5/5 (1)

This is my favorite Modak or kozhukattai recipe. I mostly use sweet peanut stuffing for this. However there are other varieties like coconut, sesame seeds, channa dhal etc. There are lot of possibilities for the stuffing alone.

But today i have used coconut stuffing. I have struggled a lot of times to get the outer dough recipe right. Most of the times i have failed. But, last year during Ganesh Chaturthi festival, I consulted my mom who is an expert in Modak, and followed the exact same steps. The result was a soft, perfect dough for the modak.

I not only make this during Ganesh Chaturthi festival, but also on a monthly basis during “Sankatahara Chaturthi” day also.

Ingredients:

For the outer dough:

1. Raw rice – 1 cup (any raw rice can be used)
2. Vegetable Oil – 1 tablespoon + more for greasing
3. Salt – 1 teaspoon (increase or decrease according to your taste)
4. Water – 2 cups, divided

For the stuffing:

1. Fresh or frozen coconut – 1/2 cup (shredded)
2. Jaggery – 1/2 cup (shredded)
3. Green Cardamom powder – a pinch
4. Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. First, soak the raw rice in room temperature water for 2 hours . After two hours, discard the soaked water, add 1/4 cup fresh water and grind it to a very soft and pasty texture. Also add 3/4 cup water to it and keep it ready.

2. Now take a thick bottomed vessel, add 1 cup water and allow it to boil. Then add salt, oil and mix it well. Reduce the flame to low-medium heat and add the blended rice mixture slowly into the boiling water.

3. Take a wooden spatula and keep on stirring until a thick dough is formed, around 5 to 7 minutes. Set it aside and allow it to cool down.

4. Now for the stuffing:

Heat a pan, add ghee, shredded coconut, jaggery, green cardamom powder and mix it well. The jaggery will start to melt. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and then switch off the heat.

Shaping of the modak / Kozhukattai:

5. First, grease your hand generously. Take a small ball shaped dough, with your thumb finger, give pressure in the center of the dough. Rotate the dough and give pressure from the center towards the edge simultaneously, to form a boat shaped structure. Then place a spoonful of stuffing inside the dough and seal it from all sides as shown below.

6. Similarly make all the modaks / Kozhukattais and steam them using a idly cooker for 15 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy. The modaks will be soft even when they are not hot and that is the specialty of this recipe.