Paal Kozhukattai – Authentic delicacy of Chettinad; Rice dumplings cooked in milk/water; sprinkled with cardamom and grated coconut!
Paal Kozhukattai is authentic delicacy from the regions of Chettinad known for their plethora of deceptively luscious dishes. In a nutshell, Paal Kozhukattai is sweetened rice dumplings cooked in thick coconut milk and milk. The dish is rich in taste and creamy in texture. Finely grounded rice flour is rolled into tiny dumplings and later cooked with coconut milk. Cardamom powder is added to the dish to make it more heavenly and enrich its aroma. The dumplings can be rolled into various shapes according to your imagination. The dish can be sweetened according to your sweet cravings and can be prepared either with sugar or with jaggery. Though it tastes delicious, this doesn’t call for any great cooking techniques. The success of the dish lies in the preparation of the dumplings and cooking them slowly in coconut milk over medium heat. The dish is a universal favorite and is enjoyed by people of all ages. Prepare this soul satisfying Paal Kozhukattai
Amma prepares this paal kozhukattai without milk. Yes, you heard it right. It has been our favorite from childhood and she prepares it without milk and with less sweetness. But then, it is authentically prepared with milk. I have mentioned the amount of milk and the preparation of it using milk. Add milk if you prefer else prepare in amma’s style and enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup Rice Flour
- 2 cups Jaggery (for mild Sweetness, Increase as per your desire)
- ¼ cup Grated Coconut
- 1 cup Full Fat Milk
- Water, as required
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
Method:
- In a bowl, add rice flour; add warm water little by little and mix the flour. Knead until it forms a dough.
- Make small balls of the dough and keep it aside. Reserve 3 to 4 balls aside.
- In a small saucepan, add 2 cups of water and bring it boil.
- Slowly, add the balls into the hot water and let it cook for about 10 minutes. The balls will float on top of the water once it is cooked and will be bit shiny outside.
- Add milk to the water, if you wish to use milk for the kozhukattai.
- Now add the jaggery. Simmer and cook until the jaggery is completely dissolved. Do not stir while cooking. It might break the balls
- Dissolve the reserved balls in a glass of water and add it to the kozhukattai. Check the consistency and add hot water if it is too thick.
- Sprinkle cardamom powder and grated coconut to the kozhukattai
- Serve warmly.
