Kuzhalappam

Pipe-shaped savoury cookies with a hint of black sesame add a crunch to your teatime!

Ingredients

2 cups coconut, finely grated

1½ kg fine rice flour

1½ tsp cumin seeds

1¼ cup button onions

2 tsp garlic cloves

Salt to taste

2 tsp sesame seeds

Coconut oil or refined vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

Mix half the grated coconut into the rice flour lightly with the fingers to make a mixture free of lumps. Set aside

Extract 1/2 cup milk from the remaining coconut.

Grind cumin seeds, button onions and garlic cloves to a fine paste. Dissolve the ground paste and salt in coconut milk.

Roast the coconut and rice flour mixture over a low flame in a heavy vessel, till fairly dry. Sprinkle the coconut milk over and continue stirring, till steam rises from the flour.

Remove from fire and knead well, adding enough water to form soft dough.

Knead the sesame seeds into the dough, cover with a damp cloth and set aside for half an hour . 

Divide the dough into small portions the size of large marbles. 

Roll the dough into thin circles. On wax paper or greased banana leaves. 

Wrap the rolled out dough around a greased rod and press the overlapping edges together to form a small curl. Slide it off the rod. Repeat till all the dough is used up.

Deep fry, cool and store in airtight containers.

 

Notes

The dough should be well kneaded for crisp kuzhalappams. When rolling out the dough, make only as many curls as can be fried at a time.