Steamed Rice Balls with Brinjal Gosthu

Steamed Rice balls also known as Upma kozhukattai is one of our family's favourite. It can be taken with sambar or chutney but is delicious with Brinjal gosthu. Upma kozhukattai and Brinjal/eggplant gosthu are made for each other. I have given the recipe for brinjal gosthu also. For preparing Upma kozhukattai, you need rice rava.

Let me go to the recipe

Preparing the rice rava- There are 3 methods to prepare this

Grind rice coarsely like rava/semolina and sieve it.

Soak rice for 20 minutes. Spread it in a cloth to dry and grind it coarsely like rava. Sieve it

If you have a rice mill near your place, you can get it grounded coarsely like rava. Sieve it and store it.

Ingredients needed

Rice Rava - 1 cup
Toor dal -2 tbsp
Red Chillies -3
Coconut - 1/4 cup (grated)
Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

For the seasoning

Mustard -1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - little

Method

Soak toor dal for 30 minutes in hot water. After that, drain the water, grind it coarsely and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. When it splutters, add asafoetida, curry leaves and chillies.

Then add grounded toor dal and sauté for a few minutes.

Add grated coconut and sauté for 3-4 minutes .

Add 2 cups of boiling water, needed salt and add the rice rava slowly, stirring continuously.

Cook till it becomes thick and leaves the side of the pan. Cool it.

Make balls out of it and steam cook for 15- 20 minutes.





Ingredients needed

Brinjal -1/4 kg ( cut it into small pieces/cubes)
Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped
Onion - 4 (medium size) finely chopped
Green chillies - 3
Tamarind - small lemon sized ball
Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tsp

For the seasoning

Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - little

Method

Soak tamarind in 1 1/4 cup of warm water and keep aside.

Heat oil and add the ingredients for seasoning.

Add onions and sauté till it turns transparent.

Add green chillies, brinjals, turmeric powder,salt and sambar powder.

Simmer and cook brinjals till they are three fourth done. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for some more time.

Then add tamarind extract and boil till the raw flavour goes.

You can 1/2 tsp of rice flour mixed with a little water in the end to thicken if needed but not necessary. Garnish with coriander leaves.