Chakkoli or Dumplings and Chicken in Coconut Sauce

A traditional recipe which hasn’t yet lost it’s identity, one of my family favorites…

A dish very close to my taste buds as I grew up having this on every special occasions and during all family gatherings. This is often made by my grandma, my mom and my aunts, surprisingly all of them make this particular dish so perfectly. This recipe has been passed down for generations in my family. My mom used to make this often and so I never actually missed this or never had the craving for having this. But as soon as I was away from my mom, I got the frequent craving for eating this. I couldn’t rush to any restaurants to have this as it’s not served in any restaurants here and not even in India. There was no other way but make it by myself in my kitchen. To satisfy my taste buds, I tried making this four years ago for the first time and it turned out to be a big hit. Since then I make this whenever I get the craving.

The origin of this dish is definitely from South India, it’s popular in some parts of Tamil Nadu and in kerala (Malabar and Cochin). It’s is known as chakkoli in Tamil Nadu and Trivandrum, and as Thakkidi in Malabar.

You need to spare some time to make this as it involves few steps, like making the rice dumpling, cooking the chicken and finally combining the dumplings and chicken in a coconut sauce. The making of dumplings might be little tiresome, but the best part is if you have kids they are going to volunteer in making this as they find it really fun playing with the rice dough, believe me I used to do this when I was a kid.

Today, on the Eid day I couldn’t think of any better dish than this and so made this. I felt as if all my family members were sitting with me around the dining table enjoying this dish. This dish made my Eid special and homely.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Eid celebration with family and friends.

Here is the picture of Chakkoli made with shrimp

Chakkoli with chicken:

Ingredients:

For making the dough:

• Rice flour- 1 1/2 cups
• Water- 1 1/2 cups
• Salt- 2 pinches

Cooking the Dumpling:

• Small dough rounds already prepared
• Water- 3 cups
• Vegetable Oil- 2 tbsp

For cooking Chicken

• Chicken, bone-in, cut small- 12 pieces (or use shrimp- 20-25)
• Garam Masala- 1 tsp
• Chili powder- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Fennel powder- 2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Curry leaves- 6 leaves
• Salt- 1/4 tsp

Making coconut sauce

• Coconut, grated- 1 cup
• Fennel powder- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon stick- 2 inch slice
• Water- 1/2 cup

For seasoning (must do)

• Small onions, chopped- 1/4 cup
• Curry leaves- 10 leaves
• Ghee- 2tbsp

Instruction:

Step1: Making the Dough

• Boil water in a wide cooking pot, add salt.
• As soon as the water boils, add the rice flour and combine it with a wooden spoon, remove from the stove.

• Let it cool down a little, but don’t wait to cool it completely.
• Using your hands, knead the dough well.

• If the dough is hard, sprinkle little water and knead the dough.
• Make small rod shapes out of the dough.

• Grease your hands with little oil.
• Take an inch long of the dough and make into round shape by rolling in between your palms.
• Make a depression on the middle of the dough with your finger.

Repeat this procedure until you have the entire dough made into small rounds, keep aside.

Step 2: Cooking the dumpling:

• Place a wide pot over medium heat, add 3 cups of water and oil to it.
• When it comes to a rolling boil, add the already prepared small rice doughs.

• Let it cook for 20 minutes, stirring gently making sure not to break the dumplings.
• After 20 minutes of cooking, the water will thicken and the dumplings are cooked well.

• Remove the pot from the stove and keep aside.

Step 3: Cooking the chicken:

• Wash the chicken under running water. (Or use shrimp)
• Add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, fennel powder, coriander powder and curry leaves to the chicken (or shrimp) and spread it evenly.
• If you are using shrimp, cook the marinated shrimp in a large pan till it has cooked well.

• If using chicken, place a pressure cooker over medium flame, add the chicken spread with all the spices into the cooker.
• Close the cooker and put the whistle on, cook for 2 whistles or until chicken is cooked through.

Step 4: Making the Coconut sauce:

• Grind the coconut along with fennel powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon stick and water into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Combining the dumpling with chicken and coconut sauce.

• Add the cooked chicken or cooked shrimp to the already prepared dumpling in a wide pot.

• Combine everything gently.
• Now, add the coconut sauce, combine well and cook for a few minutes.

• If the sauce is watery turn the heat to high and let the sauce thicken.

