Yesterday I made a post on kozhukattai dough using store bought idiyappam flour/ kozhukattai flour in 3 ways. In continuation with that, today I have shared how to make homemade rice flour for kozhukattai dough/ Kozhukattai maavu preparation traditionally in 2 methods. One by soaking raw rice, grinding to a fine powder, sieve and make kozhukattai outer covering dough with that homemade processed rice flour. My MIL always follows this method.
Second method is to soak the rice, grind to a thin batter and then cook to make a thick kozhukattai dough for outer cover/ Kozhukattai mel maavu. I learnt this one from my friend Shalini. She told me to make this post during last year Ganesh Chaturthi as this is her fool proof method of making homemade kozhukattai maavu. She told beginners would find it useful.
Last year I couldn’t do it. So I badly wanted to make this post at least this year. Tomorrow I will try to post some interesting kozhukattai variety. Ok, lets see how to make homemade kozhukattai dough recipe / Kozhukattai maavu with step by step pictures and video.
How to make Kozhukattai dough - Kozhukattai maavu, traditional method in 2 ways
How to make Kozhukattai dough/Kozhukattai maavu at home
Raw rice - 1 cup (Use good quality Sona masoori rice or dosa rice/Maavu arisi)
Water - as needed ( 2 cups for method 2)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil or ghee - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - to grease hands
How to make homemade Kozhukattai maavu in 2 ways
METHOD 1 : Wash and soak raw rice in water for 2 hours.
Spread rice in a cloth. Dry for 15 minutes.
Grind to fine powder, sieve.
Dry roast the flour for 2 minutes.
Remove in a plate and cool down.
Grind the roasted flour to remove lumps. Store in a box.
Homemade kozhukattai flour is ready. You can use this as Idiyappam flour too.
METHOD 2: Wash and soak raw rice in water for 2 hours.
Grind to a smooth paste to thin smooth batter. Use the soaked water for grinding.
Heat a kadai with ghee and add rice flour batter.
Mix till thick in low flame. Knead after it becomes warm.
Wrap the dough with wet cloth and cover with a lid till use.
Kozhukattai dough / Kozhukattai maavu - Step by step photo
Always prepare the stuffing/pooranam before making kozhukattai dough because fresh dough gives best kozhukattai.
METHOD 1: Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice for 2 hours.Drain the excess water and spread in a cotton cloth.
Let it dry for 15 minutes. Remove the rice and grind to a smooth powder. Sieve and grind the coarse particles again. Sieve twice.
Dry roast the sieved flour for 2 minutes in medium flame till it heated. Make sure you do not heat it more. When you roast it, small lumps may form.So grind to a fine powder after it cools down.
Alternatively you can steam the flour in idli pot for 10 minutes. Spread in a plate, cool down and grind it.Homemade rice flour for making kozhukattai or idiyappam is ready. You can store in a box for months. For 1 cup of raw rice, you get approx. 2 cups of flour.
For making dough with this homemade rice flour, boil 1.5 cups of water adding 1/2 tsp salt and oil/ghee.
Add 1 cup of rice flour to it. Mix in low flame till it becomes a thick dough.
Remove in a plate and knead using greased hands. Dough will become non-sticky after kneading.
Cover with a wet cloth and lid above it till use. Never allow the dough to dry.Kozhukattai may crack.
METHOD 2: Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice using 2 cups of water.Grind to a smooth batter without any grits. Grind for long time. Use the soaked water for grinding.Batter should be thin like dosa batter.
Heat a kadai with 1tsp ghee. Add the rice flour batter. Mix in low flame.It becomes a thick dough. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. When the dough becomes very thick and leaves the pan completely, switch off the flame.
Cover with a lid till warm. Transfer the dough to a plate. Grease your hands with oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes till it becomes very smooth without any cracks.
Remove the dough to a plate and cover till warm. Grease hands and knead well for 5 minutes till dough becomes completely non-sticky and smooth without cracks.
Cover the cloth with a wet dough and keep aside till use. Keep the stuffing inside the dough and make kozhukattai.
Notes
First make the stuffing part/pooranam before making the dough because dough should not sit for long time.
Kneading is important to make the dough crack free.
Dough should be non-sticky and smooth without cracks to make perfect kozhukattai.
