Discover Kuzhalappam or rice flour cannoli, a tea time snack recipe from Kerala
Often eaten as either sweet or savoury, this dish can be created in an hour!
The perfect tea time snack, rice flour cannoli or kuzhalappam (natively known in Kerala, India) is a crunchy and tasty fried snack, which can be eaten as a savoury or a sweet. It is a tube-shaped snack and is prepared by frying a mix of ingredients rolled into a dough.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 5 to 6
Ingredients:
- 60 gms grated coconut
- 40 gms shallots
- 15 gms garlic
- 1 tsp cumin (jeera)
- 500 gms dry roasted rice four
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp refined oil
- 470 ml water (to mix the rice flour)
- ½ of one beaten egg
- Salt (as required)
Step 1: In a food processer, add grated coconut, shallots, garlic and cumin with 2 tablespoons of water and grind it to a coarse mix.
Step 2: To a pan, boil water and add a tablespoon of refined oil. Next, add the coarsely ground coconut mix and salt (as required) and then bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and keep it aside.
Step 3: Take the dry roasted rice flour in a heavy pan and add a tablespoon of sesame. Add the coconut mix to it, and the beaten egg as well. Knead it gently with a spoon for few minutes and keep it aside for 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 4: Once the mixture has cooled, knead the mixture well with your hands for another 5 minutes till you get a soft dough.
Step 5: Take a rolling pin and board and cover it with cling film. Lightly grease the surface of the cling film with oil.
Step 6: Pinch small portions of the dough and roll it into marble-sized balls.
Step 7: Place the dough ball on the rolling pin board and cover it with another lightly oiled sheet of cling film.
Step 8: Gently roll it out to a thin round sheet.
Step 9: Remove the cling film from the surface of the dough, and carefully remove the flattened dough ball.
Step 10: Roll it into a cylindrical shape with lightly oiled fingers and seal the edges properly.
Step 11: Heat refined oil in a thick-bottomed pan to fry the 'Kuzhalappam'. Once heated, bring the flame to a medium.
Step 12: Drop the cylindrical dough into the hot oil and fry it till it becomes crispy and light brown, in colour. Stir occasionally for even frying.
Step 13: Remove the 'Kuzhalappam' from the oil with a mesh strainer, and transfer it on to a kitchen tissue paper.
Step 14: Allow it to cool and the store it in an air tight container. Serve and enjoy with a hot cup of tea!
Note:
- For easy preparation use readymade 'Idiyappam podi' instead of 'Roasted rice flour'
- Beaten egg gives more crispness to Kuzhalappam, however it is optional.