Kozhukkattai Modakam or Stuffed Rice Dumplings

Kozhukkattai (Tamil), Modakam or Stuffed Rice Dumplings

This delicasy is mostly prepared on Vinayaka Chathurthi and on special occassions meant to propitiate the elphant headed god. This offering is believed to be specially liked by the lord among all other Ney vedyas. The secret of making this item lies in making the outer rice pouch and can be done well if following an easy process. Step by step procedure is attempted in this article.

1. Ingredients

• Rice 200gms(for making the outer pouch)
• Coconut grated 100gms(coconut poornam)
• Jaggery-25gms
• Elachy- 2nos
• White til- 100gms(for til poornam)
• Jaggery- 25gms
• Elachy- 2nos
• Channa dal 100gms, toor dal- 50gms, red chilli-3, asafoetida-1/4 tsp, salt- 1/2 tsp, lemon juice- 2tsp, grted coconut- 2 tsp, curry & coriander leaves( For Dal poornam)

Method for outer pouch or choppu

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Wash and rinse the rice and grind the rice to a smooth paste adding 1/2 cup water. The consistency should be neither too thick nor too thin but should be medium. In a sauce pan add 1/4 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp cooking oil , heat all these adding the ground rice paste. Stir the contents till the rice paste cooks to a ball. Add little water if necessary. The dough will be opaquey and will be ready for making the choppu or outer pouch. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Method for Coconut poornam:

Put the grated coconut and jaggery in a pan with little water stir fry to a halva like paste. Add elachy powder. Filling for coconut modakam is ready

Method for til(sesame) poornam:

In a dry pan fry  the tiil it splutter, add jaggery and elachy grind to a powder in a mixie. Til Poornam or filling is ready

Method forDal or Paruppu poornam

Soak the channa-toor dals for 30 minutes, rinse and grind adding coconut, red chilli, curry leaves, asafoetida, ginger and salt. Add no water and grind to a coarse paste

Now rub oil in idly plate steam the above mix like idly. After it cools add lemon juice and coriander.

Shaping the modakam or kozhukkattai:

Now take a sppon of rice dough. Rub your fingers with a couple of drops of oil shape the dough into a cup like shape and fill the three vsarieties of poornams as per your choice. Arrange them in idly pan and steam for 5-10 minutes without weight.

Now the modakams are ready. The above ingredients are sufficient to make 30-40 modakams(medium size)

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