I should say, making this Kuzhalappam, unlocked a bag of emotions in me. I almost felt suffocated with the sudden outburst of all these emotions. I started off with the feeling of excitement, the excitement of trying something new, something I considered difficult, then it moved on to sadness when one of the steps reminded me about one of my fav persons of all time who is no more, next I felt guilty for not remembering her for so long, then it moved on to frustration, when I thought something went wrong in between, then the excitement again when I got it right, next the happiness when I got exactly what I wanted and sadness again at the thought that, I couldnt share what I made with my parents. But I ended the cycle with feeling a little bit proud of myself for making this :)
So it brings me to the question that I always ask you… can food affect our emotions? Can food make us happy or sad? Or is it the other way round, does emotions affect our eating habits? Coming to think of it, it’s co dependent, isnt it? I mean, sometimes food reminds you of happy times, like burger and fries or samosas reminds you about the college days with your friends. Similarly, sometimes when you are sad, you might eat a chocolate or ice cream to cheer you up. Looks like food and emotions are intertwined!
I bookmarked this recipe long time ago, but I always thought it was too difficult and time consuming. Time consuming – yes, especially when you are making it the first time. Difficult – not so much. Is it worth it – YES! It would be great if you can find some good company while you make this, one of you can roll it and shape it and the other can be in charge of frying. This is one of those recipes, when a good company in kitchen is appreciated!
So… what shall I tell you about Kuzhalappam, hhmm.. If you’ve already tasted it and liked it, this is a good recipe to try at home. If you havent tasted it, this is one of those deep fried goodness! It’s savoury and has a crunchy texture. If you dont mind homemade deep fried snacks, this fits the bill. This keeps well for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container. This can be a part of your Christmas goodie bag, for those who dont enjoy the sweet treats.
Here you go with the step by step pics…
Grind together small onion, garlic, cumin and 2 tbsp coconut with 1-2 tbsp water to a smooth paste…
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. 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…
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…
Recipe adapted from “Flavours of the Spice Coast” by Mrs. K.M.Mathew
Please read the “notes” section before you proceed with the recipe.
- Rice flour – 1¼ cups (refer notes)
- Grated coconut – ½ – ¾ cup
- Small onion / shallots – 8 whole, chopped
- Chopped garlic – 1 tsp
- Cumin / jeera – ¼ tsp
- Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
- Thick coconut milk – ⅓ cup
- Black sesame seeds – ½ tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Oil – for deep frying (I used coconut oil)
- 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 – ¾ 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.
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. Dont worry if the first few ones doesnt 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.
I’m sorry to say this, but I dont think shallow frying will work for this recipe.