Kadambuttu

No Kodava wedding or festival is complete without Kadambuttu—gleaming, compact spheres of steamed broken rice that form the quintessential pairing with dark pork curry. Made from coarse rice semolina (tari), the mixture is gently precooked with a dollop of fresh ghee, rolled firmly between damp palms into neat spheres, and steamed inside a cloth-lined steamer. For silky, crack-free dumplings, shape the balls while the cooked rice dough is still pleasantly warm.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Servings: 4–6 (makes 16–20 dumplings)
• Cuisine: Kodava / Kodagu
• Course: Main Course / Steamed Rice Bread

Equipment

• Heavy pot
• Steamer (traditional Syakala or idli steamer)
• Muslin or cheesecloth

Ingredients

• 1 cup broken rice semolina (Kadambuttu Thari / coarse rice grits)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp pure desi ghee
• 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
• Cold water or soft butter for greasing hands during shaping

Method

1. Bring the 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, then stir in the ghee and salt.
2. Gradually pour in the broken rice semolina in a steady, thin stream, whisking constantly with a wooden ladle to ensure no lumps form.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture, stirring continuously, until the water is completely absorbed and the dough leaves the sides and bottom of the pan cleanly.
4. Cover the pot tightly with a lid and let the dough steam in its own trapped moisture on the lowest heat setting for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 3–4 minutes until safe to handle.
6. Dip your palms in cold water (or smear with a touch of butter), take lemon-sized portions of the warm dough, and roll them firmly between your palms into smooth, shiny, crack-free spheres.
7. Line a steamer basket (syakala) with a damp muslin cloth and arrange the shaped dumplings in a single layer with slight gaps between them.
8. Cover with the steamer lid and steam over high heat for 18–20 minutes until the dumplings become glossy and resilient to the touch.

Notes

• Serving Suggestion: Served piping hot with rich Pandhi Curry, Koli Kari, or estate mutton curry (Kuri Kari).
• Storage & Make-Ahead: Best served hot straight from the steamer. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight box for up to 2 days; steam for 5 minutes to restore their soft texture.