Kozhukattai recipes for Chaturthi

CHENNAI: Kozhukattai holds a special place as one of Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweets and is traditionally offered as prasad during the Vinayaga Chaturthi pooja. 

CARROT MOONG DAL KOZHUKATTAI:

INGREDIENTS: 

FOR OUTER DOUGH:

1/2 cup homemade rice flour, idiyappam flour, Salt to taste ,Water as needed

FOR INNER STUFFING:

1/4 cup moong dal,  1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar ,1/4 cup water  ,1/4 cup carrot 

A pinch of cardamom powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

PREPARING THE INNER STUFFING:

Dry roast the moong dal until it turns golden in colour.

Pressure cook the roasted moong dal with 1 cup of water for 3-4 whistles or until it becomes mushy.

Mash the cooked moong dal well and set it aside.

Heat ghee in a kadai, add grated carrot, and sauté until it shrinks.

Add the mashed moong dal along with cane sugar. The mixture will become gooey. Continue cooking over low-medium flame.

Add cardamom powder and keep cooking until the mixture thickens.

Once it comes together as a mass, switch off the heat and let it cool down.

Once the mixture has cooled down, shape it into small balls and oval-shaped ones too.

PREPARING THE OUTER DOUGH:

Grease the modak mould with oil or ghee.

Take a lemon-sized ball of the outer dough and place it inside the mould.

Make a hole in the centre of the dough and add the prepared stuffing. Oval-shaped stuffing works well for moulds.

Seal the bottom part of the modak with more dough as shown in the instructions. For hand-shaped modaks, use round balls of dough.

Gently open and demould the modaks and arrange them on a plate.

Grease the steamer plate and arrange the modaks on it.

Steam cook the modaks for 8-10 minutes or until they turn shiny.

Serve the Carrot Moong Dal Kozhukattai hot.

 SAGO KOZHUKATTAI 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE KOZHUKATTAI:  1/2 cup sago ,Salt to taste ,Water as needed

FOR INNER STUFFING: 1/2 cup coconut, 2 tablespoons sugar ,1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

PREPARING THE INNER STUFFING:

For the inner stuffing, take a bowl and add coconut, cardamom powder, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

Add the drained sago to a mixer jar.

Pulse it a few times, then transfer it to a bowl, add salt, and mix it well to gather it together.

Make small balls from the sago mixture and set them aside.

Take a ball, flatten it to make a small cup, and then add the prepared coconut filling.

Seal the edges to make a ball with the filling enclosed. Repeat this process for the remaining mixture.

Grease a steamer plate with oil and place it inside an idli steamer.

Steam the kozhukattai for 15 minutes over low-medium flame.

Once they turn shiny and appear cooked, remove them from the steamer.

Serve the Sago Kozhukattai hot.