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September 14, 2015

Thengai Poorana Kozhukattai - Coconut Poornam Kozhukattai Recipe

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Mothagam recipe
Mothagam/ Modak recipe is a must to do for Ganesh Chaturthi. It can be prepared with chana dal pooranam or coconut pooranam. My mom makes Thengai poorana kozhukattai (coconut poornam kozhukattai) whereas my MIL makes chana dal pooranamLast year during Ganesh Chaturthi, I shared an easy, coconut pooran recipe (Thengai poornam). But I love this authentic version more than the instant ones. I make coconut pooran mostly for Kerala ila ada or puran poli. This year I wanted to make this mothagam post using thengai pooranam.Coincidentally, when I was browsing to find out the North Indian style Modak recipe also known as ukadiche modak, I found its ingredients and method of preparation are very similar to our South Indian Thengai pooranam kozhukattai. So I tried this modak recipe yesterday to share it here. It came out very well. Please click on this video link and this video link to check the dough making and for shaping the modak. Do try this easy, flavorful Mothagam recipe with coconut pooran if you are looking for a quick stuffing option.You will love it.I will try to share fried modak recipe in this week before Vinayagar Chaturthi. Lets see how to make modak with step by step picture and a video.

Please click THIS LINK for full Ganesh chaturthi recipes collection.


Mothagam/Modak recipe


Mothagam/Modak recipe How to make mothagam/Modak recipe with coconut pooran.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Sweet
Serves: 12-14 nos
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
For stuffing
  • Grated coconut - 1 cup
  • Grated jaggery - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
  • Cardamom - 2 nos ( crushed)
  • Water – little to cover jaggery 
For modak dough
  • Rice flour – 1 cup ( I used store bought idiyappam flour or kozhukattai flour)
  • Water – 1.75-2 cups ( as needed)
  • Salt – a big pinch
  • Ghee – 1 tbsp
HOW TO MAKE THENGA POORANA KOZHUKATTAI - METHOD
  • Grate coconut and jaggery. Heat a kadai and put the coconut & jaggery together. Add 1 tbsp of water if needed. Mix it well. Jaggery gets melted ( If you feel jaggery has mud, then you must melt jaggery adding little water. Make a syrup & strain it using metal filter. Then you can mix grated coconut and proceed). Mixture will become watery and if you keep stirring in medium flame, the mixture will become thick and start to leaves the sides of kadai. 
  • (Note: The quantity of coconut should be more than jaggery. So start with 1/2 cup of jaggery for one cup of coconut for mild sweetness)
Mothagam recipe
  • Switch off the flame as soon as the mixture starts to leave the sides. If you stir more, pooranam will become hard and chewy. So switch off the flame at the right time. Initially pooran will look wet. But when it cools down, it will thicken and becomes non-sticky. Transfer the pooran to another plate to avoid heating up more.
Mothagam recipe

  • To make the kozhukattai dough, heat water adding ghee & a pinch of salt in a pan. Here I used 1.75 cups of water for store bought rice flour. But this quantity may vary.so keep some hot water ready in hand so that you can add it while making dough.
Mothagam recipe

  • When the water starts to roll boil, simmer the flame completely and add the rice flour. Mix well without lumps. Do it quickly. Rice flours absorbs all the water and becomes a thick mass. Switch off the flame.
Mothagam recipe
  • When the dough becomes warm, grease your hands with oil and knead the dough. Make it smooth without cracks and cover the dough with a wet cloth till use.
Mothagam recipe
  • Take a big gooseberry sized ball from the dough and make a cup by pressing the sides. Stuff 2 tsp of pooran inside the cup and close to make a coconut shape. Grease the idli pot and arrange the modak. You can also use a mold to make modak.
Mothagam recipe
Mothagam recipe

  • Heat water in an idli pot and when the water starts to boil vigorously, keep the idli plate and cook the modak for 7-8 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it be in the idli plate for 10 minutes before you remove the modak. When the modak turns warm, carefully remove them into a plate. Offer to God !
Mothagam recipe


    TIPS FOR SOFT AND CRACK FREE KOZHUKATTAI
    1. Use good quality rice flour. If you are planning to make by grinding rice, buy raw rice ( in Tamil nadu we call as “maavu arisi) ie. the rice used for making rice flour. Its a different quality, not the one we use for pongal.It is cheaper in cost too.
    2. Always add the required water while making the dough. If the dough becomes sticky or dry, you’ll get cracks. Keep the unused dough covered with a wet cloth & then with a lid while you make mothagam.
    3. Its always better to prepare the outer covering after making pooranam/ stuffing to prevent the dough sitting for long time.
    4. U can refrigerate the unused dough by keeping in an air tight box & use the next day or the same evening.
    5. Pooranam can be prepared the previous day and refrigerated.
    6. Apply sesame/gingely oil in your hands every time when you make the shape.
    7. Last but not the least, do not cook the kozhukattai in idli pot for long time which may lead to cracks.( maximum of 8-10 mins is enough)
    8. Always place the idli plate arranged with kozhukattai after the water in the idli pot starts roll boiling. This helps for quick cooking & also the kozhukattai remains white in color and crack free..
    9. U can identify the cooked kozhukattai by its shining look. Always remove the kozhukattai after it becomes warm. Do not remove when it is hot. Kozhukattai may break.


Try this easy, flavorful coconut pooran modak for this festival and enjoy !




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6 comments :

Unknown said...

Modhagam and its filling looks perfect and yummy. Beautiful clicks chitra.

Chitra said...

Thanks for the quick comment Gayathri :)

great-secret-of-life said...

very tasty Modhagam.. simple yet tasty filling

Unknown said...

Hi Chitra, I want to try ur easy coconut poorna koozukatai. Pls tell wht to do if there are impurities in the jaggery

Chitra said...

For this,melt grated jaggery adding little water and strain the syrup using a metal strainer.Then u can mix coconut & jaggery water and cook till it thickens to a pooran.Stop stirring once the mixture starts to leave the sides of kadai.It will set once it cools down

Unknown said...

Thanks Chitra. Keep up the good work 😊