Rice Dumplings In Coconut Milk "Paal Kozhukattai"

No I didn't drop off from the face of the earth! I was busy being a dutiful daughter-in-law to my MIL who is visiting for a few months. In the process, I have been learning to make some traditional dishes as well.I will be posting them soon.
This dessert is truly special and instantly transported me to childhood days when grandma used to make this for me and my sister. The dumplings were all made from scratch by yours truly. It started off as an oblong but midway I lost patience and made them as dots.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Thick coconut milk
• 1 cup Skimmed milk
• 1 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Jaggery shavings(Unrefined non-centrifugal Sugar, available in Indian stores as blocks)
• 1/2 cup Cashews
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee(Clarified Butter) or Butter
• 8 cups Water, for cooking the dumplings

For the Dumplings:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp Sugar
• A pinch of Salt

 Procedure:

• Bring a cup of water to a rolling boil along with a tsp of sugar and a pinch of salt. 
• Make a dough out of the rice flour by adding the hot water, little by little. Use hands to make a smooth dough once the dough is ready to be handled by hand.
• Take pea-sized portions of the dough and make them into oblongs or dots. Repeat until all dough is used up.
• Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a stock pot. Add the tiny dumplings in batches. The dumplings will rise to the top once cooked, in approximately 5 minutes.
• Scoop the cooked dumplings out of the water and set aside in a plate.
• Brown the cashews in 1 tbsp of  Ghee/Butter. Set aside.
• Heat a cup of water in a thick bottomed pan. When it starts bubbling, add the jaggery shavings and keep stirring until completely dissolved.
• Add the milk, coconut milk along with cardamom powder to the pan and keep stirring until it slightly thickens.
• Drop the dumplings gently into the pan and cook on low-flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with cashews.

Makes 3-4 Servings.

Notes:

• This dessert can be served cold with additional sugar, if desired.Dumplings get hard after refrigeration.
• More milk may be added at the time of serving

Enjoy!