kozhukattai recipe/ modak recipe

vinayaga chaturti is the birthday of lord ganesha which is celebrated in a grand manner in India.It is  a hindu festival and also my favorite god.  I have a wide collection of vinayagar idols and pics. I still love buying idols make of clay and the colorful umbrellas.
kozhukattai is a favorite dish of lord ganesha. It is made with rice flour, coconut and jaggery stuffing. my mom makes varieties of kozhukattais and I am sharing the one I love the most.
I am also sharing with you the method to prepare the rice flour for making kozhukattai.  the kolukattai will be hard if you use store bought rice flour.  either you have to prepare it at home or you must buy rice flour sold specially for making kolukattais.


How to prepare rice flour for making kozhukattai


  1. Wash the rice well and soak it for about 2 to 3 hours.  If needed the rice can be soaked for just about an hour, but the longer it soaks, the smoother flour it yields. Ideally about 3 hours would be prefect. 
  2. Drain the water entirely and then spread the rice on a clean kitchen cloth.  spread the rice with your hands so that it is in a thin layer.
  3. Let it remain like this for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Make sure that the rice drying in shade and not in sun. 
  4. After about 15 minutes, check the rice with your hands. It should have lost all its moisture but still be little wet to feel.  Make sure you don't dry it entirely.  The rice should have a hint of moisture in it.
  5. Now transfer this to the blender jar and grind until smooth.
  6. use a jalada and sift the flour.  If there is a lot of coarse rice left, then transfer it to the blender again and grind/ shift once again.
  7. If using right away or in couple of days, then you don't have to do anything.  If you are going to store it for few days, then it is advisable to roast the flour for a few minutes to dry it out.  This helps increase its shelf life.  Roast the rice flour for about 5-7 minutes.  It need not change color, but just get warm.
  8. Let it cool down to room temperature. Now rice flour for kozhukatti is ready.
Ingredients needed 

1.Rice flour - 1 cup 
2.Oil - 1 tsp
3.Jaggery - 1 cup
4.Coconut - 1 cup grated 
5.Chana dal  - 1/2 cup
6.Cardamom powder  - 1/4 tsp
7.Ghee - 1 tsp

How to prepare stuffing for kozhukattai
Melt the jagery on low flame in half a cup of water and filter to remover impurities.
  1. Heat jaggery water and when it starts boiling, add grated coconut, boiled chana dal and  mix well. 
  2. Add a tsp of ghee and cook until it starts to thicken.
  3. Add cardamom powder and mix well. As the stuffing cools, it will thicken further.  so you can switch it off a stage bedore that.  See it that you can make balls out of it.  if not  cook for few more minutes.  Now the stuffing for kozhukattai is ready .  Allow the stuffing to cool and make small balls out of it and keep it aside. 
Now our stuffing and the rice flour dough for making the kozhukattais are ready.

How to prepare rice dough for kozhukattai recipe
  1. In another kadai or pan take 1.5 cups of water. Add 1/4 tsp ghee or oil.  place the pan on a stove top on a medium to high flame.
  2. Add 1/4 tsp salt.
  3. let the water come to a rolling boil. 
  4. Reduce the flame to a low and then add 1 cup rice flour gradually.
  5. Quickly begin to stir and mix all of the rice flour with water.
  6. Stir till the rice flour is mixed with the water.  mix very well and switch off the flame.
  7. Keep the pan down on the kitchen. cover the pan with a lid and keep for 4 to 5 minutes.
  8. After  4 to 5 minutes remove the lid.  check the hotness of the rice dough by touching it with clean fingers.
  9. If the dough is warm or slightly hot, then begin to knead it.  though take care not to burn your fingers.  You can also place the dough in a tray or a plate and then knead.
  10. Knead to a smooth and soft dough.  Then cover the dough with a cotton cloth.  now allow the dough to rest for 10 to 12 minutes.
  11. Then make small balls from the dough.  The rice dough balls should be smooth.  some may get cracks, so just rub a bit of water on your palm and shape them into balls again which will ger rid of the cracks.
Assembling and stuffing the sweet kozhukattai
  1. Take the dough ball and gently flatten it with your fingers.  keep the edges thin and the center slightly thick.
  2. place the flattened dough on a plate or on a stray.
  3. place the coconut jaggery stuffing in the center.
  4. making small pleats, bring the sides in the center and then press and join them.  
  5. Then gently roll the kozhukattai to get a neat round shape. this way you can make round shaped kozhukattais.
Steaming kozhukattai

  1. Then take pan and greased it with ghee or oil.  You can even line the pan with banana leaves. I stacked two pans on top of each other and steamed 15 kozhukattais.  You can also steam in batches. 
  2. In a large pot place a stand or rack.  Add 2.5 cups of water.
  3. Let the water come to a boil.
  4. With the help of tongs, then keep the pans containing kozhukattai in the pan.
  5. Cover the pan with a lid.
  6. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a medium-low  or medium flame.  then remove the lid.
  7. Using tongs, carefully remove the pans from the pot.
  8. Let the kozhukattai become warm.  Then offer kozhukattai to bhagwan ganesha.  

tips for making kozhukattai maavu
  • always ensure that the dough is cooked well.  Else the outer will break when you make the modakams.
  • If you can make balls with the dough without any cracks then it is in the right consistency.

May the blessings of lord Ganesha always be upon you. Ganapati Bappa Maorya, 
Happy ganesh chaturthi.