Homemade rice flour shown in method 1 can be used to make idiyappam as well.
You can also use dosa rice/Maavu arisi instead of good quality raw rice.
How to make Kozhukattai dough( Kozhukattai maavu in Tamil) with step by step pictures and video. Dough for kozhukattai outer covering (Mel maavu) can be prepared at home using raw rice or with store bought rice flour / idiyappam flour / Anil Kozhukattai flour (unroasted rice flour).
Kozhukattai made using homemade processed rice flour always gives the best and soft kozhukattai. But many of us like to ease our job by using store bought kozhukattai flour or idiyappam flour. Yes, ready made kozhukattai maavu or idiyappam maavu also gives decent results when compared with the traditional ones.
So I have shared 3 methods of making kozhukattai outer cover using store bought rice flour. You can try any based on your liking. I learnt method 1 & method 2 from my MIL. Method 3 is from my friend Shalini. She also taught me a traditional method of homemade kozhukattai dough. I will share it tomorrow. I personally like method 2 because I follow the same procedure for making idiyappam. So I am used to this method and its more convenient to me.
There are few points you should keep in mind to make soft and crack free kozhukattai. I have shared few tips and tricks to make perfect kozhukattai dough. I have also made a short video on the making of this dough in 3 ways. I hope beginners would find it useful.
North Indian style modak dough differs in method and ratio of water & flour. I will share that post later. Now Lets see how to make kozhukattai maavu using rice flour with step by step pictures and video.
Kozhukattai dough - Kozhukattai maavu in 3 ways
How to make Kozhukattai dough using store bought rice flour
Store bought kozhukattai flour or idiyappam flour - 1 cup ( I used Anil kozhukattai maavu)
Water - as needed ( 1.5 to 1.75 cups)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil or ghee - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - to grease hands
How to make Kozhukattai Maavu in 3 ways
Method 1 : Heat 1.5 cups of water in a bowl adding salt and oil.
When the water roll boil, add the rice flour.Stir without lumps.
Mix well in low flame till its thick.
Dough will be formed.Remove from flame.
Cover till it becomes warm. Remove in a plate and knead with greased hands.
It will become smooth and crack free.Cover with wet cloth and lid till use.
Method 2 : Boil 2 cups of water adding salt & oil/ghee.
Let the water roll boil.Add the required water to 1 cup rice flour, mix well.
Knead when warm. It will become smooth and crackfree.Wrap with wet cloth and cover with lid till use.
Method 3 : Mix 1 cup rice flour and 2 cups of water adding salt & oil/ghee.
Heat a kadai and add the rice flour batter.
Mix till thick in low flame. Knead after it becomes warm.
Wrap the dough with wet cloth and cover with a lid till use.
Kozhukattai dough - Step by step pictures
Always prepare the stuffing/pooranam before making kozhukattai dough because fresh dough gives best kozhukattai.
Method 1: Measure 1 cup of store bought idiyappam flour or kozhukattai flour. Boil 1.5 cups of water in a kadai adding salt and oil/ghee.
Add the rice flour to the water and mix well till it becomes thick and forms a dough. Touch the dough with your fingers to see if its sticky. If its slightly sticky or non-sticky, dough is done.
Switch off the flame, transfer to a plate.Let it become warm enough to handle. Grease the hands with oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes till smooth and crack free.
Wrap the dough with wet cloth and cover it with a lid till use. You can store the dough for 6 to 8 hours without refrigeration.
Method 2: Take 1 cup of rice flour in a plate. Keep aside.
Boil 2 cups of water adding salt and 1 tsp oil/ghee in a wide bowl.
When the water roll boils vigorously, remove and add to the rice flour gradually. Mix with a ladle.Add water little by little and keep mixing. Kozhukattai maavu takes 1.25 to 1.5 cups and not more. But I always boil more water and keep it ready in hand to mix if needed.So I have mentioned 2 cups of water.
Mix to become thick,non-sticky dough. Transfer to a plate and cover till warm. Knead with greased hands for 5 minutes till smooth and crackfree.
When the water roll boils vigorously, remove and add to the rice flour gradually. Mix with a ladle.Add water little by little and keep mixing. Kozhukattai maavu takes 1.25 to 1.5 cups and not more. But I always boil more water and keep it ready in hand to mix if needed.So I have mentioned 2 cups of water.
