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Kadambuttu
Steamed rice and coconut balls
ಕಡಂಬಿಟ್ಟು: steamed balls of broken rice and coconut from Kodagu, eaten with spicy curries
Kadambuttu are the steamed rice balls of Kodagu (Coorg), made in every Kodava home for breakfast and in great heaps for Puttari, the rice harvest festival in late November or early December. Broken rice is cooked to a thick porridge with coconut, rolled into balls and steamed, so they're dense, slightly sticky and mild, the perfect sponge for a fiery curry; at home they go with pandi curry, but a spicy kadala or mushroom curry works beautifully too. A common mistake is using whole rice flour or fine semolina; you need coarse broken rice, or the balls turn gluey. Chef's tip: wet your palms between each ball so the dough stays smooth and doesn't crack.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ⅛ oz fresh grated coconut
- 1 tsp coconut oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 2 cups water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp coconut oil to a boil in a heavy pan.
4 minStep 2: Lower the heat and pour in 9 oz coarse rice rava (broken rice) in a thin stream, stirring all the time so no lumps form. Add 2 ⅛ oz fresh grated coconut.
3 minStep 3: Cook on low, stirring, until the mix is very thick, leaves the sides of the pan and the rava is half-cooked, 6–8 minutes. Cover and rest 10 minutes.
15 minStep 4: While still warm, wet your hands and roll into 12 smooth balls the size of a small orange.
8 minStep 5: Steam over boiling water for 20–25 minutes until glossy and firm and a knife comes out clean. Serve hot with curry.
22 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kadambuttu take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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