Paal Kozhukkattai (Rice balls in Jaggery)

My first recipe is one of my favourite Indian sweets. I have fond memories of this dish. Every year during summer holidays, in my Granny’s house, my mom and her sisters would sit and make this the whole afternoon, while we cousins impatiently wait. It never felt tiresome making those tiny rice balls, sitting with the ‘Ladies’ of the house and hearing gossips, leg-pulling and other nonsensical chit-chat. It is always fun to cook with somebody around, than by yourself, Don’t you agree?

The traditional method for this recipe is tricky, while this, learnt from my MIL is an easy and fool-proof one.

Ingredients

Raw rice – 1 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Coconut milk – 1 cup
Jaggery – 1 cup
Salt – 1 pinch
Oil – 1 tsp

Method

Soak rice overnight and grind it to a smooth batter (dosa or pancake batter consistency). Boil a cup of water with a pinch of salt and a tsp of oil. Lower the flame and add the rice batter to this and keep stirring until it becomes well cooked. The mixture will turn from bright white to dull white colour. After the mixture cools down, knead it well and make pea-sized balls.

This recipe can be prepared to this stage and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

When ready, mix milk with ½ cup of water and bring it to boil. Cook the rice balls made previously, in batches, by adding them to the milk + water mixture. The rice balls will float after they have been cooked. After all the rice balls have been cooked, set them aside. Add jaggery to the left-over milk + water mixture and allow it to dissolve.

Add the cooked rice balls back to the jaggery-milk mixture, and allow to boil for 5 minutes in low flame. Add the coconut milk and heat through. Do not boil after the coconut milk has been added. Finally, add ground elaichi.