Vinayagar Chathurthi

Ganesh Chathurthi/Vinayagar Chathurthi is a very famous festival all over india. The most primary sweet during this festival is Dumpling/ Kozhukattai/modak along with some sundal varieties.

Sundal Varieties:

Dumplings/Kozhukattai/Modak

Kozhukattai/Dumpling Filling -1:

Paruppu Pooranam:

Ingredients:

Kadalaparuppu/ Splitted Chick Peas – 1 cup
Grated jaggery – ¾ cup
Grated coconut – 2 tblsp
Cardamom powder – a generous pinch
Salt – a pinch
Ghee – ½ tsp

Procedure:

In a pressure cooker, dry roast the dhal for about 3-5 mins and add 1.5-2 cups of water. Pressure cook it for about 3-4 whistles.
Release the pressure and drain if any excess water, mash the dhal little coarsely.
Add the grated jaggery to the dhal mixture, allow the jaggery to melt.
Let the dhal and jaggery mixture to dry, once you can able to form the mass dough. Add some freshly grated coconut, salt, cardamom powder and ghee to the pooranam and turn off the heat.
Cool completely and paruppu pooranam is ready to use.

Kozhukattai/Dumpling Filling -2:

Thengai/Coconut Pooranam:

Ingredients:

Grated coconut – 1 cup
Grated jaggery – ¾ cup
Grated coconut – 2 tblsp
Cardamom powder – a generous pinch
Salt – a pinch
Ghee – ½ tsp

Procedure:

In a heavy bottomed pan, dry roast the coconut for about 2 mins and add the grated jaggery to the coconut, let the jaggery melt.
Once you able to form coconut and jaggery together, add cardamom powder, salt and ghee.
Cool completely and coconut pooranam is ready to use.

Ammini/ Mani Kozhukattai:

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup
Water – 1-1.5 cups
Salt – as required
Moong dhal – ½ cup
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Asafetida – ½ tsp
Dry red chili – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut oil – 2 tblsp
Grated coconut – 2 tblsp

Procedure:

In a sauce pan half boil the moong dhal and keep aside.
In a heavy bottomed pan, add water about 1-1.5 cups (depends on your rice quality). Bring it to boil
Add a pinch of salt and a tsp of coconut oil. Slowly add the rice flour to the boiling water and turn off the flame, mix thoroughly.
When the heat is bearable, knead the dough without any lumps, cool completely and the dough is ready to use
Now make small balls out of it and steam it for about 7-8 mins, using an idli pot for steaming.
Place a kadai, add rest of the coconut oil. Once the oil get enough hot, add the mustard seeds, broken red chili, and asafetida.
Time to add the kozhukattai/dumplings and half-cooked moong dhal to the mixture. Along with some salt, fresh curry leaves and freshly grated coconut and toss it gently.
Turn off the heat and the delicious “Ammini kozhukattai” is ready to serve.

Elai Kozhukattai/ leaf dumpling:

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup
Water – 1-1.5 cups
Salt – as required
Paruppu Pooranam – 1 cup
Thengai/coconut pooranam – 1 cup

Procedure:

In a heavy bottomed pan, add water about 1-1.5 cups (depends on your rice quality). Bring it to boil
Add a pinch of salt and a tsp of coconut oil. Slowly add the rice flour to the boiling water and turn off the flame, mix thoroughly.
When the heat is bearable, knead the dough without any lumps, cool completely and the dough is ready to use
Place a plastic sheet or Ziploc, apply some coconut oil to the sheet and take a lemon sized ball.
Place another Ziploc over the dough, press it with a flat bottomed pan like coffee dawara saucer. Press it gently and evenly.
Now take spoon full of pooranam whichever you likes
Place one half of the pressed dough and cover it with another half very gently.
Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
Place each dumpling very gently to the steaming pan (idli pot) and allow it to steam 7-8 mins.
Enough the luscious Elai Kozhukattai when it is hot.

