Ganesh / Vinayaka Chaturthi is one of those festivals celebrated all over the country with such enthusiasm with any discrimination of region. And what I love about it is like what I love about any other festival in India, the FOOD of course! The Modak or Kozhakattai as we call it in South India has a million forms n versions according to the region of the country or simply what the household follows. There are many innovative experimental ways to do the same old Poornam Kozhakattai / Sweet Modak, but here’s the traditional recipe that are most loved on this day!
Ganesh Chaturthi Special Kozhakattai Recipe
Ingredients
Rice Flour – 1 cup
Water – 2 cups
Jaggery – 1/2 cup
Grated coconut – 1 cup
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Water / milk – few tbsps
Coconut oil – few tsps
Method
In a pan, heat the jaggery with 2 or 3 tbsp water and a tbsp of milk and let melt.
Once it is melted well, add the grated coconut and cardamom powder, mix well.
Turn of the flame and let it cool, make balls.
For the outer layer, heat the 2 cups of water, bring to a boil.
Add salt and a tsp of coconut oil in the water.
While it is boiling, mix in the rice flour slowly, making sure not to make lumps.
Keep stirring until batter doesnt stick anymore.
Once done, add another tsp of oil to a bowl and make a dough ball out of the batter.
Cover the dough with a moisturous cloth and keep aside.
Make small balls out of the dough, make a depression in the middle to fill in the poornam.
You can use oil in your hands to keep it from sticking.
Close the modaks from all 3 sides sealing it on top using your fingers.
Steam the kolakatais in a cooker for 10 mins and serve hot!
You can also use raw rice soaked overnight and make the outer layer from scratch to make Vella Kozhakatais in a more traditional / authentic way!
Neivedyam looks delicious!! Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!
Tasty modhagam for neivedhyam. I like it.