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Pidi kozhukattai
Savoury rice flour dumplings
பிடி கொழுக்கட்டை: savoury rice flour dough with mustard seeds, chana dal and coconut, squeezed in the fist and steamed
Pidi kozhukattai, literally 'fist dumplings', is a Tamil evening tiffin and a Vinayaka Chaturthi offering in homes that make both sweet and savoury kozhukattai. The rice flour is cooked in tempered, spiced water until it forms a dough, then squeezed in your fist so each piece carries the print of your fingers, and steamed to a soft, light bite. The mistake is adding all the flour at once to cold water; it lumps and never cooks evenly, so stir it into boiling water in a stream. Chef's tip: shape them while the dough is still warm, with oiled palms; cold dough cracks.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the tempering
- 1 ½ tbsp sesame or coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1 tbsp chana dalsoaked 15 minutes
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 10 curry leaves
For the dough
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¾ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp grated coconut
- 6 ½ oz rice flour
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 1 ½ tbsp sesame or coconut oil in a heavy pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds; when they pop, add 1 tsp urad dal and drained 1 tbsp chana dal and fry until golden. Add 2 green chillies, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 10 curry leaves and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) for a few seconds.
3 minStep 2: Pour in 1 ½ cups water with ¾ tsp salt and 4 tbsp grated coconut and bring to a rolling boil.
4 minStep 3: Lower the heat and pour in 6 ½ oz rice flour in a steady stream, stirring hard with the handle of a wooden spoon so no lumps form. Cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes until it comes together into a soft mass.
4 minStep 4: Cover and leave 5 minutes off the heat, then knead briefly with oiled hands while warm.
6 minStep 5: Take lemon-sized portions and squeeze each in your fist to make long dumplings with finger marks.
6 minStep 6: Steam on an oiled idli plate or steamer for 10–12 minutes, until they look glossy and no longer stick to a wet finger.
12 minStep 7: Serve warm with coconut chutney or mor kuzhambu.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pidi kozhukattai take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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