The rice-lentil flour we use to make Handvo or dhoklas have different rice to dal propositions and dal inclusions across Gujarat. Apart from Handvo and Dhokla numerous other foods get made using this flour blend. This flour provides pleasant aroma and texture to the foods. In an era when such flour blends were not bought but made at home, the homemakers preferred using the best smelling broken, glutinous rice to make this flour. It is assumed that such blends might have come into existence to use up the broken grits of rice resulting after hand-pounding the rice. Like the rice-dal flour blend the Kapuriya recipe also cannot be standardized. Each family has their version of this filling and nourishing preparation which is a light meal.
Kapuriya are steamed dough balls, the initial process is similar to that of Ragi mudde’s. The flour mixed with spices and vegetables is first cooked in buttermilk or water, shaped and then steamed for a good 15-20 minutes.
Any small grained, mildly aromatic, glutinous whole or broken rice will work for this recipe. Masuri is pictured and used here, but it is an improved variety that has “gone desi” so to speak. Read about it in our Rice Library: Masuri.
Kapuriya
Ingredients
For the Kapuriya flour blend
- 1 cup Masuri rice
- ½ cup split pigeon pea toor dal
- ½ cup split benal gram chana dal
- ¼ cup split green gram moong dal
- ¼ cup split black gram urad dal
To make Kapuriya
- 2 cups Kapuriya flour
- 2-3 cups buttermilk or thinned yogurt
- 1 cup fresh whole pigeon peas or green peas, coarsely pulverized in a food processor
- 1 cup grated bottle gourd or potatoes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon oil
- ¼ cup broken cashew
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2-3 teaspoons minced green chilies + ginger
- ¼ cup chopped coriander
Instructions
Make the Kapuriya flour
- Begin by mixing the rice and lentils and washing them until the water runs clean. Lay out a clean muslin cloth, old cotton saree, or dupatta under the sun. Spread the washed rice-lentil mix over the cloth and let it dry for a day or two.
- Alternatively, roast the grains in a kadai until they release a toasty aroma. Cool completely. In a dry grinder, mill the mix to a coarse flour of idli rawa consistency.
To make the Kapuriya
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of Kapuriya flour, grated bottle gourd, minced pigeon peas, baking soda, chili powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt, and oil. Use your hands to mix everything together and set it aside.
- Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium flame, pour 2 ½ cups of buttermilk in it, and bring it to a boil. Season the buttermilk with salt, scatter the prepared flour over it, and mix it with the back of a wooden spoon or thin rolling pin.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes, after which stir it well until the wet mixture comes together and forms a soft dough.
- To this, add cashews, raisins, minced green chilies, ginger, and coriander. Combine properly. Take it off the flame.
Prepare the Kapuriya for steaming
- After the dough has cooled, pinch a big lemon-sized dough ball and shape it like a donut or medu vada. Repeat until you have worked up all the dough.
- Midway through shaping the kapuriya, prepare the steamer and grease the steaming plate.
- Arrange the shaped kapuriya over the steaming plate and steam on medium-high flame for 20 minutes. Check the doneness by inserting a knife. The Kapuriya is done when the knife comes out clean.
- Serve hot with peanut oil and Gujarati achar masala, Gujarati-style sweet mango pickle, and a dip made by mixing coriander chutney with yogurt.
