Kambu kozhukattai made with simple ingredients, a healthy steamed snack for breakfast or snack. (Kambu in Tamil, Bajra in Hindi, pearl millet in English).

I got this recipe through my co-sis from a magazine supplementary. Since I had kambu in stock after making kambu adai and wanted to make use of it.
First misunderstood this and thought it uses kambu maavu (bajra flour), but realised it is made flour from the whole millet and then made to these kara kozhukattai (dumplings).
Kambu kara kozhukattai tasted really good, I never expected the out come flavor.
It was too good like my easy ulundu kozhukattai only that the texture is different.
Vj too loved it. He loves this millet a lot and so no surprise, him liking this one. I want to try more kambu recipes in future as it turns out really well.
Check out my kozhukattai recipe with kadalai paruppu pooranam.
Click here to read kambu kozhukattai in Tamil
Recipe card
Kambu kozhukattai recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kambu bajra/ peal millet
- 3 tablespoon Coconut chopped
- 3 Green chilli chopped
- 2 teaspoon Ginger chopped
- 3 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
- Salt
To temper
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon urad dal
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash and soak kambu for minimum 3 hours or overnight.
- Drain, spread over a clean cotton towel for the excess water to get absorbed.
- Once the extra moisture is absorbed, transfer to a blender and powder it coarsely.
- Heat a pan with oil and temper with mustard, urad dal and asafoetida followed by curry leaves.
- Add ginger, green chilli, followed by coriander leaves and coconut.
- Stir well for a minute until coriander leaves shrink and add 1 & ½ cups water along with salt. Bring to boil.
- Put in medium flame and add the powdered bajra.
- Stir briskly and cook covered in medium or low flame for 4 minutes.
- Set aside covered for cooling down. Once warm enough to handle, grease your hands with oil.
- Make oblong shapes with the dough prepared, using your hands as shown in the picture.
- You can make round balls too, but this is easy to get steamed.
- Arrange in greased idli plate/ steamer and steam cook for 10 minutes.
Notes
- Use a metal strainer to wash and drain the millet easily.
- You can use grated coconut in place of chopped coconut.
- If the mixture becomes too dry and brittle before making shape for any reason, try adding little more hot water and knead the dough.
- Keep the dough as well as the kozhukattai after steaming covered, to prevent drying.
Stepwise photos
- Wash kambu firstly and soak for minimum 3 hours or overnight. Drain water, spread over a clean cotton towel. Towel absorbs extra water
2. Once the extra moisture is absorbed, transfer to a blender and powder it coarsely.
3. Next, heat a pan with oil and temper with mustard, urad dal and asafoetida followed by curry leaves. After that, add ginger, green chilli, followed by coriander leaves and coconut.
4. Stir well for a minute until coriander leaves shrink and add 1 & ½ cups water along with salt. Bring to boil.
5. Then reduce the flame to medium and add the powdered bajra. Stir briskly and cook covered in medium or low flame for 4 minutes.
6. Set aside covered for cooling down. Once warm enough to handle, grease your hands with oil.
7. After that, make oblong shapes with the dough prepared, using your hands as shown in the picture. You can make round balls too, but this is easy to get steamed.
8. Finally arrange in greased idli plate/ steamer and steam cook for 10 minutes.
Enjoy it hot or warm with mint chutney or kara chutney. I had it with mint thogayal and it was good even as such with the coconut bits the best in it.
Kanaha
Can I use the ready-made flour instead of using the millet.
Raks anand
Hi Kanaha, Sure you can try. May be try reducing 1/4 cup water.
Kanaha
Thanks
Ani Paul
looks healthy,will try it out
Harini Kumarasamy
SUPER RAJI....LAST WEEK I TRIED UR GUR PAPADI SWEET......IT'S SIMPLY SUPER!!!!!!
Sankari
Hi Raji
I am an ardent fan of your site. Whenever I am stuck with what to cook, I either call my mom or refer to your website. Thanks for all the wonderful fool-proof recipes.
I tried this kozhukattai today. It tasted awesome. I used store bought flour and 1:1.25 flour:water ratio. The texture was a little soggy and not firm like yours. Should I reduce the water next time?
Sankari
divya chakrapani
Hi Raji, going to try this week. Absolutely healthy and good for diabetics.
One more request. Can you please post the recipe of pink panner jamun available in sweet shops?
sangeetha narasimhan
Hi Raji, can we prepare this course kambu powder much ahead.?i.e.before some days? If yes, please tell me the procedure? Like how much should we dry out the kambu after soaking?
Raks anand
I think you can do that, dry for an hour and after powdering also, dry the flour in shade in clean kitchen cloth before storing.
sangeetha narasimhan
Hi Raji, tried this today for breakfast.. Turned out awesome.. Thanks a lot for the recipe