Sweet Kozhukattai

Sweet kozhukattai, also called modhagam, is Vinayagar's favourite sweet. A soft rice-flour shell is wrapped around a filling of fresh coconut and jaggery, pleated into a little pouch and steamed until glossy. Shaping them takes a bit of practice, but it is a lovely job to share with children, and even the lopsided ones taste wonderful. This recipe makes about 16 kozhukattai.

Ingredients

For the filling (poornam)

• 1 cup freshly grated coconut (or frozen grated coconut, thawed)
• ¾ cup grated or powdered jaggery (about 150 g)
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon ghee

For the dough

• 1 cup fine rice flour (roasted rice flour sold for idiyappam or kozhukattai works best)
• 1¼ cups water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon gingelly (sesame) oil or ghee, plus a little extra for your hands

Method

1. Melt the jaggery. Heat the jaggery with 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring until it dissolves. Strain it through a fine sieve to remove any grit and return the syrup to the pan.
2. Cook the filling. Add the coconut to the syrup and cook on medium-low heat, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes. It is ready when the mixture thickens, leaves the sides of the pan and holds together when you press a little between your fingers. Stir in the cardamom and ghee, then spread it on a plate to cool.
3. Heat the water. In a saucepan, bring the 1¼ cups of water, the salt and the oil to a rolling boil.
4. Make the dough. Turn the heat to low. Add the rice flour a little at a time, stirring quickly with the handle of a wooden spoon so no lumps form. Keep stirring for 1 to 2 minutes until it comes together in one mass. Turn off the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
5. Knead. While the dough is still warm (but cool enough to touch), grease your hands and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and soft, with no cracks. If it feels dry, knead in a spoonful of hot water. Keep it covered with a damp cloth.
6. Shape. Grease your fingers. Roll a lime-sized ball of dough, then press it with your thumbs into a small cup about 6 cm across, with edges thinner than the base. Put about 1 heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre. Pinch the edge into 6 to 8 small pleats, then gather them together at the top and twist gently to seal into a point. If pleating is tricky, simply fold the cup into a half-moon and press the edges shut.
7. Steam. Grease an idli plate or a steamer basket lined with a banana leaf. Arrange the kozhukattai with a little space between them. Steam over boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until the outside turns glossy and no longer feels sticky.
8. Serve. Let them cool for a few minutes before lifting them out. Offer a few to Vinayagar first, then share.

Tips

• Filling consistency matters. Undercooked filling is runny and leaks; overcooked filling turns hard and chewy. Stop when it just holds together.
• Cover the dough. Rice-flour dough dries quickly and then cracks when you shape it. Work with one ball at a time and keep the rest under a damp cloth.
• Fixing cracks. If a shell cracks, smooth it with a wet fingertip. If the whole batch cracks, the dough needed more water or more kneading.
• Leftover filling or dough? Roll leftover dough into small balls and steam them for a simple snack, or enjoy the extra filling on its own.
• Storage. Kozhukattai are best eaten the same day. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and re-steam for 3 to 4 minutes to soften.

When it's made

Sweet kozhukattai is the centrepiece of Vinayagar Chathurthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesha, celebrated in the Tamil month of Aavani (usually late August or September). Families make them fresh in the morning and place them before a small clay Vinayagar with other offerings. Learn more on our Ganesha page.