Kuzhalappam
If you haven't tried it yet, this is a delightful deep-fried treat! It's savory with a satisfyingly crunchy texture. If you appreciate homemade deep-fried snacks, this one is a great choice. It stays fresh for 2-3 weeks when stored in an airtight container, making it an excellent addition to your Christmas goodie bag, especially for those who prefer savory over sweet treats.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Rice flour (refer notes)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cups Grated coconut
- 8 whole small onion / shallots (chopped)
- 1 tsp Chopped garlic
- 1/4 tsp Cumin / jeera
- 2 tbsp Grated coconut
- 1/3 cup thick coconut milk
- 1/2 tbsp Black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Salt
- Oil (for deep frying, I used coconut oil)
Instructions
- Grind together small onion, garlic, cumin and 2 tbsp coconut with 1-2 tbsp water to a smooth paste. Add this ground coconut paste and salt to thick coconut milk, mix well.
- Combine rice flour and grated coconut (1/2 – 3/4 cup). Just pulse it in food processor or mixie for a few seconds.
- Dry roast the rice powder coconut mixture in a heavy bottom pan / vessel, on low flame for 8-10 mins. Add the coconut milk mixture to this gradually. Continue cooking on low flame for 2-3 mins.
- Remove from fire and add boiling water to make a smooth dough. The dough should be soft and not sticky. Add sesame seeds to the dough and knead for 3-4 mins. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside for half an hour.
- Divide the dough into small portions, the size of a small lemon. Roll the dough into circles (refer notes). Wrap the rolled-out dough around a greased rod or you can use a wooden rolling pin. Press the overlapping edges together to form a small curl.
- Slide it off the rod. Repeat till all the dough is used up. Cover the shaped rolls with damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
- Heat oil in a deep pan. Make sure the oil is hot, but not smoking hot. Add the shaped rolls and fry it till it turns golden or darker shade of brown. Cool and store in airtight containers.
- You will get 25-30, small-medium size Kuzhalappam with the above qty.
Notes
- I used Nirapara Appam / idiyappam podi to make this (not the instant powder). It’s roasted rice flour.
- Make sure the dough is covered with a damp cloth throughout, otherwise it will dry out.
- If you find it difficult to roll it, you can make small size balls as seen in the second picture and fry it.
- When you’re rolling out the dough, you can roll it thin or thick as per your preference. I like slightly thicker ones, so I rolled it out thickly.
- If you are finding it difficult to roll, keep the dough in between baking paper or greased banana leaves. I rolled it on a wooden cutting board without any baking paper. If it sticks to the cutting board, use a knife to lift it slightly. After rolling out the dough, I used a small lid to cut out a perfect circle.
- The trickiest part is frying. The oil temp should be correct to get it perfectly. Once the oil is really hot, reduce it to low-medium flame and keep frying. Don’t worry if the first few ones don’t work out, you will get a feel of it after frying 3-4 rolls. If you are rolling it out thickly, you’ve to make sure the inside is cooked as well.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!