Step 5: Final seasoning:

• Heat a frying pan, add ghee, fry small onions and curry leaves in it.

• Add this over the cooked chakkoli and combine everything well.

• Immediately close the chakkoli in the pot with its lid so that the aroma of the fried onions will get into the dish.

• Let it cool down and serve the chakkoli in a plate.

• This is a complete meal and you don’t need anything to go with this.

PS: This dish tastes better the next day, refrigerate any leftovers and feel the difference in the taste.

Tips:

• Chakkoli tastes even more better when made with shrimp or prawns.
• You could also make this with shrimp goat meat or beef. My favorite is with shrimp.
• Don’t avoid the final seasoning with fried onions and curry leaves, this enhances the taste of the chakkoli greatly.

Chakkoli or Dumplings and Chicken or Shrimp in Coconut Sauce

 

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Ingredients

For making the dough

• Rice flour- 1½ cups
• Water- 1½ cups
• Salt- 2 pinches

Cooking the Dumpling

• Small dough rounds already prepared
• Water- 3 cups
• Vegetable Oil- 2 tbsp

For cooking Chicken

• Chicken, bone-in, cut small- 12 pieces (or use shrimp- 20-25 no's)
• Garam Masala- 1 tsp
• Chili powder- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Fennel powder- 2 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Curry leaves- 6 leaves
• Salt- ¼ tsp

Making coconut sauce

• Coconut, grated- 1 cup
• Fennel powder- 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
• Cinnamon stick- 2 inch slice
• Water- ½ cup

For seasoning (must do)

• Small onions, chopped- ¼ cup
• Curry leaves- 10 leaves
• Ghee- 2tbsp

Instructions

Step1: Making the Dough

1. Boil water in a wide cooking pot, add salt.
2. As soon as the water boils, add the rice flour and combine it with a wooden spoon, remove from the stove.
3. Let it cool down a little, but don't wait to cool it completely.
4. Using your hands, knead the dough well.
5. If the dough is hard, sprinkle little water and knead the dough.
6. Make small rod shapes out of the dough.
7. Grease your hands with little oil.
8. Take an inch long of the dough and make into round shape by rolling in between your palms.
9. Make a depression on the middle of the dough with your finger.
10. Repeat this procedure until you have the entire dough made into small rounds, keep aside.

Step 2: Cooking the dumpling

1. Place a wide pot over medium heat, add 3 cups of water and oil to it.
2. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the already prepared small rice doughs.
3. Let it cook for 20 minutes, stirring gently making sure not to break the dumplings.
4. After 20 minutes of cooking, the water will thicken and the dumplings are cooked well.
5. Remove the pot from the stove and keep aside.

Step 3: Cooking the chicken

1. Wash the chicken under running water. (Or use shrimp)
2. Add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, fennel powder, coriander powder and curry leaves to the chicken (or shrimp) and spread it evenly.
3. If you are using shrimp, cook the marinated shrimp in a large pan till it has cooked well.
4. If using chicken, place a pressure cooker over medium flame, add the chicken spread with all the spices into the cooker.
5. Close the cooker and put the whistle on, cook for 2 whistles or until chicken is cooked through.

Step 4: Making the Coconut sauce

1. Grind the coconut along with fennel powder, turmeric powder, cinnamon stick and water into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
2. Combining the dumpling with chicken and coconut sauce.
3. Add the cooked chicken or cooked shrimp to the already prepared dumpling in a wide pot.
4. Combine everything gently.
5. Now, add the coconut sauce, combine well and cook for a few minutes.
6. If the sauce is watery turn the heat to high and let the sauce thicken.

Step 5: Final seasoning

1. Heat a frying pan, add ghee, fry small onions and curry leaves in it.
2. Add this over the cooked chakkoli and combine everything well.
3. Immediately close the chakkoli in the pot with its lid so that the aroma of the fried onions will get into the dish.
4. Let it cool down and serve the chakkoli in a plate.
5. This is a complete meal and you don't need anything to go with this.

PS: This dish tastes better the next day, refrigerate any leftovers and feel the difference in the taste.

Notes

Chakkoli tastes even more better when made with shrimp or prawns.
You could also make this with shrimp goat meat or beef. My favorite is with shrimp.
Don't avoid the final seasoning with fried onions and curry leaves, this enhances the taste of the chakkoli greatly.

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