helpful in maintaining health and beauty of skin. It is easily digested and hence good for babies and kids. Channa dal is high in protein and fiber and hence eases bowel movement. Sesame seeds are rich in copper that eases joint pains. The calcium in it is good for bones. Jaggery is a good cleansing agent that cleanses your respiratory tracts and lungs and hence helps people with asthma. Coconut is rich in calcium that helps with healthy teeth and bones. Cardamom helps relax muscle spasms.

This is one of those recipes from our ancestors which has been prepared in a healthy way and the end product proves to have maximum amount of nutrients for kids and adults. Try it for this Ganesh Chaturthi and make both Ganesha and your family happy.

You may also be interested in the following recipes:

Rasamalai 

Oats Urundai Or Oats Energy Balls 

Sweet Wheat Dosa and Paniyaram