Savoury Kozhukattai with Kadalaparippu/Chana Dal filling

Wishing all of you a great week ahead !! I had some leftover cooked chana dal and thought of making a snack out of it. So I decided to make some kozhukattais or steamed rice dumplings with chana dal filling. I wanted to prepare the sweet version, but I realized that one of the main ingredient, jaggery wasn't there. So I made the savoury kozhukattais which came out really delicious. These make a perfect snack and tastes best when served warm. I have posted another quick version of Savoury Kozhukattais with no filling, which could be made as a breakfast too. The kozhukattais can be made using wheat flour as well. Please view those recipes here: Sweet and Spicy Wheat Kozhukattai,  Wheat Kozhukattai (Jaggery version)

What you need?

1 cup Rice flour

1 cup cooked Chana Dal (should be firm and not mushy)

1/2 cup Coconut

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry Leaves chopped

2-3 Green chillies chopped

A pinch Asafoetida

1 1/4 cup Water

Salt

Oil

How to prepare?

Pulse the cooked chana dal  few times in a blender so as to get a coarse paste.

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, green chillies and asafoetida. Saute for a minute and add this tempering to the chana dal mixture. Add salt, coconut to this and combine everything well. Now the filling is ready.

Boil water in a pan. Add a little salt and few drops of oil to the boiling water. Mix well and reduce the flame. Add the rice flour and keep on stirring until it forms a thick dough. Remove from flame and keep aside. 

When its warm enough to handle, knead the dough by greasing your hands with oil. Now make small lemon size balls out of it. Make flat circles with it using hand.Grease your hands in between so that flour won't be sticky. Keep some filling inside and make shapes as you desire.

Steam them in an idly cooker for about 10 minutes.

Serve warm.