Delight Ganesha with different taste of kozhukattai

• First make the stuffing. For this, take the grated coconut, powdered jaggery and dry roasted poppy seeds in a kadhai . The quantity of jaggery should be less than coconut. Do not add water. Mix well in medium flame. 
• Let the jaggery melt in heat and mix well with coconut. When the mixture starts to become thick without moisture and leaves the pan, switch off the flame and transfer the stuffing to a plate. Spread it well and let the stuffing cool down. (If you heat the stuffing for long time, it will become chewy and hard. So remove the stuffing as soon as jaggery is melted and mixed well with coconut. Initially it will look as a wet mass. But when it cools down, it will become crumbly) 
• In a wide bowl, take the wheat flour, melted ghee , a pinch of salt and mix well. Add water little by little and make a stiff, thick dough. The dough should not be too soft. Knead for sometime and cover with a wet cloth. Let the dough rest for just five minutes. 
• Take a small ball of dough and dust in wheat flour. Make a thin circle of poori size. Remember the sides of circle should be thinner than the center. As this is made of wheat flour, it will become dense after deep frying. So make the poori thin. Cover the remaining dough with a wet cloth.
• Now take a small lid and cut a circle of uniform shape. Place 1 tbsp of stuffing the middle and make 5-7 pleats in the dough. Join all the pleats and make a momo-shaped modak. Make sure the modak is sealed properly else the stuffing will ooze out in oil while frying. 
• Heat oil in a kadhai and when it gets heated, put a pinch of dough. If it rises to the top immediately, oil temperature is just right. Now drop 3-4 modaks and cook in medium flame. Cook till starts to turn golden brown. Flip the other side and cook till done. Remove the modaks in a tissue. Fried modak is ready. Offer Lord Ganesha and seek his blessings! 
• It stays crispy till it’s hot. If you wish, you can serve them immediately or this modak can be stored in an air tight box and can be easily consumed for a week. It tastes good and is pretty much edible.

• Soak the urad dal in water till the dough gets ready or around 20-30 minutes. Drain off the water and put it in a blender jar and make a coarse mixture; set aside. 
• To make the filling, heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds and then add curry leaves. In the hot oil, add turmeric powder and asafoetida. 
• Immediately add the coarsely ground dal mixture with enough salt. Mix well, cover it and cook till the dal does not taste raw. Finally add the coconut and switch off the gas and allow to cool. 
• Meanwhile heat water till it is boiling hot and then add the rice flour little by little with constant stirring. 
• Reduce the flame to low and cook till the water almost evaporates and the mixture comes together as a mass.
• Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool. Cover the dough and set aside till you start making the kozhukattai to avoid the outside of the dough getting dry. 
• Once the dough is cooled, grease your hand with oil and knead to make a smooth dough without any lumps. 
• Divide the dough into small lemonsized balls. Grease your hand and flatten the dough, using fingers spread the dough to make a thin cup shape. Now fill it with the filling, close it and press it to close the edges. To make a pattern pinch the edges with thumb and index finger. 
• Heat water inside the steamer and steam the kozhukattai for 10 mins, till the dough get cooked and looks shiny. It is ready.

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android