Kozhukattai and Ganesha, a match made in heaven

India, with its diverse culture, languages and variety of cuisines, is like a huge treasure chest with untold wealth. The more one digs in, the more one is bound to unearth.

By :  migrator
Update: 2017-04-16 09:34 GMT

Chennai

One can never really discover every facet of this beautiful country, spiritually, culturally and food wise. Even our gods are many in number. However, one of the most celebrated among them is Lord Ganesha. He is worshipped across communities and has different festivals dedicated to him. Different kinds of prasadam are offered to him, including motichur ladoo, kozhukattai, Mysore pak and sakara pongal among others. He is partial to sweets and kozhukattai 

or modak is his favourite. 

He has always fascinated me, and visiting his temples is a delight. I decided to visit Tiruchy, a land of tradition with its numerous places of worhship and delectable food. I was excited about this visit as I had never visited the Ucchi Pillayar Temple, Rockfort, built by the Cholas to commemorate Lord Ganesha hiding under a rock after making sure Lord Ranganathan’s  statue, which Vibhishan was carrying to Sri Lanka, was saved. Vibhishan had to bathe in a river and looked around for someone to hold it. He saw a cowherd that offered to hold it. When Vibhishan was taking a dip, Ganesha took the statue and stuck it firmly in the ground, where a famous temple of Lord Ranganathan, now stands. Vibhishan then chased him and struck him on the head, because of which a dent can be seen on Ganesha’s 

forehead even today. Later, from the rock, Ganesha revealed himself to Vibhishan, who was ashamed and apologetic. 

Climbing the hill to this spot was quite a task. Common belief is that anyone who prays honestly there realises their wishes. Puffing and panting, we reached the top and after a beautiful darshan , we got to eat the prasadam which. It was a special occasion and the spread was lavish. There was vadai, sakara pongal, curd rice (which Ganesha loves), and of course ladoos and kozhukattai . Kozhukat tai or modak is a delicacy that has been passed on from one generation to another, in the South and Maharashtra. My grandma and amma were experts at making it. Today, I share this recipe with you all. 

The writer is a chef and author of Festive Offerings to the Gods 

Divine offerings - Kozhukattai

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Resting time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes | Serves: 8 to 10 kozhukattais

Ingredients

For dough  

Raw rice flour/ arisi mavu: 1 cup (ponni rice) 

Salt: 1/4 tsp 

Oil: 1 tbsp (Gingelly oil/ any refined oil) 

Water: 1 3/4 cup 

Ghee: 1 tbsp

For filling 

Sesame seeds (Ellu): 1/2 cup (a mix of black and white) Jaggery: 1/2 cup grated 

Fresh coconut: 1/2 cup grated 

Cardamom powder (Yelakai): 1 tsp 

Cow's ghee: 1 tsp

Method

Take water in a saucepan and heat till it boils. Take it off the heat, add salt, ghee and oil. 

Add rice flour and stir till it becomes smooth without lumps.  

Switch off the gas, put the paste in a big bowl and knead it well till a smooth dough is formed. 

Add a little ghee while kneading. Pour a little oil over the dough and keep it covered and let it rest. While the dough rests, take sesame seeds in a kadai and roast it till they pop. 

Now add jaggery with a tablespoon of water and let it melt. Now add coconut, ghee and mix well, stirring constantly on medium heat till it gets thick. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Once it gets thick, remove it to a bowl and let it cool. Now take the dough in a bowl and knead it well again. 

Divide into small balls of equal size. 

Take one ball after rubbing some oil on your palms. 

Pat the dough into a thin spread or roll it out.  

Place a spoonful of filling in the centre and cover it carefully and pinch the top to form a kozhukattai shape. The nose is very important in a kozhukattai. It signifies Ganesha’s trunk.  

Place this in a steamer plate and steam for 9 to 12 mins. Remove it carefully and let it cool. Now remove the kozhukattai and serve after offering to God.

TIPS: For the kozhukattai to taste good, the outer layer must be very thin and this depends on the dough, the right kind of rice, grinding and kneading. Also, the filling must not be watery. Only one spoon of water should be used to melt the jaggery. 

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