Chowwary Kozhukattai

Ingredients

• Rice flour – 1 cup
• Hot water – about 1 cup
• Salt – a pinch
• Coconut oil or ghee – 1 tsp
• Grated coconut – ¾ cup
• Jaggery – ½ to ¾ cup
• Sago / chowwary – ¼ cup
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Method

1. Rinse and soak the sago for about 1 hour, then cook until fully tender. Drain and cool.
2. Melt jaggery with a little water and strain if needed. Return to the pan, add coconut and cooked sago, and cook until the filling is moist but holds together. Add cardamom and cool.
3. Mix rice flour and salt. Add hot water gradually while stirring, then knead when safe to handle. Add coconut oil or ghee and make a smooth, soft dough.
4. Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth while shaping so the surface does not dry and crack.
5. Take a small ball, flatten into a cup with wet or lightly greased fingers, add 1 to 2 teaspoons filling and close the edges securely.
6. Shape into a smooth ball or traditional modakam-like form without making the shell too thick.
7. Steam in a greased steamer for about 8 to 10 minutes, until the outer dough turns slightly glossy and is cooked through.
8. Rest 3 minutes before serving. Kerala kozhukattai is usually rice dough with coconut-jaggery or other fillings; chowwary is an added filling component in this version.