Prethika's Space: Uzhuntha Kazhi

Uzhuntha Kazhi is a traditional dish of tamil's.Urad/Uzhuntha Kazhi is a very good source of energy that provides stamina and strength to our bones,and it is given esp to ladies and puberty attained girls to compensate the loss occured in their body.This food is a fullfilling food ,if you have 2 medium balls of uzhuntha kazhi that will make you feel full till the next meal.Gingely oil is added while making this kazhi which gives a nice aroma and taste ,as well as healthy nutrients.

All foods like made with Urad/Uzhunthu like ladoo,payasam,kanji,rice and this kazhi gives a good source of energy to humans.Instead of preferring fastfood menu's make this simple yet a healthy food at home atleast once in a month.

There is a preprocess in making this food,its a simple thing which does not consume much of your useful time.This is nothing but getting the flour ready for the dish.Its just simple.But the only thing for you is to ,grind them in your mixer or ,approach your nearby flour mill.But once you get them ground as fine powder ,your 90% of work is finished.Happy now...

Lets see how i made the flour,Readers please excuse me as i didnt click pics while making this flour.Just go through my instructions you will be able to make it yourself.

Ingredients Needed for making the flour:

Urad Dal - 2 Cups
Elaichi / cardamom - 3 no's
Dry Ginger Stick - 1" inch stiick - 1no

Take 2 Cups of urad dal and dry roast in a heavy bottomed kadai.Roast them until all the dal has turned into golden brown color and transfer the dal to a wide plate and allow to cool.

Next in the same kadai dry roast the cardamom and dry ginger for few seconds and transfer them to the same wide plate for cooling.(Alternatively if you have dry ginger powder,instea of the dry ginger stick, add about 1/4 tsp)

If you prefer grinding in flour mill ,grind them once cooled,But if you do not have an option for flour mill nearby,no worries ,take your mixer and add the dal along with cardomom and dry ginger and grind them when they are warm enough.If you leave them completely cool then grinding would become a tedious process.So grind when they warm , grind atleast 3 times for getting a fine powder and finally sieve them and store it in an airtight container.For those who grnd through flour mill,no need to sieve the flour as it would be already fine powder.

You can store this flour for 2 to 3 months ,if handled properly,ie use only dry spoon/cup to take the flour.

Now its over ,next is my kazhi recipe.

Ingredients

Serves - 2

Urad/Uzhunthu Flour - 1 C
Gingely Oil - 1/4 C or as needed
Palm Jaggery - 1/2 C
Water - 1 C
Coconut pieces - few (optional)

Method

Take the palm jaggery, pound them and add jaggery pieces to a vessel/kadai along with water and let it to boil.Once all the jaggery has been dissolved switch off flame and pass the jaggery syrup through a sieve to remove the dust and sand particles.

In a heavy bottomed kadai add the jaggery syrup and let it boil .If you notice your syrup to be watery allow it to boil for sometime until it has thickned.Add some gingely oil while the syrup is boiling.

Keep your flour ready nearby,Minimize the flame and add the flour and mix well.

Add oil in between stiring the flour with the syrup,Switch off the flame.No need to keep the flame on after adding all the flour.Mix well with the wooden ladle and add the remaining oil.No need to worry of lump formation ,you will get any lumps ,some illusion like lumps will appear.Just keep on mixing until the flour has well incorporated with the syrup.Finally you get a ball like consistency ,if you didnt get such an outcome dont worry ,you can stop it once all has mixed well.

Close with a lid and once it reaches warm temperature .Apply some Gingely oil to your palms and make small balls out of them.Serve warm.You can eat along with coconut pieces ,it enhances the taste too.