Vellam kozhukattai
Vella kozhukattai is a traditional Vinayagar Chaturthi recipe, prepared with freshly made rice flour and vellam(jaggery). This recipe will show you how to make this Inippu pidi kozhukattai with store-bought idiyappam flour.
What is Inippu pidi kozhukattai?
A sweet version of pidi kozhukattai (palm pressed/shaped) is called as Inippu pidi kozhukattai. Pidi kozhukattai is the savory version where the kozhukattai maavu will be mixed with our favorite tempering and steamed.
Just change the shapes into round balls and that is nothing but sweet ammini kozhukattai.
Methods of making vellam kozhukattai and kozhukattai maavu:
First of all, there are many variations and modifications followed to do this traditional vellam pidi kozhukattai.
The authentic method involves multiple steps. First soaking the rice, next drying up in shade, followed by grinding in mill or mixer grinder. My mom used to do this for me every year and literally that is just like readymade for me????
For kozhukattai, some use idli rice and some use raw rice. For me, raw rice homemade flour works best for kozhukattai. But I have seen a version in my friend’s blog where she uses idli rava instead of rice flour. This is an interesting twist that I have to try.
Nowadays in this fast world who wants to do all this soaking & grinding? Those who are a bit lazy like me can go for store-bought idiyappam flour instead of homemade rice flour.
Points to note while making sweet pidi kozhukattai:
Idiyappam flour works best for appam, idiyappam, murukku, and the kozhukattais as well.
If you are using fine rice flour/idiyappam flour, the method I showed below(directly cooking flour in hot jaggery water) and steaming works well.
In case if you use coarse grind idli rice flour or rice rava then first cook the flour in boiling water first and then add jaggery and finally steam it.
Try these easy sweet recipes:
My personal choice is always Ellu poorna kozhukattai and what is yours. This Inippu pidi kozhukattai or Vella kozhukattai is super easy and fun for kids. It’s healthy as well since we add coconut also, and perfect for snacking.
Is your kozhukattai rough or cracked?
If your steamed kozhukattai is rough and hard that means the rice flour is undercooked. The trick is to cook the rice flour 80% in the pan itself while stirring in boiling water. And steaming for around ten minutes will give soft kozhukattais.
If the kozhukattais are having cracks that mean the water content is not enough in the dough.
Usually, a perfect kozhukattai maavu ratio is 1:1.25 (rice flour: water).
Watch the video uploaded in the recipe card and please subscribe if you like to see more recipe videos ????
Vella kozhukattai | Inippu pidi kozhukattai | Easy sweet kozhukattai
Equipment
- Non-stick cooking pan
- Steamer or idli pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice flour
- homemade or store-bought idiyappam flour
- 1.25 cups of water
- ¾ cup of jaggery (powder)
- ¼ cup coconut bits
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- ½ tbsp ghee
Instructions
Preparation:
- If you like to make the kozhukattai maavu in traditional method please follow these steps:
- Rinse the raw rice well, soak for two hours in clean water.
- Drain the water and dry the rice in shade under fan by spreading in a clean cloth.
- Don't allow the rice to fully dry. Grind the rice when there is a very little bit of moisture left. You can grind the rice into coarse grits or fine powder as per choice. Use this for making kozhukattai.
- Use idiyappam flour or homemade rice flour, measure and keep ready.
- In the same size cup measure other ingredients also.
Recipe:
- Take a wide pan with a heavy bottom base or nonstick base. In fact, a non-stick pan is the best and hassle-free for making kozhukattai maavu.
- Add 3/4 cup of powder jaggery and 1.25 cups of water.
- Stir well in medium heat until the jaggery dissolves completely in the water.
- No need to make a syrup consistency and just dissolving is enough.
- If your is impure just filter the jaggery water into another pan and proceed.
- Next add 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1/2 tbsp ghee and 1/4 cup of chopped coconut bits or 2 tbsp of grated coconut.