Method 3: Mix 1 cup of rice flour with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk to make a thin batter.Heat 1 tsp ghee in a kadai and add the rice flour batter.
Mix in low flame till it becomes a thick dough.It leaves the pan and becomes a smooth dough. Keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
Remove the dough to a plate and cover till warm. Grease hands and knead well for 5 minutes till dough becomes completely non-sticky and smooth without cracks.
Cover the cloth with a wet dough and keep aside till use. Keep the stuffing inside the dough and make kozhukattai.
Notes
First make the stuffing part/pooranam before making the dough because dough should not sit for long time.
Kneading is important to make the dough crack free.
Dough should be non-sticky and smooth without cracks to make perfect kozhukattai.
I used Anil Kozhukattai maavu.You can use idiyappam flour as well.
Water quantity may vary as per the flour you use. Anil kozhukattai maavu takes 1.25 to 1.5 cups of water.
Make this kozhukattai dough using store bought rice flour and ease your job !
Last year I shared an easy paal kozhukattai recipe with milk, coconut milk and sugar. I know paal kozhukattai is a very popular dessert recipe in Chettinad, Tamil nadu. So I was looking for some authentic recipes to try it. Finally I found it from an YouTube video of Nagu’s Nalabagam. Based on that recipe, I tried it yesterday for my Thursday Guru pooja neivedyam. It was very tasty with the nice flavor of coconut milk, jaggery and moong dal. It is prepared without milk. Still kozhukattai came out very soft. Addition of cooked moong dal makes the paal kozhukattai thick and more flavorful.
I guess there are many variations in this particular recipe. Friends from Chettinad region, do let me know if there is any change in this recipe. I am happy to try again and post it. Ganesh Chaturthi is fast approaching. I think many people make paal kozhukattai apart from other kozhukattai varieties. Try this yummy paal kolukattai with jaggery. You will love its result. Lets see how to make Chettinad style paal kozhukattai with step by step photos.
I will try to share some useful kozhukattai video recipes from tomorrow for Vinayagar Chaturthi .
Store bought kozhukattai flour or idiyappam flour - 1/2 cup ( I used Anil kozhukattai maavu)
Water - 3/4 to 1 cup
Thick coconut milk -1/2 cup
Grated jaggery - 3/4 cup ( Add 1 cup for more sweetness)
Moong dal - 1.5 tbsp
Water - 3 cups for cooking the rice balls
Cardamom - 2 nos
Sesame oil or ghee - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
How to make Chettinad paal kozhukattai
Dry roast and pressure cook moong dal. Grind coconut and take coconut milk.
Boil water. Add 1 tsp oil and salt.
When the water roll boil, add the rice flour. Stir well.
Mix well in low flame till its thick.
Dough will be formed.Remove from flame.
Remove in a plate and knead with greased hands for 5 minutes till smooth.
Make small balls from the dough and keep in a plate.
Boil 3 cups of water. Cook the balls till it floats on top.
Melt jaggery, strain and add the syrup, cardamom powder, moong dal. Boil for 5 minutes.Lastly add the coconut milk, mix once and switch off the flame. Serve hot!
Paal kozhukattai recipe - Step by step photo
Dry roast moong dal in a cooker base. Roast till it gets nice aroma. Add water and pressure cook till soft. Mash it and set aside. Grind 1 cup of grated coconut adding 1/2 cup warm water.Strain and extract thick milk from it. Keep aside.
In a wide kadai, boil 3/4 cup of water ( flour : water ratio is 1:1.5 or 2 cups based on the flour). Add 1 tsp sesame oil or ghee and salt.Let the water starts to roll boil.When the water starts to roll boil, lower the flame completely and add the rice flour.Mix without lumps.It will become a thick dough.
Switch off the flame, transfer to a plate.Let it become warm enough to handle.
Grease your hands with oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes till it becomes non-sticky, smooth and crack free.Cover the dough with a wet cloth till use.
Make small balls or cylinder shaped lengthy ones with the dough. Arrange them in a plate. While you roll the balls, cover the remaining dough with wet cloth. It should not dry.
Boil 3 cups of water in a wide bowl. When the water roll boils vigorously, add half of the rolled balls. Let it cook in high flame for 2 minutes. Do not cover it. Cooked kozhukattai will float on top. Now add the remaining rolled balls and cook everything together for 3 minutes.Stir it once in the middle gently.
