Kozhukkatta

A steamed rice-flour shell round coconut cooked in jaggery syrup.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee).

Ingredients

• 300 g rice flour
• 450 ml water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 250 g fresh coconut, grated
• 200 g jaggery, grated
• 4 tablespoons water, for the syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons roasted rice flour, for the filling

Method

1. A STEAMED RICE-FLOUR SHELL ROUND COCONUT COOKED IN JAGGERY SYRUP. Its article's method is one sentence and the order in it matters: the dish IS PREPARED BY MIXING GRATED COCONUT WITH JAGGERY SYRUP, PLACING IT INSIDE DUMPLINGS OF RICE FLOUR, AND STEAMING THE DUMPLINGS. Syrup first, so the coconut is cooked and dry before it is enclosed; raw coconut and dry jaggery would weep inside the shell and split it.
2. AND THE ARTICLE NAMES WHAT GOES IN THE FILLING TO FIRM IT. GHEE, CARDAMOM, FINELY GROUND ROASTED RICE FLOUR ETC. MAY BE ADDED TO ENHANCE THE TASTE AND FLAVOR. The roasted rice flour is the useful one: two spoonfuls take up the last of the moisture.
3. MAKE THE FILLING FIRST AND LET IT GO COLD. Jaggery melted with the four spoons of water, the coconut in, cooked eight or ten minutes until it holds together in a mass, then the cardamom and the roasted flour off the heat.
4. THE SHELL IS MADE WITH BOILING WATER, NOT COLD. Salt and ghee into the water, brought to the boil, then the rice flour tipped in and stirred to a mass with a spoon handle. Rice flour worked cold stays gritty and cracks.
5. KNEAD IT WARM UNTIL IT IS SMOOTH, AND KEEP IT COVERED. It stiffens as it cools. Work with a quarter at a time and a damp cloth over the rest.
6. SHAPE A CUP IN YOUR PALM, FILL IT, AND CLOSE IT. Roll a ball, press a hollow with your thumb, thin the walls with your fingers, spoon the filling in, and gather the edges to a point. Wet hands make all of this easier.
7. STEAM THEM TWELVE MINUTES AND LET THEM STAND BEFORE LIFTING. The shell goes from matt to glossy when it is done, and from fragile to firm two minutes after the steamer is off.
8. ITS ARTICLE GIVES A SAVOURY ROUTE AND A WHEAT ONE. Kozhukatta, ALTHOUGH USUALLY SWEET, CAN SOMETIMES BE STUFFED WITH A SAVORY FILLING, and in Kerala A VARIANT MADE WITH ATTA FLOUR INSTEAD OF RICE FLOUR AND GRATED COCONUT IS A STAPLE BREAKFAST AMONG SOME GROUPS.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes