Ammini Kozhakattai
Making some healthy snack for after school/work cravings is always a challenge. When we were kids, my mom used to surprise us with new, healthy snacks quite often. Ammini Kozhakattai or Mini Kozhakattai (the savoury version) and (Paal Kozhakattai – a sweet variant of this snack) were such tasty dishes my mom made frequently as an after school tiffin. We loved this tasty ammini kozhakattai as well as the sweet version paal kozhakattai she made and my children like this too. Totally gluten free and super easy to make. Here I’ve shared the recipe for a savoury version. Involve your children in shaping the small ammini kozhakkattais, they’ll enjoy this fun activity and you’ll get your work done easily 🙂
Ingredients
Rice flour – 1 cup (see note 1)
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil – 2 + 1/2 tbsp (see note 2 for alternative)
Water – 2 to 2 1/2 cups (approximately)
Ghee or sesame oil – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Fresh curry leaves finely chopped – 2 tbsp
 Dosai/Idli Milagaai Podi – 2 tbsp (see note 3 for alternative)
Fresh grated coconut – 3 tbsp (optional)
| Yield Serves 3 | Prep time 30 mins | Cook time 15 mins |
Method
1) In a wide bowl take rice flour, salt and ghee/sesame oil. Mix thoroughly by hand so the salt and fat spreads evenly. Set aside.
2) Heat the water and once it starts boiling add this hot water little by little to the rice flour mixture and roughly mix with a spatula. Add enough water to bring the rice flour together roughly. Add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil on top of this hot rice flour mixture, cover the bowl fully and allow it to rest for 10 mins. Cover and save rest of the hot water for kneading the dough later.
3) After 10 mins, when the rice mixture is warm and you are able to handle it with your hands, apply some coconut oil in your palm and start kneading the dough. If the mixture is too dry and doesn’t come together, then sprinkle some hot water we’ve saved and knead well until all the flour comes together and forms one smooth crack free dough. Cover this dough and let it rest for a further 5 mins.
4) Now grease your palms with coconut oil and divide the dough into 3 or 4 portions. Take one portion out and make small balls, the size of a marble. Keep the rest of the dough portions covered with a damp kitchen towel until you shape them into small balls. Keeping the dough covered with a damp cloth helps keep the dough moist.
5) Continue to shape the entire dough into small balls, cover and set aside. Now steam the prepared dough balls in a steamer or a pressure cooker for 6 to 7 mins. After 6 to 7 mins remove the steamed kozhakattai from the steamer and let it cool completely.
6) Now in a wide pan or kadai take 2 tbsp coconut oil and heat it. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Immediately add the fresh curry leaves and mix once. Simmer the heat and add the steamed kozhakattais. Gently mix once so the oil coats evenly on them.
7) Add dosai/idli milagaai podi and fresh grated coconut to the kozhakattai and mix completely. Cover the pan for just 2 mins and your tasty ammini kozhakattai is ready to serve.
Notes
- I’ve used normal store bought rice flour to make this dish. You can use the same or if you get processed rice flour like idiyappam flour or more specifically kozhakkattai flour then it’s even better. The process is the same whichever rice flour you use.
- You can use sesame oil instead of coconut oil.
- I’ve chosen to spice up my ammini kozhakkattais with dosai milagaai podi, which is my favourite. You can feel free to try any other readymade spice powder like Kollu Karuveppilai Podi, Rasam powder etc according to your taste.
