Mini Kozhukattais are an easy anytime quick fix snack. With the advancement in recent years, one can get clean rice flour which chops away many laborious steps in preparation of many delicacies having this flour as the base. In earlier days, one had to clean the rice, wash it well and painstakingly dry it on a clean white cloth to absorb all the extra moisture. Then one had to have it crushed to a fine powder in the local rice flour mill. Right after this process, one  had to make sure that the ground flour is not kept closed as this might cause condensation inside the vessel, which in turn would bring the moisture back in to the flour. Now all one has to do is to drive by to the local indian store and pick up a packet of Rice Flour. Agreed, that there is a definite loss in flavour with the short cuts, but at least it makes life a lot more easier.

My daughter and husband love the Ammini Kozhakattais that I so often make on the spur of a moment. I wanted a quick fix filling snack last sunday evening and I was tempted to make Bhajjis. But, with the consideration to the ever expanding waist lines, I decided against it. Then my mind came back to Ammini Kozhakkatais. My daughter loves to roll the dough in to little bite sized balls. Once the balls were steamed, I wanted to give it a little twist. I must tell you that they were downright delicious and  novel. This is for you to try too…

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Rice Flour.

2 cups of water.

1 Tsp levelled of Salt.

2 Spoons of Coconut Oil.

Mustard, Curry Leaves, Chopped Green Chillies, Broken Urad Dhal for seasoning.

3-4 spoons of Home Made Dhal Powder.( Paruppu Podi).

PREPARATION:

• In a kadai, pour the water, add coconut oil and salt and allow to boil.
• Immediatly, simmer the stove and add the measured 1 cup of rice flour in to the water very slowly stirring at all times with a whisk.
• Use a whisk and remove all the clots quickly.
• With a spatula, rapidly stir in the mixture as it will thicken using the water to cook the rice flour.
• As before, keep stirring until you see that the water is all used up and the entire batter scoops up in your ladle as a single mass.
• Switch off the gas and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add 1-2 spoons of coconut oil and knead well to form a homogenous ball. This is the most important step in the whole process as this removes all the cracks and makes a smooth dough.
• Greasing your hands, shape it in to smaller balls, say, the size of naphthalene balls and keep covered in a bowl.

• Complete the dough by making small balls and arrange on greased idli plates.
• Steam them in the pressure cooker without weight for 10 minutes on high. As they have already been cooked once, it will cook in the steam pretty fast.
• Once the cooker is switched off, wait for a few minutes to open.
• In a kadai, add 2 spoons of oil. When hot, add broken urad dhal, mustard, green chillies, hing and curry leaves.
• Drop the kozhukattais and mix well.
• Then pop in 3-4  spoons of Dhal Powder. Mix well.
• Delicious Spiced Mini/Ammini Kozhakattais are ready to be served.

HINTS:

• I dabbed the mini kozhakkattais with home made Dhal Powder.
• You can also use Puliyodharai Powder which is store bought.
• Another variation in taste can be achieved with Gun Powder or Molagai Podi/ Curry leaves Powder.
• Sprinkle your favourite curry powder and enjoy the delicious taste it lends to the Mini Kozhakattais.