Malabar Kinnathappam

Some sweets make you pause – not because they’re fancy or dramatic, but because they carry a certain softness that’s both on your tongue and in your memory. Kinnathappam, for me, is one of those. A slice of it, still warm or fully set, just melts in the mouth like a quiet secret.

I grew up with kinnathappam as part of special occasions in Kannur – Eid mornings, weddings, or just when someone felt generous with time and ghee. It doesn’t sparkle like halwa or demand attention on a tray, but it always gets picked first. That soft, pillowy texture is unlike anything else – it’s not stretchy or rubbery like Kozhikode halwa, which is made from maida starch and often glistening with oil. Kinnathappam is more subtle, more grounded – it has body from the rice, depth from jaggery, and that unmistakable richness from coconut milk.

What surprises many is how forgiving this sweet is. There’s even a version made from leftover cooked rice – you just grind it to a smooth batter with enough water, mix it with jaggery and coconut milk, and cook it down gently. The result might not be as polished as the one made with fine roasted rice flour, but it has its own rustic charm – softer, maybe slightly denser, but just as comforting.

I always remember the slow stirring, the ghee being added spoon by spoon, and that moment when the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan – a quiet cue that it’s ready. And then the wait – letting it cool, firm up, and settle before cutting. That wait was always the hardest part.

Even now, when I bite into a piece, I think of the old steel mould we used – round, slightly dented, always greased with love. It’s amazing how a dish so simple in appearance can carry so much memory, texture, and tradition in each square.

Print Recipe

0 Add to Favorites

Delicious

Malabar Kinnathappam

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Baking, Simmering Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Snacks, Sweets & Desserts, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Advanced Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 1 hr

Servings: 6

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 cup White Raw Rice
• ¹⁄₄ cup Chana dal
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup Jaggery
• 3 cup Coconut milk (Thin (Randam Paal))
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup Coconut milk (Thick ( Onnam Pal))
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Cardamom powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak 1 cup white raw rice for 2 hours. Drain the water and grind it to a smooth powder using a mixer grinder. Keep it aside.
2. Soak ¼ cup chana dal in water and keep it aside.
3. Extract a total of 4½ cups coconut milk - 1½ cups thick coconut milk (onnam paal) and 3 cups thin coconut milk (randam paal). Set both aside separately.
4. Melt 1½ cups jaggery with ¼ cup water over low heat. Strain the syrup to remove impurities and keep it aside.
5. Dry roast the rice flour gently in a pan for a few minutes on low heat.
6. Slowly add the 3 cups of thin coconut milk to the roasted rice flour while stirring to avoid lumps. Mix until smooth.
7. Add the strained jaggery syrup gradually to the mixture. Stir continuously in only one direction - either clockwise or anticlockwise - to maintain smoothness.
8. Keep stirring the mixture over medium heat until it thickens slightly.
9. Slowly add the 1½ cups of thick coconut milk and mix well to combine.
10. Add the soaked chana dal to the mixture. Continue stirring to avoid lumps.
11. Add ⅓ cup ghee gradually, spoon by spoon, while stirring the mixture continuously.
12. Once the mixture becomes thick again and starts to leave the sides of the pan, add cardamom powder and mix well.
13. Grease a plate or mould with ghee.
14. When the ghee starts separating from the mixture, immediately transfer it to the greased plate or mould and spread it evenly.
15. Allow it to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature.
16. Once cooled, cut into desired pieces and serve.