Recipe for Rice Pittu - Neivedhyam on fridays during Navarathri

It is very auspicious to make Pittu during Navarathri Fridays.

Ingredients:
Processed Rice Flour - from 4 cups of rice (you will get 2 to 3 cups of rice)
Jaggery - 4 cups
Coconut - 1 no. Big
Cashew Nuts - 20 nos
Thoor Dal - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cardamom - 10 to 12 nos


Method to make Pittu:
In a pan dry roast processed rice flour till it turns slight red in colour. Seive the flour and ensure that there is no lumps formed.  Transfer the bowl to a big shallow basin. Heat 2 cups of water along with salt and turmeirc powder. Let the water be warm.

Grind the thuvar dal to a fine powder. Mix it well with the rice flour. Add the water slowly to the rice flour and mix the entire rice flour slowly. It should be mixed thoroughly by hand ensuring that no lumps are formed. Transfer the entire content to a thin cloth and steam it in cooker. Once done, transfer it to a flat basin. Grate the coconut and mix it well with the steamed rice flour. Grind the cardamom into fine powder and add it to the rice flour. Cut cashew nuts into small pieces. Fry it in a tbsp of ghee till golden brown. Add it to the steamed flour.

In a pan add 1/5th cup of water and jaggery. Make a double string consistency jaggery syrup. Add the syrup little by little to the steamed rice flour. Rub the flour thoroughly with the back of a flat laddle and mix it completely.

Add half cup of liquidified ghee to it. Mix everything thoroughly.

Note:
If the Jaggery is not sweet add 1 or 2 more cups and if it is sweeter reduce 1 cup.

How to make outer cover for Kozhukattais

To make Poorana kozhukattai for Varalakshmi Viratham or Vinayaka Chaturthi one have to get the outer cover ready first.

 Ingredients:
Processed Rice Flour - 4 cups

Salt - 1 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Gingely Oil - 1 tbsp

 (Water should be taken equivalent to the amount of rice flour)

Method:
In a hard bottom pan add water, salt and gingely oil and when the water comes to a boil add the Processed Rice Flour  slowly stirring constantly. Let the flour not form any lumps. Keep stirring using the back of a laddle so that all lumps can be mashed. Keep stirring untill it forms a lump and when all the water gets absorbed.

Remove from flame and transfer it to a white cloth (preferably soft white kitchen towel or veshti piece) and wrap the whole flour. Wrap it and tie the top. When cold open the cloth and knead the flour again and make it 3 parts.

Take small lump of the dough and rub it to a fine ball. Rub gingelly oil in both the hands before making the ball. Make the ball as a cup. Any kind of Pooranam can be kept inside the cup and folded and steamed in pressure cooker.

Note: To make Thengai Poorana Kozhukattai (Coconut Poorana Kozhukattai), it can be made in the form of Modhakam. For other types of Kozhukattais, both the ends can be closed and sealed before steaming.

Cooked Kozhukattai mavu before it is kneaded well 

Cooked Kozhukattai maavu before it is kneaded well

Kneaded Kozhukattai maavu

Choppus made out of the kneaded cooked maavu

How to make processed rice flour at home

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Water - 1 cup

Method: 
Wash and soak rice for about 20 to 30 mins. Drain the water and spread the rice on a clean cloth under fan. Let it dry for almost 4 hours. Dry them in a mixie to a fine powder. If the powder is not fine, use a sieve to get a fine raw rice powder. One can make about 1 1/2 to 1 34th cups of flour.

This powder can be used to make Karadai, bakshanams like Murukku, Thenkuzhal etc 

Processed Raw Rice flour

Soaked raw rice spread in shade

Photos by Vasan Srini