Kozhukattai (Indian Steamed Rice Cake)
Soft, fluffy steamed cakes made from rice flour, yogurt, and grated coconut—a beloved South Indian breakfast or snack. Perfectly light, mildly sweet, and ready in under 40 minutes.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 3g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rice flour
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- ½ cup fresh grated coconut (unsweetened)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 whole cardamom pods, crushed
- 4 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil, divided
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- 1
Fill a pot with 2 inches of water and place a metal steamer rack or trivet inside; bring the water to a boil over high heat while you prepare the batter, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Crush the 4 cardamom pods by placing them on the counter and pressing down hard with the bottom of a drinking glass until the green shells crack and split open.
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, yogurt, grated coconut, sugar, salt, and crushed cardamom seeds (discard the shells), stirring with a wooden spoon until evenly blended.
- 4
Pour the water into the flour mixture and stir until the batter is smooth and pours easily, like thick pancake batter—there should be no dry flour streaks.
- 5
Lightly grease 8 small ceramic or metal cups or molds (each about 1/3 cup) with 0.5 tablespoon of ghee, swirling it inside to coat the bottom and sides evenly.
- 6
Divide the batter evenly among the 8 greased cups, filling each one about three-quarters full; leave some headroom because the cakes will puff up slightly as they steam.
- 7
Place the filled cups on the steamer rack inside the boiling water, making sure none of them touch the water itself—the steam cooks them, not boiling water.
- 8
Cover the pot with a lid and steam over medium-high heat until a toothpick inserted into the center of one cake comes out completely clean with no wet batter clinging, about 12–15 minutes.
- 9
Turn off the heat and carefully remove each steamed cake from its cup by running a thin knife around the inside edge, then inverting it onto a clean plate or serving dish.
- 10
Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute, then drizzle evenly over the warm kozhukattai and serve immediately.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot with lid
- metal steamer rack or trivet
- 8 small ceramic or metal cups (1/3 cup each)
- large mixing bowl
- wooden spoon
- toothpick
- thin knife
- small skillet
- serving plates
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