Uppu Kozhakattai - Steamed rice dumpling with spiced lentil filling.

Uppu kozhakattai or modak with salty filling. This is equally yummy and makes a great combination with the sweet kozhakattai. The dough or the outer cover for the kozhakattai / dumpling is the same as the sweet one.

INGREDIENTS

• Urad dal – ½ cup – soaked for 45 mins
• Chilly (dry red or green) – 1 or 2  (optional if you don’t like the heat)
• Ginger – ½ inch piece
• Hing / asafoetida – 1 pinch
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Salt as per taste

TEMPERING

• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
• Hing – 1 pinch
• Dried Red chilly – 1 – broken into small pieces
• Curry leaves - few

METHOD

• Drain out the water from the dal
• In a blender, blitz all the ingredients coarsely.
• Spread this mix in a plate and steam for 10 to 12 minutes
• After steaming cool it then cut into cubes and blitz again to form a coarse powder
• Heat a wok add the oil and mustard seeds. Once the mustard sputters add the hing, chilly and curry leaves and saute for a minute.
• Now add the coarse dal powder and saute for a few minutes.
• Your salty filling is ready to go.
• For this you roll out the rice dough flat then spoon in the dal mix now close it making a semi circle and pinch the ends to close the kozhakattai. Steam for 10 minutes