Rice Flour Dumplings
These traditional Parsi-style rice flour dumplings offer a unique, comforting texture similar to a sweet gnocchi or dense pudding. The dough is created by cooking rice flour in milk with rich butter and sugar, then enriched with eggs to create a soft, pillowy consistency. Once poached, these delicate dumplings serve as a satisfying tea-time snack or a light, milky dessert that highlights the subtle sweetness of the rice.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Rice flour (Use fine rice flour (washed/wet flour preferred for authenticity).)
- 2 cups Whole milk (Originally '1/2 seer'. Divided use.)
- 4 tablespoons Butter or Ghee (Originally '5 tolas'. Can use sweet ghee or butter.)
- 1/4 cup Sugar (Originally 'Navtank' (approx 2 oz).)
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Use a flat teaspoon.)
- 4 cups Water (For boiling/poaching the dumplings (quantity estimated).)
Instructions
- 1Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Using a fork or whisk, beat the egg whites vigorously until they form stiff, white peaks.
- 2In a heavy-bottomed pot (tinned vessel), place the rice flour. Gradually add about 1/2 cup (1 pasher) of the milk to the flour, mixing thoroughly to moisten it evenly.
- 3Bring the remaining milk to a boil. Pour the boiling milk into the flour mixture. Add the butter (or ghee), sugar, and salt. Place the pot over low heat (embers) and cook, stirring constantly ('dhunya karvu'), until the mixture thickens into a stiff dough.
- 4Remove the dough from the heat. Once slightly cooled but still warm, mix in the egg yolks and fold in the stiff egg whites until fully incorporated and the dough is smooth.
- 5Fill a shallow, wide pan with water and bring to a boil. Form the dough into dumpling shapes. Drop them into the boiling water and cook until they are firm and float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon.