Sweet kozhukattai | Puranam kozhukattai | Modakam
Puranam kozhukattai is a must-have recipe for Pillayar Chaturthi and Varalakshmi Nombu. This sweet kozhukattai is the recipe you need to celebrate the festival.
Kozhukattai / modak making is a skill, and I have explained in detail with step-by-step pictures and a quick video to help make the softest and most delicious kozhukattai.
Pillayar Chaturthi is one of the most popular Hindu festivals celebrated in India. Indian festivals revolve around food. Every festival has its own set of food that goes along with it.
The most important item prepared for this Pillayar Chaturthi is sweet kozhukattai or modakam / modak. Every part of India makes modak in a slightly different way, and there are several varieties of it.
The recipe here is for the sweet kozhukattai that is made as a Neiveydhiyam/offering in southern India. My mom, my Mil and almost everyone I know have been making the sweet kozhukattai covering out of rice flour until a few years back.
My mother taught me this recipe to make the outer covering using ground rice batter, and it makes THE SOFTEST KOZHUKATTAI you would have ever had. I make my kozhukattais very small (bite-sized). Why? Because that is how my paternal grandmother always made them.
She was the best and fastest kozhukattai maker I have ever known of. She would make hundreds of kozhukattais within an hour, and we would not even know how she did it.
I follow my grandmother's recipes and kitchen skills a lot in my cooking. Talking about her makes me miss her and home more than ever. So here goes my sweet kozhukattai recipe, a tribute to the greatest cook (and kozhukattai maker), My Grandmother.
Ingredients needed - (Makes around 50 small kozhukattais)
For the filling
- Grated coconut - 1 and ¼ cup
- Jaggery (powdered) - ¾ cup
- Cardamom powder - ½ tsp
- Ghee - 1 tsp
For the outer covering
- Rice (regular raw rice) - 1 cup
- Oil - 2 tbsp
- Salt - ½ tsp
Step-by-step process
For the coconut filling
- Mix the grated coconut and the jaggery in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook on a slow flame. The jaggery would slowly melt and incorporate itself with the coconut. Keep mixing until it forms a ball-like mass.
- Add the cardamom powder and the ghee and mix well. Take it off the flame and let it cool.
- Once it cools down to a tolerable temperature, make tiny balls out of it. The balls should be rolled tightly and evenly. If, for some reason, at this stage the ball does not form well because the puranam is too watery, get it back on flame and cook it down for a few more minutes on low flame. Again, repeat the same process and make the puranam balls.
- This can be made the night before the festival and left covered outside.
To make the outer covering
- Soak the rice for a couple of hours. Grind it into a very smooth batter, adding the salt and enough water. The batter can be made the night before the festival and left inside the fridge. This has to be stored inside the refrigerator, or otherwise it will ferment and become sour.
- On the day of making the kozhukattai, remove the batter from the refrigerator. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan with about ½ cup of water and the 2 tablespoon of oil. Let it come to a boil.
- Now add the batter to the boiling water/oil mixture and mix well. Keep the flame low and keep mixing. Slowly, the batter will start to thicken, and it will form a ball-like mass. Keep mixing to avoid the formation of any lumps. Once it forms a good ball-like mass, switch off the flame and keep it covered for a few minutes.
- Once it cools down a bit, slowly use your hands and mix it well. Keep your hands well-oiled to avoid the batter sticking to your hands. Keep the covering always covered with a wet kitchen cloth or a tight lid.
To make the kozhukattai
- Make small balls out of the covering. These should be larger than the size of the puranam filling balls.
- Now start making the cup to fill the inside with the puranam. To make the cups, start by pinching the outside of the ball. Once you flatten it all the way around, lay it on your palm and flatten the inside. This will take the form of a cup. Make sure your palms are well oiled (use gingelly oil); otherwise, you will end up with a sticky mess.
- Once you make the cup, get the puranam inside it. Now close the cup and pinch the top of it to ensure that it is sealed well. Do the same with the rest of the flour and puranam.
- Steam it in greased idli plates or idiyappam plates for 10 to 12 mins. Let it cool down a bit and then transfer it to a container. Do not pack it too tightly. Store it in a spacious container. To check for doneness, check the sweet kozhukattai for a shiny, glossy look. Once the modaks are glossy, you know they are done.
Expert tips and FAQ's
- Do not add any water when making the puranam. The jaggery will let out enough water to make it into a semisolid mass.
- Making the kozhukattai / modak with the ground batter ensures crackless covering. It is so smooth that making the moulds gets very easy. If you are having trouble making the cup for the mould, don't fret. It takes good practice, and you will master it once you do it a couple of times.
- At any cost, ensure that the kozukattai is closed entirely; the filling will run all over the place when steaming.
