Modakam: Steamed rice dumplings with coconut and jaggery filling. Modakam is lord Ganesha favourite and everybody's too. Usually, Modak is made on the day of Vinayaka Chaturthi, but I make them on the days of Sankata Hara Chaturthi also which comes every month. I used store-bought kozhukattai maavu for the recipe as I had them in excess. You can also make it by soaking and grinding the raw rice. Usually, I make with normal raw rice flour which is prepared by grinding the maavu pacharisi in the local mill. Maavu pacharisi doesn't require soaking in water so I simply clean it and give it for grinding. I usually make the coconut-jaggery filling but chana dal poornam, moong dal poornam, sweetened sesame pooranam can also be made as to the filling. The kozhukattai's vanished even before I could take photos.
How to make:
Dry roast the flour. Boil water in a wide-mouthed pan or utensil with added salt and oil. When water comes to a rolling boil, add the rice flour,. Make sure that rice flour is not dumped at one place. Keep on stirring till the flour absorbs all the water, Cover the pan with the lid and cook the flour in a very low flame for 3 minutes. Remove the pan and allow the dough to cool down a little. In the meantime, powder the jaggery and grate the coconut. Cook the jaggery and coconut till they come together. Let this poornam or filling cool down.
Soaking and Grinding method:
Soak a cup of raw rice in 1.5 cups of water. Grind the rice in the blender till smooth using all the water. Heat oil in a pan and cook the rice batter with a little salt added, till all the moisture is absorbed, by stirring continuously. When the batter starts to thicken, cover and cook till dough consistency is reached. Remove from heat and allow to cool down.
Using Mould or Achu:
Take the modakam achu or mould, lock the same. Fill the mould with the dough, press the dough firmly against the walls of the mould. Fill the poornam and close the mouth of the mould with the dough. Click open the mould, remove the modakam and place the modakam in the steamer. Repeat till the dough gets finished and steam the modaks for 7 minutes.
Using Hand:
Modakam can also be made by hand. Pinch the dough a little, Make a cup, fill the poornam in the centre, close the mouth of the cup by pleating the edges and bringing them together and seal at the centre.
Variations:
The modak can also be made with ragi flour, pearl millet or kambu flour and yellow corn flour. Ragi and kambu flour require rice flour to be added.
Substitutions:
Replace fresh coconut with the same amount of desiccated coconut.
You may also try:
Equipment's used: Wide-mouthed pan/ utensil, kadai/pan, steamer, modak mould(optional).
Recipe:
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| coconut poorna kozhukattai |
No. of servings - 8
1 cup = 200 ml
Ingredients:
Raw rice flour - 1 cup
Water- 1.5 cups
Fine pink salt - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp + 1/4 cup
Filling:
Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - 1 tsp
Cardamom powder or essence - 1 tsp
Directions with Pics:
1. Dry roast the flour till it emits an aroma on a low flame.
1.1 Boil water in a pan. Add salt and oil.
2. Add the flour. Keep on stirring till all the water gets absorbed.
3. In a low flame, cover and cook the dough for 3 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from heat, Cover the dough and allow to rest for a while.
6. When the jaggery starts melting, add the grated coconut.
7. Saute till the mixture comes together.
8. Allow the mixture to cool down.
9. Take the mould, grease the inside, lock it.
10. Take a small lemon sized ball of the dough, fill the mould with the dough.
12. Take a gooseberry sized poornam, place it in the centre.
13. Close the mouth of the mould with the help of the dough.(pinch dough, flatten it and seal the mouth of the mould).
14. Unlock the mould, remove the modak, place it in the steamer.
15. Repeat with the remaining dough.
16. Steam the modaks for 7 minutes.
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