Paal Kozhukattai

All of you must have seen the blog world being flooded with kozhukattai recipes.I made these super easy ones on Sunday for breakfast because like I said even the TV was overflowing with Lord Ganesha's favourite snack.You can make this as a healthy payasam and an after school snack for kids.

Ganesh Chathurthi/Ganpathi takes me to Mumbai, these 10 days, Mumbai's streets just glow literally with the beautiful mandaps and the even more beautiful Ganpathis in all sizes.

I wasn't very familiar with Hindu festivals until i came back to India from Dubai, My friends took me to Ganpathi mandaps in my first ever year and I was awestruck at the amount of effort people put in during these 10 days.

Coming back to this recipe, my mom used to make this as an evening snack for me and my sister when we were in college.Things our moms (and now us) do to make the kids eat!These are probably the easiest and oil free kozhukattais(well almost).

Preparation time - 1 hour
Makes about 30 small sized kozhukattais

You need

To make the kozhukattais

Rice 1 cup
Water 1 and half cup
Ghee/butter 1 tsp
Sugar 2 tsp
Salt a pinch

• Heat the water in a deep vessel, once it boils add sugar, salt, ghee and then add the rice flour stir vigorously to avoid lumps.
• Covered and Keep this aside for 10 minutes.
• Grease hands with some butter or ghee and roll the dough into small gooseberry sized balls.

To make the paal
Jaggery half cup grated + 1 cup water
Milk 1 cup (or more if you like)
Water 2 cup
Rice flour 2 tsp
Pinch of cardamom powder
Grated coconut 2 tablespoons

• Heat about 2 cups of water in a vessel, add the rice balls into this.
• Once the balls rise to the top it means they are cooked,add a pinch of cardamom powder to this.
• Add the cooled down jaggery syrup and let this boil for about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle 2 tsp of rice flour.Let this simmer for another 5minutes.
• Turn off the heat.
• Add the grated coconut to the kozhukattais before serving.

Yummy healthy paal kozhukattais are ready.They taste lovely both hot and cold!

Notes :

- The ratio of water to rice flour worked perfectly for me, i used some ready made brand idiyappam flour.

- Add more jaggery or sugar to the paal to make it less or more sweet for your tastes.

- 1 cup of rice flour will make about 35-40 small sized kozhukattais.

- When you drop the rice balls into the water it will sink down and raise to the top only once its done so its an easy tip to find out they are done.

- I cooled the jaggery syrup before adding it to the paal I've heard it can break the milk.

Variations : 

- You can make the paal with coconut milk too.I made it with normal milk.

- Add fried nuts and dry fruit and give it a payasam finish too!

Sending this to Kids Delight Potluck party, Sweet Celebration, Tribute to my mom , Cook with white @ Merry Tummy