Modhagam (Kozhukattai)

This is another special dish made during Vinayagar Chathurthi and Varalakshmi Nombu, 2 famous festivals for Hindus. It is also a special offering to lord Ganesha. This dish consists of two parts, a sweet dish (pooranam) covered by steamed rice (kozhukattai)

Ingredients :

Pooranam:
Channa Dal - 1 cup
Jaggery - 2 cups
Water - 1/4 cup
Cardamom pods - 5
Grated coconut - 1 cup

Kozhukattai:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Gingely oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch


Method:

For the pooranam:
1. Soak channa dal in water for an hour
2. Boil dal in pressure cooker upto 3 whistles.
3. Mash the dal to a fine paste.
4. In a bowl, add water and dissolve the jaggery in it. Filter the dissolved jaggery to remove any impurities
5. Heat a kadai on medium high and boil the filtered jaggery paste till it becomes thick (takes approximately 10 minutes)
6. Add the mashed dal into the above jaggery paste and mix well.
7. Add coconut and cardamom pods to the mixture. Keep stirring until it is possible to make small balls out of the mixture. Switch off the stove and keep the kadai aside

For the Kozhukattai:
1. In a bowl, pour the rice flour and salt.
2. Bring the water to a roaring boil.
3. Add the boiling water little by little to the rice flour (take care while mixing, use a spatula for this ). You should be able to make balls. To test this consistency, pour little gingely oil in the palm and try making a ball. If you could , then stop adding water.
4. Now you are ready to make kozhukattais. Take small amount in the palm and make small cups and put a teaspoon full of pooranam inside the cups and close them
5. Steam the cups in a steamer for 5 minutes
6. Delicious kozhukattai is ready to serve