Inippu Pidi Kozhukattai / Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai

How to make Inippu Pidi Kozhukattai / Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai

             Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai (also known as Vella kozhukattai or Inippu kozhukattai) is one of the traditional kozhukattai varieties that is the easiest & quickest you can make. These are like sweetened rice dumplings made with lentils, coconut, and jaggery. You can make these with store bought rice flour / kozhukattai flour /idiyappam flour. 

             As the name indicates, these kozhukattais are shaped with the grip of hands (Pidi) which gives them a rather distinct shape with finger impressions on them. For those who haven't tried making kozhukattai’s before, you can start with this one, as your chances of going wrong with this recipe are close to none. 

             Not only can this be made during Ganesh Chathurthi, but also as an evening snack for your family. It’s a perfectly healthy snack for kids since it is steamed. It is also gluten and dairy free. I learned this kozhukattai from my MIL & it comes from my recipe diary just for you.

Ingredients :

Rice flour - 3/4 cup

Powdered Jaggery/Palm Sugar - 1 cup

Grated Coconut- 1/2 cup

Salt - a pinch

Kadalai paruppu/Bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup (soaked in water for 20 mins)

Elakkai/Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashew nuts, broken - 1 tbsp

Sesame/Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp

Water - as needed

Stove top method:

• In a bowl, add the rice flour, salt, coconut, soaked bengal gram dal, cashew nuts and cardamom powder; mix dry & set aside.

• Heat a thick bottomed pan with the jaggery and add about a 1/4 cup of water to it and make a thin syrup. When all the jaggery melts, filter it for impurities and pour it back into the pan.
• Heat the pan with filtered thin syrup add oil, stir & add the rice flour mixture in installments stirring it in-between to ensure there are no lumps for about a minute. If the liquid is not enough for the flour, sprinkle some water until you get a thick dough consistency, that does not stick to your fingers.

• Turn off the heat & transfer to a bowl & keep covered (so it doesn't dry). Lightly dip your fingers in gingelly oil when you make bite sized balls or oval-shaped kozhukattai's with your finger impressions on it.

• Grease idli plates or any other container & arrange the kozhukattai's in a single layer, steam them for about 12 minutes on medium heat. 
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

• If the liquid is not enough for the flour, sprinkle some water until you get a thick dough consistency, that does not stick to your fingers.
• You can substitute moong dal for bengal gram dal and Karupatti (dark palm sugar) or brown sugar for jaggery.
• It can also be made without using any oil if needed but can be a little dry with cracked texture.
• If refrigerated, steam for few minutes, so it turns soft prior to serving.

Sharing this recipe with my fellow bloggers at Sri Valli's CCC #47 August Week 4.