It is a traditional south indian dish prepared mostly in prawns. It is also substituted with chicken or meat. The rice gems are cooked in thick coconut gravy and then seasoned with shallots and curry leaves. It is a mouth watering dish and indeed a crowd pleaser.
For Gravy, heat oil, add ginger garlic green chilli paste, saute for a minute. Add onion and saute till cooked well. Add tomato and cook till soft and mushy.
Add spice powders, salt and mix till raw smell fades. Add chicken pieces and mix well. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Add 2 cups of hot water, mix well, cover and cook till chicken is cooked.
For Coconut Masala Mix, heat vessel, add coconut and whole spices, mix well. Add shallots and mix well. Cook till everything is half cooked. Turn off the flame, add turmeric powder, mix well and allow it to cool.
Blend the coconut mix to a coarse paste adding little water at a time.
For Rice Gems, to the water, add 3 to 4 tbsp of coconut masala mix, salt and mix well. Heat water and bring it to a boil, reduce flame, add rice flour and stir continuously to make it to a dough for 2 mins. Remove from flame and let it warm.
Wet your hands and knead to a soft dough, make logs and keep.
Take a small portion of dough from the log, roll within your palms and pinch out a small piece from it and roll to a small dumplings and press down with in your palm or using your finger. Contiue until everything is done.
Now from the prepared rice gems, steam half of the gems for 5 mins on medium flame.
Meanwhile, separate the chicken from the gravy and transfer the gravy to heavy deep bottom vessel, add the coconut masala mix, 1 cup of boiling water, mix well and bring to a boil. Check Salt.
While it is boiling, add the uncooked rice gems and stir continuously for 5 minutes on medium flame, so that the bottom of the vessel doesnot burn.
Once the rice gems are cooked, add the steamed rice gems and mix further. Stir and cook continuously for another 3 minutes. Add chicken pieces and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes and remove from flame.
For seasoning, heat oil, add shallots and saute, add curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the seasoning to the rice gems and mix well. Serve hot with a glass of ginger plain tea.
