RICE/ARISI UPMA KOZHUKATTAI

    Rice/Arisi Upma Kozhukattai is one of the popular tiffin items in a Brahmin household. This is a simple recipe made with coarsely ground rice, which is called as NOI ARISI. The only work in terms of this tiffin item is soaking the raw rice, and then drying it indoor for a few hours until all the moist is gone, then pulsing it in a dry mixer grinder jar into a coarse rice powder a.k.a kurunai like texture.  Once you have the coarsely ground rice/noi(small tit bits), then the job gets easier.

    The coarsely ground rice is then cooked along with seasoning, once it is 3/4 cooked we need to make small balls out of it and then again it is steam cooked. This is a simple twist given to the classic brahmin dish Arisi Upma, where the Noi Arisi is well cooked and served as such.  Arisi Upma Kozhukattai taste great with sambar and chutney.  It is usually served as a breakfast item or as an evening tiffin.  This is a simple dish, with very few ingredients.  But the taste and flavour of this dish is quite unique. 

 
     I learnt this recipe from our neighbour aunty, Bhuvana's Amma.  She prepares something for evening tiffin,  almost every day, ammini kozhukattai, aval upma, pidi kozhukattai, mor kazhi - a long list of simple tiffin items.   She always treats me with her specialties, every evening, along with her wonderful Filter Coffee. And this recipe is from her repertoire.  

   I need to mention Anu, my long forgotten friend and neighbour who also makes wonderful Arisi Upma Kozhukattai.  Some recipes remind me of a few people, and this recipe reminds of Anu and Bhuvana's Amma.

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Cuisine : South Indian
Course : Main Course
Difficulty : Medium
Serves : 3-4
Yields : 15 No's
Author : SM

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HOW TO MAKE RICE / ARISI UPMA KOZHUKATTAI

RICE / ARISI UPMA KOZHUKATTAI

INGREDIENTS:

To make Arisi:

For Arisi Upma Kozhukattai:

RICE / ARISI UPMA KOZHUKATTAI

 METHOD:

To make Noi Arisi:

• Soak the raw rice for 15 mins in water. 
• After 15 mins, drain the water and spread the rice in a clean kitchen towel and allow it to dry completely. 
• Can dry the Rice indoor under a fan.
• Once the rice is dry, grind the rice coarsely in a dry mixer grinder jar.  
• Just pulse it once or twice. It should not be ground into a fine powder.
• Noi Arisi is ready for use.
  

For Arisi Upma Kozhukattai:

• Boil 21/2 Cups of Water and keep it aside. 
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter Mustard seeds, Bengal Gram Dhal and Black Gram Dhal.
• Fry them until they turn into golden brown colour on a low flame.
• Add finely chopped Green Chillies, Ginger and Curry Leaves and sauté for a while.
• Sprinkle asafoetida powder and give a quick stir.
• Add grated coconuts and fry for a few seconds on a very low flame.
• Pour the water into the above mix, add salt and mix well. 
• Add a Teaspoon of ghee to the water.
• Add the coarsely ground rice gradually into the boiling water, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
• Lower the flame and cover the pan with a lid.
• Cook the rice, stirring it occasionally.
• Once the mix becomes thick and dry, switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• Make small balls out of the arisi upma mix and steam cook in a steamer for about 5-8 minutes or until well cooked.
  
• Serve Arisi Upma Kozhukattai hot with Brinjal Gothsu, Sambar, Puli Kuzhambu or any preferred Chutney. 

NOTES:

• Do not grind the rice into fine powder, it should be ground coarsely like a kurunai.  Just a pulse or two in a dry mixer grinder jar would do the job.
• Adding some ghee or oil to the boiling water before adding the rice mixture helps to avoid forming lumps. Also, make sure to stir the mixture continuously.
• Adding Coconut is totally optional.
• The whole cooking process happens in two steps - 3/4 while it's cooked with the tempering and 1/4 of the cooking happens while the Arisi Upma Kozhukattai is steamed.