Sweet Kozhukkattai / Mothagam

Kozhukkattai is a popular South Indian sweet dumpling made from rice flour, with a filling of grated coconut and jaggery, which looks like coconut, in shape.   

This sweet is prepared as offering/ Neivedhyam ,for Lord Ganesh on Ganesh Chathurthy  and also on special occasions.   

 

Sweet Kozhukkattai / Mothagam.

Yield   : 108 Small Kozhukkattai

Shelflife:  Within a day. ( Cannot be refrigerated )

Outer Covering:

* Raw Rice ( Maavu Arisi ) :  2 cups

Water : 4 Cups

Salt : 1 Pinch

Gingelly Oil / Til oil – 4 Tsp

        Soak rice in water for 2 to 3 hrs.  Grind it in wet grinder using as much little water from 4 cups.  Grind for half an hr or till it becomes nice. Add salt  . 

In heavy bottom Pan add oil & add the remaining water .  When it comes to boiling stage add the rice batter and  Cook it stirring continuously till it absorbs all the water. Switch off and Close the lid ….

Allow it to become warm.

 Knead it well without any lumps.  You can use water+ oil mixture to grease your hands while kneading.

Keep it in hot pack till you are using.

For stuffing / Coconut Poornam:

Finely Grated Coconut : 2 cups ( packed tightly)

Jaggery Powder : 1 cup

Green Cardamom : 4 ( make into powder)

Ghee : 1 tsp

   In non-stick pan, using 1tbsp of water , melt jaggery and strain to remove sand and dust. [ you can , Microwave for 2 mts to melt and strain]

         Add grated coconut, ghee and cook till it solidifies in low flame. [you can,  Micro on high for 12 mts , stirring once in between ].   Add cardamom powder and let it cool.

Make them into small balls for easy stuffing.

 Now.....Take kneaded rice dough and roll them into logs.  This step is not compulsory but just for our convenience .

             Pinch out small portion from the dough to make a small disc , small size enough to cover poornam .  Disc should be as much thin as possible to get soft kozhukkattai.  Keep water+ oil mixture in a small cup and apply this on your fingers  while shaping disc.
        Keep the poornam in center of the disc and cover rice disc from all the sides and bring together on top and press gently to make a small tower ( overall shape of the kozhukkatai should be in the shape of Coconut ). 

Before Steaming

Repeat the process for atleast to make 20 to 25 kuzhukkattai.  After stuffing don’t keep it outside for longer as it may become dry.

Steam cook the kozhukkattai for 5 to 7 mts using Idly Pan on stove top.

After Steaming

Your First batch of Sweet Kozhukkattai is ready.

While your first batch is getting ready,  you can prepare stuffing for the next batch.)

And repeat the process of steaming. … till all the poornam and outer cover finishes.

For the above quantity , you can prepare 108 small sweet kozhukkattai. You may get extra rice dough , which you can use to prepare Ammini Kozhukkatai  or  Ammini Kozhukkattai ( No Oil Version ).



[Note :  *  Use Maavu Arisi for Preparing Kozhukkattai.  Don't use the regular Raw rice, which we use for cooking rice.  The type which I know for Maavu Arisi in north India is '  Ambemohar rice ' In South India, you can just refer and buy for ' Maavu Arisi' .

**  If you are using Store Bought Rice flour, choose  ' Idiyapam Flour ' , which is readily available in stores.  If you are using readymade flour, take equal portion of water or may be little bit extra.  Heat water and when it comes to boiling point add flour and cook till it absorbs all the water .  Rest of the procedures are same. . 

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