- Mix well and when the jaggery starts boiling again, add the idiyappam flour.
- Keep the heat to the low setting and stir quickly. The flour tends to bulk up fast hence mix continuously.
- We do not need any lumps or burnt bottom so combine everything together.
- After around 8 minutes the flour gets cooked well in the jaggery and gathers up. When it's leaving the pan like this ball switch off the pan.
How to shape and steam sweet pidi kozhukattai:
- Allow the kozhukattai maavu cool down for a bit.
- Grease your palm with ghee or oil.
- Scoop small lemon size ball and press it gently with fingers like this.
- Stack them in an idli plate or steamer plate. Steam cook for around ten minutes.
- When you see the glaze that means Vella kozhukattais are done.
- Serve them warm along with a banana for a fantastic snack. Offer this to lord Ganesh on this Chaturthi festival.
Video
Notes
1) Use good quality fresh rice flour or idiyappa flour. If using homemade flour see the points to the section above in the story.
2) Always use enough water to get proper kozhukattai maavu. Use atleast 1.25 times for one time flour.
3) I use dark sweet jaggery and 3/4 cup is enough for me. If you use less sweet jaggery & like more sweetness you may add an extra 2 tbsp. 4) Wait until the jaggery water boils and add flour, reduce the heat and cook for 8-10minutes until the flour gets almost cooked and gathered up.
5) I like to use tiny coconut bits in my inipu kozhukattai and you can use grated coconut if you wish. Incase of grated coconut use only 2 tbsp for the given quantity.
Nutrition
Preparation:
If you like to make the kozhukattai maavu in the traditional method please follow these steps:
- Rinse the raw rice well, soak for two hours in clean water.
- Drain the water and dry the rice in shade under a fan by spreading it in a clean cloth.
- Don’t allow the rice to fully dry. Grind the rice when there is a very little bit of moisture left. You can grind the rice into coarse grits or fine powder as per choice. Use this for making kozhukattai.
- Use idiyappam flour or homemade rice flour, measure and keep ready.
- In the same size cup measure other ingredients also.
Recipe:
- Take a wide pan with a heavy bottom base or nonstick base. In fact, a non-stick pan is the best and hassle-free for making kozhukattai maavu.
- Add 3/4 cup of powder jaggery and 1.25 cups of water.
- Stir well in medium heat until the jaggery dissolves completely in the water.
- No need to make a syrup consistency and just dissolving is enough.
- If your is impure just filter the jaggery water into another pan and proceed.
- Next add 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1/2 tbsp ghee and 1/4 cup of chopped coconut bits or 2 tbsp of grated coconut.
- Mix well and when the jaggery starts boiling again, add the idiyappam flour.
- Keep the heat to the low setting and stir quickly. The flour tends to bulk up fast hence mix continuously.
- We do not need any lumps or burnt bottom so combine everything together.
- After around 8 minutes the flour gets cooked well in the jaggery and gathers up. When it’s leaving the pan like this ball switch off the pan.
How to shape and steam sweet pidi kozhukattai:
- Allow the kozhukattai maavu to cool down for a bit.
- Grease your palm with ghee or oil.
- Scoop a small lemon size ball and press it gently with fingers like this.
- Stack them in an idli plate or steamer plate. Steam cook for around ten minutes.
- When you see the glaze that means Vella kozhukattais are done.
- Serve them warm along with a banana for a fantastic snack. Offer this to lord Ganesh on this Chaturthi festival.
Tips:
1) Use good quality fresh rice flour or idiyappa flour. If using homemade flour see the points to the section above in the story.
2) Always use enough water to get proper kozhukattai maavu. Use atleast 1.25 times for one flour.
3) Wait until the jaggery water boils and add flour, reduce the heat and cook for 8-10minutes until the flour gets almost cooked and gathered up.
4) I like to use tiny coconut bits in my inipu kozhukattai and you can use grated coconut if you wish. Incase of grated coconut use only 2 tbsp for the given quantity.
