Kozhukattai

Kozhukattai, (Mothagam in Sanskrit) is the most favorite dish of Lord Ganesha. Ganesha is referred to as Mothagapriyan, denoting his liking for this sweet.

Ingredients

Rice Flour: 1 measure in a 200ml cup
Coconut: One coconut
Jaggery: 200 gms.

Method

For the outer cover:

• Wash and soak raw rice for an hour.
• Drain the water completely and spread the rice on a cloth and allow it to dry.
• The rice can be allowed to dry in the shade itself.
• Grind the raw rice to a smooth flour.
• For 1 measure of rice flour take 2 measures of water.
• Boil this water in a kadai (a shallow thick bottom vessel).
• Add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of seasame oil.
• Allow the water to boil.
• When the water starts boiling add the rice flour to this, stirring continuously without allowing any lumps to form.
• When the mixture has formed into a smooth thick batter, remove from the fire.
• The batter must be thick enough like chappathi batter.

Alternatively...

• Soak raw rice for 2 hrs.
• Grind the rice into a smooth consistency, with water in a mixer grinder like a dosa batter.
• Boil this batter adding a pinch of salt, stirring continously to make a smooth thick batter.

For the filling...

• Grate fresh coconut.
• Add a teaspoon of milk to the grated coconut and grind it in a mixer grinder lightly. (This is optional).
• For one measure of grated coconut you need one measure of powdered jaggery.
• Add a little water to the powdered jaggery and keep on low fire and stir for some time.
• When the jaggery has dissolved completely in water add grated coconut to this and keep stirring for some time.
• Then remove from fire and add powdered cardamoms to this.

For the making Kozhukattai cups...

• Smear your hands with a little seasame oil.
• Smoothen the prepared rice flour batter with your hands.
• Make small balls (the size of a lemon).
• Make cups out of these balls which is an art! If you can't get it, forget Kozhukattai!
• Fill these cups with the prepared coconut-jaggery filling.
• Put these filled up cups on an idli-plate and pressure cook them