5 Kozhukattai recipes for Ganesha Chathurthi

It’s been quite a while since I posted to this blog; if you’ve been visiting this blog regularly, please accept my apologies. To make up for my mistakes I have got some sweet news for you. The festival season has begun in India and it goes on till next year’s Pongal festival.

Update: Download these Kozhukattai recipes as a PDF file (Right click on the link and click “save target as..” in your browser. You will need Adobe PDF reader to view this file. Print or read at your convenience and try these recipes.

Oh I promised something sweet right? Ganesha Chaturthi (Vinayaka Chaturthi) festival is round the corner and it’s time for delicious Kozhukattai’s again.

Kozhakattai is a sweet rice dumpling dish prepared on special occasions in South India and on Ganesha festival it is a must on the menu.

Also known as Kadubu in Karnataka ; there are other variations to Kozhukattai - Modak in North Indian states and Modagam in Tamil Nadu. Modak is round-shaped while the delicious Kozhukattai is in the shape of a snail

Tradition has it that Ganesha’s favorite food was the Modak and therefore these sweets along with other dishes are offered to Him during the festival.

Like all children (and children at heart), Sweets during any festival are the fastest eaten and I confess that my home, I’m the first to finish off the Kozhukattais.

Whether you’re a fan of Indian sweets or want to make the perfect Kozhukattais, there are 5 recipes below. Included is the sweet version with coconut and sesame fillings, a vegetable version and a Payasam (Kheer). All varieties of Kozhukattais usually have a central filling (sweet or spicy). The sweet filling is called Puranam in Tamil.

These recipes from my mother, have been tested and adapted from the Tamil magazine ‘Aval Vigadan’ and a book from South Indian professional cook, Mrs Mallika Badrinath; my thanks to them as well.

Share your recipes for Ganesha Chathurti using this form in the main site or leave your feedback.

Kozhukattai (Sweet) / Kadubu / Modak

For the rice covering:

• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Water - 1 1/4 cup
• For the coconut filling:
• Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup
• Grated white jaggery - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - a little
• Roasted Gram Powder - 1 tablespoon

How to make / Method

Preparing the coconut filling / Puranam:

2. Grate white portion of fresh coconut.
3. Put the grated coconut in a mixer and run it with a dry grinding blade for fine & even grinding.
4. Mix grated jaggery to this and heat it in a pan, stirring regularly till the jaggery melts completely.
5. When the mixture becomes thick, add roasted Dhal Powder and cardamom powder.
6. Remove from the fire and allow it to cool before using it in the Kozhukattai.

Preparing rice covering:

2. Heat water in a heavy Kadai with salt and oil
3. When it starts to boil, reduce the flame and pour the rice flour in the center in a heap.
4. Insert a ladle (spoon) and close the Kadai with a lid leaving a little gap where you have placed the ladle.
5. Cook in reduced flame for about 10 minutes
6. Switch off the stove and then quickly stir the dough taking care to avoid forming lumps.
7. Allow the dough the become lukewarm.
8. Knead the dough well using a little water for help (Sprinkle on the dough if necessary)
9. Apply oil to your hands and take out a small amount of dough in your hands (amount just less than that of Pooris)
10. Make lemon sized balls out of the dough.
11. Using your thumb and forefingers, flatten the edges first and gradually shape it like a cup while carefully turning and pressing with equal pressure on all sides.
12. Keep a little coconut filling inside and fold it to seal well, pressing down to form a plait-like design.
13. Arrange a few of these on a greased Idli plate and steam them in a pressure cooker or Idli vessel for 7 to 10 minutes.
14. Serve hot with other dishes on Ganesha Chaturthi or enjoy it seperately

Note:

For making modak (modagam), instead of the shaped described in step 10, make it into a rounded shape and then style the edges like a plait.

Sesame (Till Seeds) Kozhukattai

Ingredients

• White Sesame Seeds - 1 cup
• Grated Jaggery - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - a little

Method

2. Dry roast the sesame seeds until it puffs up and turns golden. Roast about 1/4 cup at a time
3. Pound the seeds well until it is mashed and forms a powder.
4. Add jaggery and pound together with the sesame seeds till it is properly mixed.
5. Add a little cardamom powder at the end.
6. Use this a filling with the Kozhukattais prepared with rice flour

Note:

Use the same ingredients and method for making the rice covering given in the Kozhukattai) recipe above

Rice and Sugar Kozhakattai

Note:

Prepare the rice flour dough (covering) as given in the Sweet Kozhakattai recipe.

Ingredients

• Grated Coconut - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom Powder - a little

How to make / Method

2. Mix rice flour, coconut (grated), sugar and cardamom. Sprinkle some water and make a smooth dough
3. Make small balls from this dough and make a shape like that of a modak (modagam). Using your fingers press in the center till a circular shape is formed. Shape the edges like a plait
4. Arrange these in a greased plate (Idli plate) and steam in a pressure cooker or Idli vessel for 7 to 10 minutes
5. Serve hot

(Photo: Kozhakattai and Sweet Pooranam filling seen above)

Vegetable Kozhakattai

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4
• Carrot - 1
• Beetroot - 1
• Cabbage - 50 grams
• Beans - 50 grams
• Cauliflower - 1 small
• Ginger - 1 piece
• Onions - 2
• Green Chillies - 8 small
• Lemon - a small one
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
• Urad Dhal - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - to taste
• Curry Leaves - a few
• Coriander leaves - a small bunch

How to make / Method:

2. Wash all the vegetables
3. Chop them into small pieces
4. Steam all the vegetables
5. Heat oil in a pan. Put mustard seeds, Urad dhal, Green chillies, ginger, onions, coriander leaves and fry for a little while.
6. Then add the steamed vegetables, salt & fry them for 5 minutes.
7. Add lemon juice and mix well. The vegetable filling is now ready.
8. Make rice flour Kozhukattais like the one given in the Sweet Kozhukattai recipe
9. Keep a little vegetable filling inside and fold it to seal well.
10. Arrange on a greased plate and cook in a steam pressure cooker for about 7 to 10 minutes
11. Serve hot.

Milk Kozhukattai Payasam

Note

: prepare the rice flour dough as given in the sweet Kozhukattai recipe. Do not make the shape like that for Sweet Kozhukattai.

Ingredients

• Milk - 1/2 literSugar - 1 1/ cup
• Cardamom powder - a little
• Fried Cashewnuts - 10
• Ghee - 4 teaspoon

How to make / Method

2. Make small balls with the rice flour dough, steam it in a greased plated for 7 to 10 minutes (if you haven’t already done so).
3. Bring the milk to a boil and add sugar to it
4. When the sugar dissolves completely, add steamed Kozhukattai balls and caradamom powder.
5. Add fried cashewnut pieces
6. Serve hot with lunch

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Update: Download these Kozhukattai recipes as a PDF file (Right click on the link and click “save target as..” in your browser. You will need Adobe PDF reader to view this file. Print or read at your convenience and try these recipes.

5 more recipes for Ganesha Chaturthi and other festivals

History and tradition of Ganesha festival

Try these recipes for this Ganesha festival or any other forthcoming festival and impress everyone with your special cooking skills

Share your recipes for Ganesha Chaturthi using this form in the main site or leave your feedback.