Ulundu Kozhukattai / Kozhukattai With Savory Filling

From today n for the next two days i will be sharing Vinayagar Chaturathi Special recipes as its one of the theme of Blogging Marathon # 20. Vinayagar Chaturathi / Ganesh Chathurthi falls September 19 this year. Kozhuakattai is one of the main neivedyam and it can be made it many ways, sweet n savory filling, ammini kozhukattai, pidi kozhukattai, uppu kozhukattai, neer kozhukattai etc. Today going to see kozhukattai with savory filling - Ulundu Kozhukattai.
My mom never made this ulundu kozhukattai, she makes Poornam kozhukattai with chana dal jaggery n savory kozhukattai with Yellow Moong dal. But i tasted this urad dal filling kozhukattai in my neighbor maami's house. She used to share all neivedyams with us n i like this one very much. So i made this n except my lil' one we 3 enjoyed it :) The recipe as follows.

i always find difficult in taking pics with white/light color dishes :(

Ingredients
For outer covering

1. Rice Flour / Idiyappam Flour     1 cup (i used store bought rice flour)
2. Sesame oil/coconut oil     1 tsp
3. Salt      1/4 tsp
4. Water       1/2 cup or as needed

For filling

1. Urad dal       1/4 cup
2. Green chili     1 or 2 
3. Ginger     1/2" piece
4. Hing     a generous pinch
5. Turmeric powder     a pinch
6. Coconut     1-2 tbsp
7. Cilantro/coriander leaves    few finely chopped

To Temper

1. Oil     1-2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds     1/4 tsp
3. Curry leaves     few

Method

• First make filling, for that soak urad dal for 1 hour.
• Then drain completely and grind it along with green chili, ginger n urad dal, n enough salt just sprinkle lil' water n run for few seconds...no need to grind smoothly, just make a coarse or crumbled like texture.
• Once done, transfer this to a bowl or greased idly plates and steam for 7-8 minutes or until done.
• Then allow this to cool for a while, spread it in a bowl n keep ready.
• Now heat oil in a pan/wok, add the tempering ingredients n wait till it splutter and then add the cooked urad dal mixture n turmeric powder.
• Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and then add shredded coconut and stir fry for a minute and lastly add some chipped cilantro n turn off the stove.
• That's it, stuffing/ulundu filling is ready. Cover n keep aside.
• Start making the outer cover/dough.
• Take a wide bowl, add rice flour spread it n keep ready.
• Add enough water(to knead dough) in a vessel, sprinkle salt n add oil and bring it to boil.
• Once it starts boiling remove from the stove and add little by little to the rice flour n mix it using spoon/spatula.
• Then cover the rice flour dough with a damp/wet cloth and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.
• After that, grease yours hands with oil and start kneading the dough to a non-sticky smooth like chapathi dough.
• And now divide the dough in to 10-12 small lemon sized balls.
• Grease your hands with oil/ghee, take one ball n flatten it gently to 3" circle, and keep 1-2 tsp filling and fold it back and seal the edges by pressing both the ends.
• Do repeat the same for all the dough n filling, and arrange the shaped kozhukattai in a idly plate and steam it for 10 minutes or until done.
• That's it...Ulundu kozhukattai is ready for neivedyam or serve warm.

Notes:
Adjust water quantity as needed since the quality n texture of the flour vary.
Left over dough can be made in to Ammini kozhukattai n the filling can be added to your stir fry or poriyal.
The same way instead of urad dal, u can use yellow moongdal or chana da(kadalai paruppu).

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 20