Palm Leaf Kozhukattai(Panai Olai Kozhukattai)

In Southern districts of Tamilnadu it is a traditional practice of making this panai olai kozhukattais on Kaarthigai deepam.This year the Thirukarthigai,main deepam is on 27th of November.Three years earlier when I was new to Tuticorin,I thought the tender palm leaves that were sold during the deepam time was used as a fuel to make the special dishes on that day.I got to know that I was totally wrong when my neighbour aunt gave me a sweet made of rice flour and jaggery and stuffed into it.

 

This food is highly nutritious with a sugar free(Palm Jaggery) ingredient.This dish is prepared by covering the ingredients inside a palm leaf and steam cooking it.

 

Palm Jaggery(Karuppati/pannai vellam) is of great medicinal value too..I started using this from the time I came to Tuticorin ..It is a very good substitute of the white enemy..the Sugar..!!!

 

This is the first time I tried at home and it came out very successfully....I wanted my kids to know about these authentic dishes...They were so excited to have a sweet inside a palm leaf....the palm leaf gave a nice added flavour to the kozhukattai...

 

Wishing all my blog readers

A very  very happy Karthigai Deepam

 

For the recipe please press READ MORE below...

 



 

 

PROCEDURE:

If one doesnt have palm jaggery it can be replaced with normal jaggery.

Heat a pan,add water and then jaggery.let it to dissolve in water completely
Strain it and remove the impurities.
Again add the jaggery water into the pan and heat it

Allow it to boil and reach a syrup consistency(stage before the single string consistency).

Add the dry ginger and cardamom powder

Remove it from the flame and allow it to go warm(don't leave it to become too cold).Then add the rice flour to it and mix well.If it is thick add little hot water and mix it.Let the final dough be that of a roti dough consistency.

Take a palm leaf(wash it nicely)and cut the palm leaves of 10 to 15 cms in length.

In the middle stuff some the dough and flatten it with hand.

Close the palm leaf with the another set of leaf.

Tie them tightly with the thread or from part torn from the palm leaves.

Steam cook it for 15-20 minutes on medium flame

After 15 minutes the kozhukattais are ready to be had.Eat it by removing the palm leaves.

Handy Tip:

• I had used palm jaggery.Instead normal jaggery can be used.
• You can increase the jaggery quantity if you want more sweetness.My measurement yields low sweet as we don't like to have it with more sweetness.

"A very happy Karthigai deepam wishes to all"