Khara kozhukattai ( Savoury steamed rice dumplings)

Khara kozhukattai ( Savoury steamed rice dumplings)

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Khara kozhukattai ( Savoury steamed rice dumplings)

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. -- Abraham Lincoln

Gnyabagam varuthae ( Autograph) is a song which tamilians all over the world can identify with!

A special mother's day song Amma endru ( Mannan)!:)

Khara kozhukattai ( Savoury steamed rice dumplings)

It was only recently that the well known Adyar Anand ha Bhavan opened shop in my hometown. And one of their specialties were these savour y steamed rice dumplings. My mom loves this dish & each time she goes there, be it for breakfast,lunch or dinner, she never fails to order these dumplings. As for my dad, it is ' whats so great about it!its just another form of uppma!'. Even though she loves this dish , she never makes it at home! Reason is since dad doesn't like it , she isn't that interested in cooking it just for herself! So for this mother's day i thought of cooking this favourite dish of hers as a visual treat for her! My recipe is not an authentic one!I have just tried to recreate the recipe based on my memory of this dish!

Recipe:

Rice rawa - 1 cup, mustard seeds - 1 tsp, dry red chilli - 1, broken, chana dal - 1 tsp, urad dal - 1 tsp, asafoetida - a pinch, fresh grated coconut - 3 tbsp, curry leaves - 7, shredded, salt to taste, oil - 3 tbsp, cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp,green chilli - 1, finely chopped, cashewnuts - 8,chopped.

Heat oil in a pan & season it with mustard,urad dal, chana dal, cumin, red chilli, green chilli& asafoetida. Add the grated coconut, salt ,cashewnuts& ri ce rawa & sauté for a minute or two. Pour in 2 1/2 cup of water & cook till done. Now make small balls of this cooked mixture & steam ( like you do for idlis) for 12 to 14 mins. Serve with coconut chutney.They also can be stored in the fridge for a day or two!

Normally this dish is prepared with raw rice , but since i had some parboiled rice rawa on hand i used it to prepare the kozhukattais. You can also cook the rice uppma directly in the pressure cooker . In Bangalore during the averakkai season, the m aamis used to prepare this kozhukattai with fresh green averakkai. Try cooking it with fresh averrakai ,real delish & pass me the authentic recipe if possible,for i would love to try it out too!;))

Bonne fête Maman!:)

YOU WERE THERE...
You were there when we took our first steps,

And went unsteadily across the floor.

You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,

Until our steps took us out the door...

You worry now "Are they ok?"

Is there more you could have done?

As we walk the paths of our unknown

You wonder"Where have my children gone?"

Where we are is where you have led us,

With your special love you showed us a way,

To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make.

Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.

And where we go you can be sure,

In spirit you shall never be alone.

For where you are is what matters most to us,

Because to us that will always be home...
~Author Unknown~

And some cake to go with my khara khozhukattais!ENJOY!!:))

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Edited to add: This post was first published for mothers day in 2007. Reading this post today is making me all teary eyed, for my amma is no longer with me and i miss her in all the little things of everyday life. She taught me the basics of cooking and loved to hear about the recipes published here.

Imiss you amma