Urad Dal Stuffed Dumplings

Kozhukattai is a popular South Indian dumpling made from rice flour, with a filling of grated coconut, jaggery, etc. Sometimes, the stuffing can be a savory filling. Modak is a similar dish made in other parts of India such as Maharashtra and Gujarat.

In Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, the dish is traditionally associated with the Lord Ganesha and is prepared as an offering (naivedhya/prasad) on the occasion of Vinayaka Chathurthi.

Basic ingredient for making stuffed dumplings is rice flour. For the filling, jaggery, grated coconut, cardamom is used. Other ingredients such as black or dehusked sesame seeds (til), raisins, cashew nuts, etc. are used to enhance the taste.

The dish is prepared by mixing grated coconut with jaggery syrup, placing it inside dumplings of rice flour, and steaming the dumplings. Ghee, cardamom, finely ground roasted rice flour etc. may be added to enhance the taste and flavour of the filling. In Kerala, a variant of kozhukatta made with atta flour (instead of rice flour) and grated coconut is a staple breakfast among some groups.

A variation of the stuffed dumpling is to deep fry it in oil, for which wheat flour dough is used as the covering instead of rice flour.

Following ingredients are required for making Urad Dal Stuffed Dumplings :

• Urad dal – 187.5 gms ( padi)
• Cream of rice flour – 105 gms (3 palam)
• Chopped green chilly – 35 gms (1 palam)
• Chopped coriander leaves – 17.5 gms (1/2 palam)
• Powdered salt – 17.5 gms (½ palam)
• Powdered pepper – 8.75 gms (¼ palam)
• Powdered cumin seed – 4.37 gms ( palam)
• Gram dal – 52.5 gms (1 ½ palam)
• Asafoetida – 0.78 gms (1/16 .)
• Lemon – 3
• Water – 187.5 gms ( padi)
• Rice flour – 375 gms ( ¼ padi)

• Soak the dal for 1 hour and drain it. Then grind it and keep it in a lead coated vessel.
• Clean the rice and dry it under shadow. Then grind it to flour like cream of rice. Add the urad dal to the cream of rice and let it ferment.
• Next day add chopped green chilli, coriander leaves, powdered salt, powdered pepper and cumin seed, gram dal to the fermented batter.
• Add the asafoetida (dissolved in water) and also add the lemon juice.
• Soak the rice, dry it and grind it like flour.
• Boil the water and put the rice flour and mix it gently. When the mixture gets boiled, switch off the stove and keep it aside. Then apply gingelly oil to the hand and nicely knead it.
• As earlier, divide the mixture into small balls (lemon size) and keep it separately.
• Take each ball and dust it in the rice flour and make a bowl shape. Then keep the required urad dal stuffing and close the sides of the outer layer. Repeat the process for the rest.
• Cook it using the vessel used for idli.

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