- Submitted by Dahlia
(Ulundu Kaara Kozhukattai, Spicy Indian Dumplings)
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Kara Kadubu is a healthy, tasty, steamed snack that is perfect to be served with evening tea or as a breakfast with some coconut chutney. Like all other Indian dumplings, this is also steamed making it fat free. Kara Kadubu, also known as Kaara Kozhukattai in Tamil is made by Hindus during Ganesh Chaturthi along with the sweet kadubus with coconut jaggery filling.
There are quite a few savoury Kozhukattai varieties in my website already with different fillings. This particular one is popular in Karnataka and has a filling made with urad dal. I first tasted it when my friend Sreelakshmi from my apartment made it for me. This filling was ofcourse different than the ones I had tasted before. More than that, I was impressed by the soft outer covering of her Kadubus. It was extremely soft and without any cracks. On asking her, she said that she makes her covering with fresh raw rice soaked in water and not with rice flour (as popularly made by others). I was excited and asked her for the recipe. She was generous enough to not only share her recipe but also demonstrate the whole process which I have shared below. I hope this will be useful for many who are struggling to get their kozhukattais perfect.
Video Instructions for making Kara Kadubu
Recipe for Kara Kadubu
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- Raw Rice - 1 cup
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
For Urad Dal Filling
- Urad Dal - 1/2 cup (soaked)
- Rava - 2 tbsp
- Channa Dal - 2 tbsp (soaked)
- Green Chilies - 2 (finely chopped)
- Ginger - 1/2" piece (finely chopped)
- Curry Leaves - few (chopped)
- Salt - 1/2 tsp (or as needed)
Method
For the outer covering
- Wash and soak the raw rice in sufficient water for a minimum of 5 hours. If you plan to make in the morning, you can soak it overnight too. Instead of all raw rice, a combination of raw rice and boiled rice can also be used.
- Grind the soaked rice to a smooth batter. There should not be any coarse particles, only then you will get soft kadubus.
- Remove the ground batter in a bowl. Add additional water to bring it to the right consistency. It should be thinner than regular dosa batter, almost like neer dosa batter.
- Add required salt to the batter.
- Switch on the stove, place a kadai and pour the batter in it. Cook on low flame constantly stirring.
- In about 5 minutes the batter will start thickening. Cook for couple of minutes till it forms a single mass. Switch off.
- Remove this from the flame and let it cool down a bit.
To make filling
- Wash and soak the urad dal and channa dal separately for about 1 hour.
- Grind the urad dal to a smooth batter.
- Mix in the rava, soaked channa dal, finely chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, curr leaves and required salt with the batter. The savoury urad dal filling is now ready.
To make Kadubu's
- Pinch out small balls out of the dough and roll it between your palm to make it smooth.
- Place one ball between 2 plastic sheets or banana leaf. Press using your fingers or with a plate to flatten the ball.
- Carefully remove the flattened rice dough from the sheet and place it on a idli plate or any steamer plate. Repeat the same with the remaining dough.
- Spoon in a couple tsp of the prepared filling in one half of the rolled out dough. Close the kadubu's using the other half of the filling. Seal the edges.
- Steam for about 10 minutes. Cool a little before removing the kadubus from the idliplate.
Detailed Steps to make Kara Kadubu
For the outer covering
Soak the raw rice for a minimum of 5 hours, grind the soaked rice to a smooth batter. Remove the batter in a bowl, add some extra water to bring it to a thin consistency like neer dosa batter. Add required salt to the batter and take it in a kadai. Cook on low flame constantly stirring.
In about 5 minutes the batter will start thickening. Cook for couple of minutes till it forms a single mass. Switch off.
Remove this from the flame and let it cool down a bit.
To make filling
Soak the urad dal and channa dal separately for about 1 hour. Grind the urad dal to a smooth batter without any water. Mix in the rava, soaked channa dal, finely chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, curry leaves and required salt with it. The savoury urad dal filling is now ready.
To make Kadubu's
Once the dough has cooled a bit, pinch out small balls out of the dough. Apply some oil in your palm and roll the dough between your palm to make it smooth.
Take one ball and place between 2 plastic sheets or a banana leaf. Press using a plate to flatten the ball.
Carefully remove the flattened rice dough and place it on a idli plate or any steamer plate.
Repeat the same with the remaining dough.
Spoon in a couple tsp of the prepared filling in one half of the rolled out dough.
Close the kadubu's using the other half of the filling. Seal the edges.
Steam for about 10 minutes. I used the idli stand in my pressure cooker for steaming.
Cool for few minutes before removing the kadubus from the idli plates.
Serving Kara Kadubu
- These soft kadubus can be served as a light breakfast or snack with some coconut chutney.
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