Kozhakatai ( known also as modak) is a very traditional sweet of Tamil Nadu which is made for Vinayaka Chaturthi ( Ganesh Festival). It’s also made on Varalakshmi Pooja as a Prasadam.
It’s a actually steamed rice flour dumpling with sweet stuffing. The stuffing is made of coconut and jaggery.

It’s my dad who taught me and my sister to make Kozhakattai 🙂 I have always enjoyed making and eating Kozhakattai:)

Ingredients

For the outer covering

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Proceeded rice flour – 1 cup

Water – 1+1/2 to 2 cups

Sesame oil – 1 tbsp + 3 tbsps

Salt – a pinch

For the Poornam ( stuffing)

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Grated coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery – 3/4th cup

Ghee – 1 tsp

Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Method

Ready processed rice flour for making Kozhakattai is available almost every where in Chennai. I have used ready made rice flour only.

To make processed rice flour at home

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Wash and soak rice for 15-20 mins.

Drain completely and spread it on a thick kitchen towel and dry it under the shade.

When it’s almost dry, get it ground in a flour mill to a powder or you can grind it at home.

To make the outer covering

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Add rice flour, water and a pinch of salt in a pan and mix very well. Ensure that there are no lumps. The mixture should be of dosa batter consistency.

Heat a pan. Add oil and the rice flour mixture and keep stirring continuously.

Cook till the mixture becomes thick and non sticky ( when you pinch it with your fingers, it should not stick).

Take it off the gas, cover the pan with a lid and let it cool. Once it cools down, grease your hands with little oil and knead the mixture to a smooth and pliable dough. Keep it covered with a damp cloth till required.

To make the stuffing.

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Heat a pan. Add the jaggery and little water. Cook till the jaggery completely melts.

Strain the jaggery syrup to remove the dirt.

Wash the pan, add the strained syrup and let it boil till it becomes little thick. Add the grated coconut and ghee and mix well.

Cook till all the liquid evaporates and becomes thick . Add the cardamom powder and mix well. Take it off the gas and let it cool completely. It will thicken further on cooling and you would be able to roll it into a ball.

To make the Kozhakattai

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Take a small portion of the dough.

Roll into a ball. Flatten it gently and shape into a cup by pressing gently in the centre with your thumb and the side with your thumb and index finger.

Keep a small portion of the stuffing inside this cup. Gather the ends and bring it together to the centre and bind it well. Pinch off and remove the excess dough.

Similarly make all the Kozhakattai.  

Grease a plate with ( I have used idli plate) with little oil. Arrange the Kozhakattai on the plate and steam it for 10-12 mins.

Let it cool down for sometime.

Serve the Kozhakattai at room temperature:)