Pesaha Appam and Paal

[rameshxavier]

You might be wondering how kozhukatta (steamed rice dumpling with coconut & jaggery filling) is related to Easter, right? It goes like this. Back home, we make kozhukatta either on the eve or morning of Palm Sunday. I dont know why kozhukatta is made and how it is related to Palm Sunday, but its like a custom. If any of you know why kozhukatta is made during Palm Sunday, please do share your thoughts here. We usually say Osana Perunnal or Kuruthola Perunnal for Palm Sunday and since we make kozhukatta, its also known as kozhukatta perunal



Here is the recipe for kozhukatta:

1. Rice flour – 125 gm ( approx 1 cup)
2. Jaggery – 100 gms
Coconut – 3/4 cup
Ghee – 1/2 tsp (optional)
Crushed cardamom – 1-2
3. Water – 1 cup (refer notes)
4. Salt

For the filling

Melt the jaggery with 1/4 cup of water and strain it. Add the coconut to the filtered jaggery & mix well. Add ghee and cook till the liquid is dried up. Add crushed cardamom and remove from fire. Keep it aside.

For the dough

Boil one cup of water with salt. Add the boiled water to the rice flour little by little and mix it with a wooden spatula/spoon. Keep it aside for 5 minutes or till it is warm enough to handle. Knead the dough and make it into a soft ball. The consistency of the dough should be same as that of Idiyappam doughand also the dough should not be sticky.

Make medium size balls out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and place it in your palm. Press it with the other hand and make it thin. Start folding it inwards in such a way that you get a cup shape (please refer the pic given below). Place 1-2 tsp of the filling, cover it and roll it back into a ball. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling.



Steam the kozhukattas in appachembu/steamer for 9-10 minutes on medium flame. Keep it covered for 1 more minute. Serve warm.


:)