NOTE:

In my hometown, we use to do this with “Poosaram Maram Elai”/ Heart Shape leaf. I don’t know the exact name in English. So we call it as Eali kozhukattai.
Since we are not able to get those leaves here, we are trying to keep the kozhukattai shape without the leaf. Rest of the process are same.

Then/paal Kozhukattai:

//Mini Milk/jaggery Dumplings//

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup
Water – 1-1.5 cups
Salt – a pinch
Coconut oil – 1 tsp
Grated coconut – 2 tblsp
Coconut milk/ whole milk – 1 cup
Cardamom powder – a generous pinch

Making Jaggery syrup

Vellam/grated jaggery – 1.5 cups
Water – ½ cup

Procedure:

In a sauce pan, add grated jaggery and water. Bring it to boil and turn off the flame at half string consistency.
In a heavy bottomed pan, add water about 1-1.5 cups (depends on your rice quality). Bring it to boil
Add a pinch of salt and a tsp of coconut oil. Slowly add the rice flour to the boiling water and turn off the flame, mix thoroughly.
When the heat is bearable, knead the dough without any lumps, cool completely and the dough is ready to use
Now make small balls out of it and keep aside.
In a sauce pan, add about half a cup of water along with a cup of whole milk. Bring it to boil, now add the mini balls into the milk mixture.
Within few minutes, the balls are floated up.
Turn the flame off and add the grated coconut and jaggery syrup to the kozhukattai mixture. Sprinkle some freshly crushed cardamom powder to the mixture, Stir well.
Light and tasty mini milk/jaggery dumplings- then/paal kozhukattai are ready to serve.

Note:

If you are using coconut milk, then add the milk towards the end
Either jaggery syrup or the kozhukattai mixture should be in room temperature, if both the items are in same high temperature. The whole dish will get spoil.
You can either cook the dumplings in the jaggery syrup, add the milk towards the end.

Sweet Pidi/pillayar Kozhukattai/simple-ganesh dumpling:

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup
Water – 1-1.5 cups
Salt – a pinch
Grated jaggery/ vellam – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 2 tblsp
Coconut oil – 1 tsp

Procedure:

In a heavy bottomed pan, add water about 1-1.5 cups (depends on your rice quality). Bring it to boil
Add the grated jaggery to the mixture. Bring it boil till the jaggery dissolves completely. Turn off the flame. (Strain the syrup to take off the impurities.)
Transfer into the same pan, add a pinch of salt, a tsp of coconut oil and sprinkle some freshly crushed cardamom powder and some freshly grated coconut to the mixture. Mix gently in a low flame.
Slowly add the rice flour to the boiling jaggery mixture and turn off the flame, mix thoroughly.
When the heat is bearable, knead the dough without any lumps, cool completely and the dough is ready to use
Wet your hands, take a lemon sized ball and press it gently in between your palms to hold the oblong shape.
Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
Place each dumpling very gently to the steaming pan (idli pot) and allow it to steam 4-5 mins.
Enjoy the traditional delicious sweet Pidi Kozhukattai when it is hot.

Kara Pidi/pillayar Kozhukattai/simple-ganesh dumpling:

Ingredients:

Rice flour – 1 cup
Water – 1-1.5 cups
Salt – as req
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Asafetida – ½ tsp
Dry red chili – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coconut oil – 2 tblsp
Grated coconut – 2 tblsp

Procedure:

In a heavy bottomed pan, add 2 tblsp of coconut oil. Let the oil get hot, add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter and add the broken dry red chilies, asafetida, curry leaves and finally add the freshly grated coconut.
Add water about 1-1.5 cups (depends on your rice quality). Bring it to boil
Add required amount of salt. Slowly add the rice flour to the boiling water and turn off the flame, mix thoroughly.
When the heat is bearable, knead the dough without any lumps, cool completely and the dough is ready to use.
Wet your hands, take a lemon sized ball and press it gently in between your palms to hold the oblong shape.
Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
Place each dumpling very gently to the steaming pan (idli pot) and allow it to steam 4-5 mins.
Enjoy the simple-yet cozy spicy Pidi Kozhukattai when it is hot.

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