Fried Rice Flour Pastry with Coconut Filling

Introduction

The dough for these pastries starts by boiling water with jaggery, cinnamon, and ghee, then stirring in rice flour until it reaches a chapati-dough consistency. The filling is shredded fresh coconut cooked with sugar until golden brown, which gives you a sweet, slightly chewy center inside a crisp fried shell. You can serve these as a snack, a dessert, or make them ahead for a larger gathering.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Servings: 16

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 L (8.5 cups) water
• 0.5 kg jaggery or raw sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp powdered cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 1 kg rice flour

Filling

• Ghee
• Shredded fresh coconut flesh
• Sugar

Additional ingredients

• 200 g vegetable oil or ghee
• Sesame seeds
• 200 g vegetable oil or ghee
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Dough: Boil water in a wide-mouth pan. Stir in sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ghee. Slowly and continuously stir in the rice flour. Cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed. The dough should be the consistency of chapati dough. Let cool.
2. Filling: Melt the ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add coconut and sugar. Cook, stirring, until the coconut turns golden brown.
3. Assembly: Knead the cooled rice mixture to make a smooth dough. Make small balls of dough, roll them, and stuff with the fried coconut mixture and sesame seeds.
4. Deep fry the filled pastries in the oil or ghee until golden brown all over.

Variations

• Use jaggery instead of raw sugar in the dough for a deeper, darker sweetness and a slightly earthier flavor.
• Fry the pastries in ghee instead of vegetable oil if you want a richer finish and a more pronounced dairy note.
• Toast the sesame seeds before adding them during assembly to give the filling a stronger nutty flavor.
• Shape the dough into flatter half-moons instead of round stuffed balls if you want more crisp surface area and slightly faster frying.
• Increase the powdered cinnamon in the dough slightly if you want the spice to stand out more against the coconut filling.

Tips for Success

• Stir the rice flour into the boiling liquid slowly and continuously so the dough stays smooth instead of turning lumpy.
• Cook the covered dough just until the water is absorbed; if it still looks wet, it will be hard to roll and stuff cleanly.
• Cook the coconut filling until it is golden and fairly dry, not wet or syrupy, or it may leak during frying.
• Fry in batches and avoid crowding the pan so the pastries brown evenly on all sides.

Storage and Reheating

Store cooled pastries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 1 month.

Reheat in a 180°C / 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in an air fryer for 4 to 6 minutes, until hot and crisp again. A microwave will warm them through, but the shell will soften.

FAQ

Can you use frozen coconut instead of fresh coconut flesh?

Yes. Thaw it fully and squeeze out excess moisture before cooking so the filling browns instead of steaming.

Why is the dough cracking when you roll or stuff it?

That usually means the rice dough has dried out too much or was not kneaded smooth enough after cooling. Knead it while it is still slightly warm and keep the portions covered as you work.

Can you use only vegetable oil and skip the ghee?

Yes. Vegetable oil works for frying and for the filling, and the pastries will taste a little cleaner and less rich.

Can you make these ahead?

Yes. You can shape the pastries a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then fry them just before serving for the crispest texture.