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rice flour no oil snack

​Soft & Spongy Traditional Kalathappam

​A delicious and traditional South Indian sweet snack made with raw rice, jaggery, and aromatic spices, fried or baked to perfection with crispy caramelized shallots and coconut bits.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Kerala, south indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ​For the Batter:
  • ​Raw Rice Pacharisi: 1 cup (soaked)
  • ​Cooked Rice: 3 tbsp
  • ​Jaggery: 300 gm melted and filtered
  • ​Cardamom Powder: ½ tsp
  • ​Cumin Seed Powder: ½ tsp
  • ​Salt: A pinch to taste
  • ​Baking Soda: ¼ tsp
  • ​Water: As required
  • ​For Tempering & Flavor:
  • ​Shallots Small Onions: ¼ cup (sliced)
  • ​Coconut Bits Thenga Kottu: As required
  • ​Ghee: 1 tsp

Equipment

  • Grinder / Mixer Jar (for grinding the batter)
  • Heavy-bottom pan or Kalathappam pan (vessel for cooking)
  • Small frying pan (for tempering shallots and coconut bits)
  • ​Spatula

Method
 

  1. ​Prepare the Rice Batter: Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice. Grind the soaked raw rice along with 3 tablespoons of cooked rice and required water into a smooth, flowing batter.
  2. ​Add Jaggery Syrup: Melt 300 grams of jaggery with a little water, strain to remove impurities, and let it cool. Mix this jaggery syrup thoroughly into the ground rice batter.
  3. ​Add Spices & Leavening: Add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin seed powder, a pinch of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the batter. Mix well until smooth.
  4. ​Sauté Garnish: Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a small pan, roast the coconut bits until golden brown, and add the sliced shallots. Sauté until they turn deep golden and crispy.
  5. ​Cook the Kalathappam: Pour the batter into a greased pan or traditional vessel, top it with the fried shallots and coconut bits, and cook/bake it on low-medium heat until soft, spongy, and well-cooked inside.

Video

Notes

ice Soaking: Make sure to soak the raw rice for at least 3 to 4 hours so it grinds into a very smooth batter.
​Jaggery Filtering: Always filter the melted jaggery to remove dust and small stone impurities before mixing it into the batter.
​Consistency: The batter should have a smooth, flowing consistency similar to Dosa or Cake batter. Do not make it too watery.
​Cooking Heat: Cook on a low to medium flame with a lid on so that the inside cooks thoroughly without burning the bottom.