ULUNDU KOZHUKKATTAI - INDIAN MOMMOS WITH URAD DHAL STUFFING (SAVORY VERSION)

This is a post from my draft which is pending for sometime.  Couldn't work on it fully to post as I was too much occupied with work and personal things.  I am currently on a business trip to Singapore and one of the famous food (Momos) here urged me to keep this name :-)... 

Kozhukattai is a popular South Indian dumpling made with rice flour and can be made with varied stuffing in both sweet and savory versions.  This can be taken as breakfast or as a evening tea snack.  In Tamilnadu,  this dish is traditionally associated with Lord Ganesha and rendered as an offering on his birthday, Ganesh Chathurthi.  Recently, we had Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations for which I prepared this savory kozhukattai with urad dhal filling.  I will be posting the sweeter version also at some point in future as all my kozhukattais got over in a minute as soon as I have prepared and couldn't take the final pictures :-).

Ingredients:

Kozhukkatai flour - 2 cups (store brought)

Water - 2 cups

Salt - a pinch

Oil - 2 tsp

For ulundu filling:

Urad dhal - 1 cup

Red chillies - 6

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Asafoetida - a pinch

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp (for tempering)

Salt - To taste

Oil - 1 tsp

Preparation:

How to make ulundu filling:

1. Soak urad dhal for 1 hour and grind it coarsely adding red chillies, asafoetida, and salt.

2. Steam cook the mixture in idly plates for 7-10 minutes.

3. Once the mixture is cooled down, just pulse it in the mixture so that it breaks down evenly.  In a pan, add little oil and temper with mustard seeds.  once the mustard seeds crackles, add the pulsed urad dhal mixture.  Saute for 2 minutes, add coconut finally, mix well and keep in flame for a minute and then switch off the flame.  Addition of coconut gives a nice flavor to the filling.

How to make the outer layer:

Boil 2 cups of water with little oil and a pinch of salt. When it starts to boil, add the idiyappam flour and stir well continuously.  When the color changes, switch off the flame. When it is warm, roll it with your hands to form a nice dough.

How to make Kozhukkatais with fillings

Make medium lemon sized balls out of the dough as above. With your fingers make a small cup out of it and place the filling inside  and carefully seal the edges.

Repeat the same process for rest of the dough and steam cook for 7 minutes.  The end outcome would be a shiny kozhukkatais

APPALAM KUZHAMBU - FRIED PAPPADS IN TAMARIND SAUCE

If you want to prepare a delectable dish when vegetables are out of stock at home, this is one recipe that you could try out.  I learnt this recipe from my paternal aunt.  I share a close bonding with my paternal aunt though we have never expressed each other much.  I know it is same with my aunt and whenever she talks to me, I could feel the immense love that she had on me.  Since my childhood, my mom says that I resemble my aunt in my looks and behavior; maybe one of the reasons that I have developed a secret liking towards her :-)..

Moving quickly back to the recipe without much distraction, this is a no vegetable dish which can be made in jiffy.  

Ingredients:

Pappads/ulundu appalam - 5 (small size pappads broken into 4 equal sizes)

Red chillies - 12

Asafoetida - a small piece

Tamarind - lemon size (soak in warm water)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - as desired

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 5 tsp

Mustard seeds - few

Preparation:

1. Extract the water from the soaked tamarind pulp. 

 2. In a heavy bottomed pan, add oil and throw in mustard seeds and once it crackles, add the red chillies and curry leaves. Add the pappads and fry for a minute.  Add the extracted tamarind water. 

  

                           

3. Add a tsp of turmeric powder and salt.  Let it boil for until it thickens.

                           

 

4. The delectable dish is ready to be served with hot steaming rice and a teaspoon of gingelly oil.