Alternatively you can steam cook the balls in idli pot for 10 minutes and remove when warm. Please check my easy paal kolukattai recipe for step-by-step pictures.
Strain the jaggery syrup and add to the cooked kozhukattai water. Mix gently and boil for a minute.
Add cardamom powder, boiled moong dal and thick coconut milk. Mix well and boil for 1 minute in very low flame. Remove and serve hot or cold.
Notes
Adding oil in the water helps to cook the dough non-sticky and soft.
Kneading is important to make the dough crack free.
Kozhukattai will break and dissolve in water if you add without boiling the water. Water should roll boil well.
I used Anil Kozhukattai maavu.You can use idiyappam flour as well.
Try this yummy paal kozhukattai with jaggery and coconut milk. You will enjoy it !
Raw rice idli ( Pacharisi idli in Tamil) is one of the important festival recipes of Tamilnadu and Andhra. My friend Shalini told me about this idli using raw rice and pappu unta( Paruppu urundai) when I was asking for Varalakshmi Pooja recipes. Many people (especially Tamil brahmins) prepare this pacharisi idli for Varalakshmi vratham and Ganesh Chaturthi neivedyam. Basically steamed rice or boiled rice idli (Puzhungal arisi) is not offered to God. So people make idli with good quality raw rice / ponni rice ( sona masoori) and offer to God on festival days. I followed my mixie idli,dosa batter recipe, altered the quantity of ingredients and tried it. To make a perfectly soft raw rice idli, we should add more urad dal and give more time for fermentation. Ratio of rice and dal should be 2:1. Its always better to use grinder for making idli. But I used mixie to grind the batter as I made very less quantity. I used ice cold water to prevent the heating of jar. So if you are using mixie like me, use ice cold water to get soft and spongy idli else idli may come out hard.
Raw Rice Idli - Pacharisi Idli Recipe
Its taste and texture reminded Kanchipuram idli to me. I tried making dosa with this batter but it was not so great in taste. It tasted like varagu dosa. I will try to upload a dosa picture soon. Tomorrow I will share pappu unta recipe. Friends, do try this idli recipe for varalakshmi viratham, offer God and get her blessings. Now lets see how to make raw rice idli recipe with step by step photos !
Raw rice – 1 cup (Use good quality sona masoori/Ponni rice)
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
Poha / Thick Aval - 1.5 tbsp (optional)
Salt - as needed
Water - as required ( I used 1.25 cups)
Gingely oil - to grease idli plate
How to make the recipe
Wash and soak raw rice, urad dal, poha and methi seeds for 3 to 4 hours.
Grind to a smooth paste adding ice cold water.
Collect the batter in a bowl. Ferment for 12 to 15 hours.
This batter won't double in quantity but rise slightly.
The next morning,mix the batter well and make idli.
Steam for 10 minutes till done, remove after 5 minutes.Serve with chutney,sambar.Enjoy !
Raw Rice idli - Step by step pictures
Wash and soak rice, urad dal, aval and methi seeds together for 3 to 4 hours.
Grind in a mixie jar adding ice cold water. I used approx 1.25 cups of water. Grind to a smooth paste.
Collect the batter in a bowl. Ferment it for 12 to 15 hours or overnight based on the weather. This batter won't double in quantity but rise slightly.
The next morning, mix well with a ladle.Grease idli plate with sesame oil and pour the batter.
Steam in an idli pot for 10 minutes. Remove after its done. Rest for 5 minutes and then remove the idli. For offering God, drizzle a tsp of ghee over the idli as shown in the picture. Finish the pooja, serve with sambar & chutney!
Notes
Adding poha is optional. You can skip it.
You can grind the batter in a grinder. Idli comes out even more soft.
For variations, you can soak the urad dal separately. Grind to a smooth paste, remove in a bowl.Then grind the soaked rice+ poha + methi seeds to a smooth batter. Mix both the batter and ferment it.
Last year I couldn’t do it. So I badly wanted to make this post at least this year. Tomorrow I will try to post some interesting kozhukattai variety. Ok, lets see how to make homemade kozhukattai dough recipe / Kozhukattai maavu with step by step pictures and video. 
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