UPMA KOZHUKATTAI / PIDI KOZHUKATTAI / STEAMED RICE BALLS AND ONION TOMATO CHUTNEY

Full fledged meal… yes, sounds great and that’s what I always prepare regularly but once in a while it’s not wrong to have a simple yet satisfying snack for lunch. One such kinda meal was today’s lunch that allowed me not to stress too much given my condition. Check out the recipe below for the basic version, u may also get creative by adding pre cooked peas / corn/ any veggies of your choice. Also u may add pepper powder instead of green chillies to make it mildly spicy.

With Christmas is just around the corner I plan to bake something for my kiddo, what about you guys, what are you all preparing for Christmas this year? 

Ingredients:

1 cup, Broken raw rice 
2 cups, Water

1 Green chillies finely sliced
1 tsp. Ginger finely chopped

2 tbsp. Coriander leaves chopped
1/2 cup, fresh shredded coconut 
Salt to taste

To season:

1/2 tsp. Oil
1/4 tsp. Mustard seeds,
1/8 tsp. Hing
1 tsp. Channa dal
1 tsp. Urad dal
1 sprig Curry leaves

Method:

• Soak the broken raw rice for 10 minutes. Meanwhile finely chop the green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger. Set aside.
• Heat a wok with 1/2 tsp. of oil and do the seasoning with the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal, channa dal once the mustard seeds stop sputters.
• Fry them for few seconds and add in the chopped ginger, hing, green chillies and the curry leaves. Scald well for few seconds. Next add in the water and the required salt. Raise the flame a little and let the water comes to a rolling boil.
• Add the soaked broken rice at this stage and mix well with the water. Cover and cook the mixture until the water is almost absorbed. 
• Now add the shredded coconut, coriander leaves and combine well. Switch off the flame. Cover and remove the wok from the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Grease your palms with little bit of oil and start forming the kozhukattai in slightly oblong shape. Place them in a greased Idli steamer plate and cook for 10 minutes. 
• Serve with Onion Tomato Chutney(recipe as follows)

Onion Tomato Chutney: Raw version
Ingredients:

1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 Dry red chillies
1 Garlic, small sized
Small pebble sized tamarind
Salt to taste

To temper: (I skipped the tempering part)

1/2 tsp. Oil
1/4 tsp. Mustard seeds
Curry leaves
Urad dal

Method:

• Chop the onion, tomato to bite sized chunks. Peel the garlic. Add everything together in a mixie jar and grind it coarsely. Transfer them to a small bowl.
• Heat a small pan with oil and do the seasoning with mustard seeds, followed by urad dal, fry until it turns golden.Finally add in the curry leaves. Add the ground chutney to this and cook for 3 minutes on medium low flame. Later remove them and store in a bowl. U may skip this seasoning and frying the chutney part and can have it raw.