paal kozhukattai recipe

A south Indian delicacy often prepared during festivals and offered to the Gods as naivedyam. Traditionally jaggery is used to sweeten the dish but this recipe uses agave ,feel free to substitute any sweetener of your choice.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup raw rice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut
cardamom seeds from 3 pods


Preparation of  rice for kozhukattai : (can also be used as regular kozhukattai shells)

• soak 1/2 a cup rice for an hour and grind into a paste,this should resemble the consistency of idli batter  .
• heat a non stick pan on medium flame, transfer the paste ,add salt if desired and stir continuously .
• As the water starts to evaporate you will find that the paste of rice turns into a lump.This should not take more than 5 min.Let this cool.
• meanwhile prepare coconut milk by adding 1/4 cup warm water along with 1/4 cup of coconut in a blender for few minutes.strain and keep aside.
• The dough should by now be cooled and ready to work with.Take very little portions and shape into balls,remember these will expand further when boiled in milk ,so try keep them tinier than you actually want them to be.
• bring together the milk and the coconut milk in a pan ,let simmer add the kozhukattai one by one.do not stir.
• add the sweetener
• Now stir gently taking care not to break the kozhukattai.you will know that they are done once they start to float on the top.which will not take more a few minutes
• finally add the crushed seeds of cardamom stir well and turn off the heat .
• Paal Kozhukattais are Ready for the offerings .

Notes:If you want to make this all milk and no coconut it will still taste wonderful.

The rice dumplings make the milk thicker so if you want to have it like payasam then add more milk and sweetener.

Here is a quick tutorial :

Let the festival you are celebrating be an auspicious one! 

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