Upma kozhukattai

Upma kozhukattai, a South Indian steamed rice cake which is made spicy with chillies along with a nice blend of coconuts and ginger. Initially, idly rava is cooked in minimum oil and then steamed in an idly cooker. This goes well with a nice thuvaiyal with little tamarind and jaggery and also idly podi. Water proportion is always more important in cooking upma. the ratio is 1:3 (i.e. 1 cup of idly rava with 3 cups of water)

Ingredients

• Idly rava/cream of rice 1-1/2 cup
• finely chopped onions 1medium size
• green chillies 3
• red chillies 2
• grated ginger 1tbsp
• mustard seeds 1tsp
• cumins seeds 1tsp
• chana dal 1tsp
• urad dal 1tsp
• asafoetida a pinch
• curry leaves few
• chopped coriander leaves few
• shredded coconut 2tbsp
• water 4-1/2cup
• canola oil 1tbsp

Method

• Heat 1tbsp of oil in a kadai and splutter mustards in it. throw in few cumin seeds , chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies, asafoetida in it and saute well.
• Fry chopped onions, green chillies and grated ginger in it. saute till the onions turn translucent.
• pour about 4-1/2 cups of water and some salt to taste and allow it to boil.
• Add the idly rava slowly into the boiling water and keep stirring it so as to avoid any lump formation.
• mix in the shredded coconut and chopped cilantro in it. wait till the rava absorbs all the water present.
• allow the idly rava upma to cool for about 1ominutes. and now you can take some upma in hand and start shaping it into ovals. place these oval dumplings in an idly cooker and steam cook it for about 10minutes.
• when the kozhukattais are cooked, serve it with a nice thuvaiyal and enjoy eating:)