MODAKAM / KOZHUKATTAI

The primary sweet dish during Ganesh Chaturthi is modak (modak in Marathi and Konkani, modakam or kudubu in Kannada, Kozhukatta or modakkam in Malayalam and kozhukattai and Modakam in Tamil). A modak is dumpling made from rice or wheat flour, stuffed with grated coconut, jaggery, dried fruits and other condiments and steamed.

Ingredients for coconut,  jaggery pooranam (sweet stuffing)

Melt the jaggery on low flame in 1 table spoon of water.

Filter to remove impurities.

Add the strained jaggery water again in the pan and keep it in flame. When the jaggery water starts to boil, add grated coconut, cardamom powder and stir well continuousely till it roll like a ball.

Add fried gram powder and mix well in the low flame.

This is the correct consistency to remove from flame, transfer to a plate and leave to cool.

Ingredients for Kozhukattai Dough.

Add water and salt to rice flour and mix well without lumps.

Heat the pan and add oil.

Transfer the rice flour mix to the pan and stir continuously in medium flame.

This is the correct consistency, make the dough as non sticky ball and cover with wet cloth till use.

Make small balls out of the pooranam and keep it in a plate.

Take little oil in a bowl and grease palm with oil and then take the kozhukattai dough, make small lemon sized balls, make a cup shape with the dough, keep pooranam ball and close it to make a coconut shape.

Kozhukkattai can be made in half moon shape also.

Arrange the kozhukattai in the idli plates.

Heat water in an idli pot.When the water starts roll boiling, keep the idli plate arranged with kozhukattai and Steam it for 10 minutes.When the kozhukattai becomes shiny and slightly turns its color, its done. Do not remove immediately. Remove after few minutes when it  becomes warm using a flat spoon.