Goodies for Ganpati: Kozhukattais: Uppu & Ammini

Ganesh Chaturthi is a huge festival on my mother's side of the family. My father is an Iyengar (Vaishnavite) and so this is technically not a festival. But it has been celebrated at his place. However, there is no culinary tradition relating to this festival on his side of the family. But growing up in a multicultural home in a multicultural surrounding (IIT Madras) meant that I got to celebrate more festivals than were celebrated on either side of my family.

I am not too fond of the sweet kozhukattais. And I had made Patoli and Narlya Kheeri just the day before Chaturthi. I wanted to make the savoury kozhukattais that I've eaten at friends' places or brought home from work by Amma. I didn't fare too well on my first attempt at making kozhukattais. But I tried again the very next day and got a nice pliable dough. Lakshmi and Latha from The Yum Blog helped me understand what may have gone wrong.

I had invited a few people for dinner that evening and wanted to have a good mix of sweet and savoury items. The world knows that I was eyeing Laavanya's Ammini Kozhukattai ever since she posted it. I had never heard about it, let alone eat it. But the thought of small rice pearls with a savoury tempering made my mouth water.

I didn't soak and grind rice flour as Laavanya's method suggests. Instead, I made the dough for the outer covering of a kozhukattai from The Yum Blog.

3 cups Rice flour
3 cups Water
1 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a heavy pan. Add the oil, salt and rice flour and stir well. Take off the flame and mix to a smooth dough like consistency. Cover and cool.

For the Ammini Kozhukattai:

1 tsp Oil
1/4 tsp Urad Dal
1/4 tsp Chana Dal
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Red Chilli

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1 tbsp Coconut, scraped
7-8 Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Make small balls of the dough and steam in a greased pan for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the urad and chana dals, mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves, green chilli paste and the red chillies. Fry for a minute. Add the steamed balls, coconut and the salt. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes.

I didn't have time to look at Laavanya's blog for the exact recipe, but I am fairly certain I was pretty close to the original. The dish turned out superb.

For the Uppu Kozhukattai:

1/2 cup Urad dal
1 tsp Green Chilli paste
7-8 Curry Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds




Wash and soak urad dal for half an hour. Drain well and grind coarsely adding 2 table spoons water.

Heat the oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves, green chilli paste, salt and the ground urad dal.

Cook for 3-5 minutes on a low flame.

Take a small amount of dough, flatten it on your greased palm and make a small cup. Add a little urad dal filling and bring the edges together. Seal at the top and keep aside. (I flattened these because I was going to steam them in my idli mould!)



Steam on a greased idli/idiyappam stand or just any vessel for 4-5 minutes. Aren't they just perfect little beauties?

I am sending these to Viji as my first entry for the RCI - Tamil Festival event. I am also sending this to Latha for her Gowri Ganesh event.