UPMA KOZHUKATTAI/ STEAMED RICE DUMPLINGS

      The most famous snack item of  Hotel Saravana Bhavan in Tamil Nadu.

I have seen my relatives buying this particular dish whenever they pass through the streets of Saravana Bhavan. So thought of putting this up with step by step pictures for easy understanding.

 It is very common tiffin item made at my mother’s place.

Hope you too enjoy making it and relish the taste.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice.

2 tsp chana dal

2 tsp shredded coconut

8 to 10 red chillies.

1.5 cups of water

For Seasoning

1 tsp oil

Mustard seeds

1 tsp peanuts

Few curry leaves.

Method:

Soak the rice and chana dal for 2 hours.Drain the water completely 

Grind the soaked rice, chana dal, red chillies and salt together to a coarse paste.

 Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add raw peanuts.

Add 1.5 cups of water. Chop curry leaves finely at this step and add them in water so that they don’t get fried in oil. Also add grated coconut.

 As water begins to boil, add the coarse rice paste. Stir it for 5 mins until the water evaporates. At this stage we can see that the mixture leaves the pan and comes as a whole.

Now keep the pressure cooker with water ready. Start making dumpings or balls from the rice mixture.

Steam it for 12 mins.

Hot Steamed Rice dumplings or Upma Kozhukattai are ready to be served. Have it with Chutney or sambar.

My Notes:

I prefer adding curry leaves by chopping them so that they we tend to eat them without our notice. Kids would not pick it up and put it aside while having them.

Don’t wait until the rice mixture is completely cooled down as this hardens the kozhukattai.