Pidi Kozhukattai is one of the most frequently made South Indian Breakfast. Steamed, low oil, delicious breakfast option that has been a childhood favourite. It is also enjoyed as an early dinner option or as we South Indians call it - Tiffin!
I have made this Pidi Kozhukattai or Arisi Kozhukattai using "Brown Rice" instead of regular White Rice.
You may not find this in most popular restaurants like Idli or Dosa, but they are an equally delicious breakfast option.
Serve them with spicy and tangy Tomato Chutney or Thakkali Chutney and a cup of filter coffee for breakfast. You can serve them with Kothamalli Chutney too.
What is Pidi Kozhukattai?
- The word ‘Pidi’ in Tamil actually means ‘to catch’ someone and it is also referred to as measuring something like ‘Oru Pidi Arisi’ which means 'one fistful of Rice'. The Kozhukattai mixture is actually shaped (oval shape) and pressed by hand. Hence the name Pidi Kozhukattai.
- Traditionally, Pidi Kozhukattai is made with White Rice. The Rice is soaked, drained, dried and then coarsely ground. Further, the coarse rice is cooked with a tempering of chillies, curry leaves etc and then steamed!
- Sounds like quite a process, eh? Don’t be daunted by the description. Once you taste them, you would be making it often at home.
- One of the main reasons why this is frequently made in most South Indian Homes is the fact that it is steamed and extremely light. It is kid friendly too and can be made a tad spicier for adults with extra green chillies.
Varieties of Kozhukattai
- Sweet Kozhukattai (with stuffing) – Also called as Ukadiche Modak in Mahararashtra made with rice flour and a filling of jaggery, coconut. Traditionally made for Vinayagar Chaturthi Festival.
- Uppu Kozhukattai (with savory stuffing) – Resembles a North Indian Gujiya but made with rice and stuffed with a savory filling of lentils (Urad Dal or skinless black gram). Kozhukattai is made as prasad for Vinayagar Chaturthi. It is also eaten as breakfast or snack too.
- Ammini Kozhukattai – Easiest to make and yummiest to eat. They are my personal favourite. Made with just rice flour and salt, they are further spiced with different flavours. I have 3 varieties shared on my blog namely – Lemon, Curry Leaves and the Spicy version with red chillies.
How to make Brown Rice Pidi Kozhukattai?
- Choose a short grain Brown Rice Variety. I have used Organic Somasuri Brown Rice. I use this rice for normal cooking as well.
- Brown Rice requires extra soaking time than the white rice. Extra soaking would mean faster cooking and even steaming too.
- Rice should be Soaked, Drained, Dried and then coarsely ground. It will steam and turn fluffy.
- Grinding finely would mean a pasty Kozhukattai and won’t give you that melt in mouth experience.
- If you want to make Pidi Kozhukattai as your evening dinner, then the prep work should be late morning around 11 am. The process involves soaking the rice for couple of hours, drying them on a thin cloth and then grinding it coarsely.
- If you plan to make these for Breakfast then you can begin the above process by late afternoon and then stock the coarsely ground powder in the refrigerator.
- Alternatively, you can also plan ahead and opt for bulk soaking, grinding and storing in the refrigerator (stays fresh only for 2 days max in freezer).
Step by Step Instructions to make Brown Rice Pidi Kozhukattai
- Wash the Brown Rice 2-3 times and then soak it for atleast 4 hours.
- Drain the water and then spread the rice on a soft cotton cloth (on the kitchen platform). This process will drain all the excess moisture. It takes around an hour for the water to drain.
- Once the rice has drained all the moisture, grind it in a mixer grinder into a coarse powder and keep aside.
- Heat a kadhai or non-stick pan, add coconut oil and mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard crackles, add chana dal, red and green chillies, curry leaves.
- After the chana dal turns slightly brownish, add the 2 cups of water and salt to taste and allow it to simmer.
- Once it reaches a boil, slowly add the coarsely grounded rice while stirring the mixture continuously to avoid lumps. Cover and cook for couple of seconds.
- Open the lid, keep stirring the mixture until the moisture is fully absorbed by the rice flour and the mixture reaches a slightly tighter consistency.
- Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before dividing into equal portions, and shaping them into oval shape dumplings.
- In the meanwhile, prepare a steamer and grease the plates slightly.
- Place the Kozhukattais on the steamer plates and steam them for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Allow them to cool slightly before opening the lid and serve them immediately with an accompaniment of your choice.
Brown Rice Pidi Kozhukattai / Arisi Kozhukattai
Pidi Kozhukattai, Arisi Kozhukattai or Kara Kozhukattai is a traditional steamed South Indian Breakfast, Snacks or Tiffin recipe made with brown rice. Detailed Recipe with step by step pics
Servings 3 people
Equipment
- Steamer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown Rice I have used a short grain variety
- 1 tbsp Chana Dal
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 3-4 nos Whole Red chillies I have added Pondi chillies
- 3-4 nos Green Chillies finely chopped You may adjust quantity or skip if required
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil You can use neutral oil or sesame oil too
- 6 cups Water as required See Notes
- Curry Leaves as required
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Wash the Brown Rice 2-3 times and then soak it for atleast 4 hours.
- Drain the water and then spread the rice on a soft cotton cloth (on the kitchen platform). This process will drain all the excess moisture. It takes around an hour for the water to drain.
- Once the rice has drained all the moisture, grind it in a mixer grinder into a coarse powder and keep aside.
- Heat a kadhai or non-stick pan, add coconut oil and mustard seeds.
- Once they crackle, add chana dal, red and green chillies, curry leaves.
- Once the chana dal turns slightly brownish, add the 2 cups of water and salt to taste and allow it to simmer
- Once it reaches a boil, slowly add the coarsely grounded rice while stirring the mixture continuously to avoid lumps. Cover and cook for couple of seconds
- Open the lid, keep stirring the mixture until the moisture is fully absorbed by the rice flour and the mixture reaches a slightly tighter consistency.
- Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before dividing into equal portions, and shaping them
into oval shape dumplings - In the meanwhile, prepare a steamer and grease the plates with few drops of oil.
- Place the Kozhukattais on the steamer plates and steam them for 15 to 20 minutes
- Allow them to cool slightly before opening the lid and serve them immediately with an
accompaniment of your choice
Notes
- Quantity of Water - 2 cups rice for soaking the brown rice + 2 cups for Cooking hte Rice + 2 cups for Steamer.
- Traditionally, a cup of grated coconut is added along with the rice flour and tastes great. However, since we go easy on coconut consumption too and have paired it with a coconut chutney which balances the taste.
- Since we are always short of time and cannot follow a lengthy procedure for everyday cooking, the soaking and grinding process can be done a day earlier and stored in the freezer for atleast 2 days.
- Since it is coarse rice flour and not finely powdered, it spoils fast if kept for longer (even in the freezer). So, this is an ideal weekend meal.
- Traditionally, a cup of grated coconut is added along with the rice flour and tastes great. However, since we go easy on coconut consumption too and have paired it with a coconut chutney which balances the taste.
- You can try the same recipe using white rice. The soaking time would be only 2 hours instead of 4.
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Vidya Narayan