Vegetable Kozhukattai, Veg Kaara Kozhukattai recipe made with soaked and ground brown rice along with vegetables and aromatics. These steamed dumplings are perfect for breakfast or dinner.
We love kozhukattai (Tamil style breakfast dumplings) at home. This vegetable kozhukattai is not only delicious but healthy too! Its made with brown rice toooo! (One can make it with regular white rice and it comes well!). I made it with soaked and ground brown rice. With a little bit of planning, this recipe can be put together in under 30-40 minutes. The shredded veggies and aromatics are mixed with the ground rice batter and cooked to a dough. The dough is then shaped, formed into dumplings and are steamed. These steamed little pockets are truly delicious. Do try it at home.
Soak brown rice (I have used brown sona masuri rice variety) for 3 hours. If you are planning for breakfast, then soak the brown rice over nite. It works well. Drain the water from the soaked brown rice.
Note: One can use regular white rice instead of brown rice and the kozhukattai comes well too!
Now, grind the rice with some water. The quantity of water used while grinding will determine the final texture of the kozhukattai. For every cup of brown rice used, add exactly one cup of water while grinding. Too little water will give a really hard Kozhukattai and adding a lot of water will make the Kozhukattai gummy. So use the correct measurement of water while grinding. Grind to a really smooth fine paste. Set aside.
Heat sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped curry leaves and the chana dal. Chopping the curry leaves makes it easier while serving and eating. Wait for the dal to brown.
Add in the finely chopped onions and green chillies. Make sure all these ingredients are finely chopped, so its easy to prepare and shape the Kozhukattai later. You do not want a big chilli or a curry leaf when you bite the dumpling. So take time and chop the ingredients as fine as possible.
Once the onions are cooked and starting to brown, add in the finely shredded veggies. I have used carrots, cabbage and beans today. I have finely shredded them in a vegetable shredder. Also add in the salt at this stage. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
No need to cook the vegetables completely as we are going to be steaming again. So, once the veggies are half done, add in the ground rice.
The rice mixture will immediately thicken up into a mass of dough in a couple of minutes. Once the dough is thick, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Now we will shape the dumplings. Dip your hands in water everytime you form dumplings so that the dumplings do not stick. Also the cool water will help in handling the hot dough.
When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings.
Repeat with the remaining dough. Dip your hands in cold water before shaping every dumpling.
Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame. The dumplings would become slightly glossy after steaming. Remove from heat.
Keeping it real!!!!
Always steam the dumplings on oiled / greased idli plate so the dumplings do not stick to the plate. Also, let the dumplings rest for five minutes before removing. So if you are like me and rush, see what happens!!!! So dont be like me and rush into things. Have patience my dears!!!
Serve hot with coconut chutney, red chutney or kara chutney.
Vegetable Kozhukattai, Veg Kaara Kozhukattai recipe
Vegetable Kozhukattai, Veg Kaara Kozhukattai recipe made with soaked and ground brown rice along with vegetables and aromatics. These steamed dumplings are perfect for breakfast or dinner.
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 25-30 dumplings 1x
Ingredients
For grinding
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 cup water
For tempering
- 2 teaspoon gingely oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 3 cups finely shredded vegetables (carrot, cabbage and beans)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak brown rice for 3 hours. Drain the water from the soaked rice. Grind the rice with 1 cup water. Grind to a really smooth fine paste. Set aside.
- Heat sesame oil (gingely oil) in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped curry leaves and the chana dal. Let the mustard seeds splutter and the dal brown.
- Add in the onions and green chillies. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are cooked and slightly starting to brown.
- Add in the veggies and the salt. Cook until the veggies are half done for 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the ground rice mixture and stir with a spatula. The rice mixture will immediately thicken up into a mass of dough. Set aside.
- Let the dough become warm. When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings. Set aside.
- Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney, red chutney or kara chutney.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
This is a super recipe. We also make something very called Nuchchina Unde in Karnataka which is similar. But they use some lentils and masala. Thanks for sharing this Kannamma
Thanks for sharing best breakfast recipe. I bought brown rice, yannai kavuni arisi n wondering wat to do with Dat as I don’t want to use as steamed rice.. Will try this recipe with healthy traditional rice n millets as well..
Tried the recipe and it came out well.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post. It will be very useful…
Hi..Thx alot for this new variation..I normally make this with white rice…but ur brown rice idea is too gud.. i will try…
Also to add with, you can soak one spoon of chana dal for one cup rice and grind along with rice. also one spoon of grated coconut can be added at last in the veggie pan….this will enhance the taste even more..
Thx again
Sure. You can alter the recipe to your liking.
Wow, awesome recipe and very healthy one, thank you so much, what and all grains can be used instead of brown rice and can we use hand pound rice too?
Sure Meenakshi, Any kind of rice will work.