Sunday, November 15, 2009

Usli Kozhakattai

Here is a dish I absolutely love and grew up eating. Amma made it for every festival and I would totally binge on it for the rest of my day. I can almost see her chuckle as she reads this sayin "I knew this recipe was coming next". Anyways, when you have a day where you are absolutely bored or wanting to train your husband and have him help you with cooking, Try this !!

Preparation time: hmmm.....30-45 min (psst.. if you can roll the rice flour fast enough, may be lesser)
Serves : 2
Kozhakattai:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp




1. Add 1/2 cup water and salt (to taste) to one cup rice flour in a pan and mix it evenly. Use a "Kadai' if possible, really hard to mix in a non-stick pan. There must not be any lumps in this mixture.
2. Heat the pan in medium heat all the while stirring the mixture.
3. Keep it covered for a minute and it should be cooked by now. This rice flour mixture cooks really fast.
4. Transfer this to a plate and add 1 tst of oil and blend it into a smooth mixture by kneading it.
5. Use the other tsp of oil to grease your palms and start making really small balls 1/2 cm in diameter.
6. Place the rice balls in the idli plate and steam it for 10 minutes in high heat without the whistle.

Usli:
1 cup - Urad Dal
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Green chillies - 2 to 3
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp (for tadka)
Curry leaves - a sprig
Oil - 3 tbsp

1. Soak 1 cup urad dal for 30 min and grind into a coarse batter alongwith salt, asafoetida and green chillies.
2. Add this batter to idli plate and steam it for 15 minutes in high heat without the whistle
3. Let the urad idlis cool down and then crumble it into a fine mixture.
4. Heat oil in a pan (again kadai is preferable). Add mustard seeds and urad dal to this.
5. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add curry leaves (My favourite ingredient - tear it for more flavor!!)
6. Add the crumbled idli mixture and cook it in medium heat for about 5 min.
7. Add the cooked Kozhakkattais to this and just carefully blend it in (don't overdo it - we don't want the kozhakattai to break and turn into a paste).



Bon Appetit!!

There you have it - yummy Usli Kozhakattais !!!!!!

10 comments:

  1. I sound stupid, but wat r those small round things? If I could eat something from here, that must be that smaller ones...so tempting. I believe they r raw ones like wat I see from here...thanq as usual :)

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  2. Never heard of it the recipe sounds great.. Will try soon.. Yummy...

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  3. SUre, its a very interesting recipe...wish I get some rice flour here:( I am living in deep south...no where close to big cities/Indian store.

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  4. Ms. Chitchat & Malar Gandhi,

    In my opinion the dominant taste/ flavor is from the Usili and the rice balls play passive roll in adding tasty to the recipe. Hence if the rice flour is not available readily you may try rice sticks available in Asian Food market or even in wall mart. Boil it in water drain and further steam it in idly cooker break it and mix with usili. Here U go get 80% satisfaction, assured !!!

    Nats

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  5. Very nice interesting one...lovely pic and looks delicious

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  6. Never heard of this dish..nice recipe and looks so cute...am gonna bookmark thisone..

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  7. @ Divija: they are kozhakattais :) they taste really yummy once cooked.

    @Anu, Suvaiyaana, Sushma: Thank You

    @Malar: hi malar, the key to this dish as you said is really good rice flour. Amma specially grinds it for me from india.

    @Vrinda: thank you!!

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  8. I make them regularly but i toss them with Idli podi... The Usili idea is new to me... will try it soon!

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