Happy Pillayar Chaturthi to all of you!!! Happy Kozhukattai making 🙂
More Kozhukattai Recipes
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Recipe
Sweet Kozhukattai | Puranam Kozhukattai | Modak
Equipment
- steamer
Ingredients
- For the filling -
- 1 ¼ cup Grated coconut
- ¾ cup Jaggery powdered
- ½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon Ghee
- For the outer covering-
- 1 cup Rice regular raw rice
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
To make the puranam/sweet filling -
- Mix the grated coconut and the jaggery in a heavy bottom pan and cook on a slow flame. The jaggery would slowly melt and incorporate itself with the coconut. Keep mixing until it forms a ball like mass.
- Add the cardamom powder and the ghee and mix well. Take it off the flame and let it cool.
- Once it cools down to a tolerable temperature, make tiny balls out of it. The balls should be rolled tight and evenly. If for some reason, at this stage the ball does not form well because the puranam is too watery, get it back on flame and cook it down for few more minutes on low flame. Again repeat the same process and make the puranam balls.
- This can be made the night before the festival and left covered outside.
To make the outer covering -
- Soak the rice for couple of hours. Grind it into a very smooth batter adding the salt and enough water. The batter can be made the night before the festival and left inside the fridge. This has to be stored inside the refrigerator, or otherwise it will ferment and become sour.
- On the day of making the kozhukattai, remove the batter from the refrigerator. Heat a wide heavy bottom pan with about ½ cup of water and the 2 tablespoon of oil. Let it come to a boil.
- Now add the batter to the boiling water/oil mixture and mix well. Keep the flame low and keep mixing. Slowly, the batter will start to thicken and it will form a ball like mass. Keep mixing to avoid the formation of any lumps. Once it forms a good ball like mass, switch off the flame and keep it covered for few minutes.
- Once it cools down a bit, slowly use your hands and mix it well. Keep your hands well oiled to avoid the batter sticking to your hands. Keep the covering always covered with a wet kitchen cloth or a tight lid.
To make the kozhukattai -
- Make small balls out of the covering. These should be larger than the size of the puranam filling balls.
- Now start making the cup to fill the inside with the puranam. To make the cups, start by pinching the outside of the ball. Once you flatten it all the way around, lay it on your palm and flatten the inside. This will take the form of a cup. Make sure your palms are well oiled (use gingelly oil); otherwise you will end up with a sticky mess.
- Once you make the cup, get the puranam inside it. Now close the cup and pinch the top of it to ensure that it sealed well. Do the same with the rest of the flour and puranam.
- Steam it in greased idli plates or idiyappam plates for 10 to 12 mins. Let it cool down a bit and then transfer it to a container. Do not pack it too tightly. Store it in a spacious container. To check for doneness, check the sweet kozhukattai for a shiny glossy look. Once they are glossy you know they are done.
Video
Notes
- Do not add any water when making the puranam. The jaggery will let out enough water to make it into a semisolid mass.
- Making the kozhukattai with the ground batter ensures crack less covering. It is so smooth that making the moulds gets very easy. If you are having trouble making the cup for the mould, don't fret. It takes a good practice and you will master it once you make it couple of times.
- At any cost ensure that the kozukattai is closed entirely, otherwise the filling will run all over the place when steaming.
Such a fool proof excelled detailed recipe. Kozhukattais came out super for me this year following this recipe..thanks Sandhya.
Awesome! I love making kozhukattai and this recipe works each time. I am so happy that the recipe worked well for you.
Sweet kozhukattai looks so cute and delicious !
Such a divine recipe and making them in that particular shape without any molds is an art!
Love your detailed stepwise recipe for modak.I seem to always mess up the modak dough, thanks to your recipe I now have a perfect recipe to try again this Ganesha Chaturthi.
Such beautifully made modak/ kozhukattai. I have been looking for the perfect recipe to make these and I think this is it. Thank you for the detailed recipe, can't wait to try these for Ganesh chathurthi.
These MODAK looks divine and making them in certain shape is an art , ! Such a delightful post
I love modak and try out different variations on Sankashti Chaturthi of every month. Loved this detailed recipe of sweet Purnam Kozhukattai.
Beautifully explained step-by-step recipe of Kozhukatti. Vinayaka chaturthi is coming and this is going to help to make modaks for prasadam
Thanks Amrita! Glad you liked it.
Being North Indian, I had no idea that Modak could be too easy to make. The filling of jaggery and coconut is literally watering my mouth. Would love to try it soon.
Great recipe. I love modak and bought its mold too a few years back but then completely forgot about it. Thanks to your recipe now I am really motivated to make modak at home.
I totally agree that making Modak is indeed an art Sandhya. These are my favorite but I always use a mold to make these during Ganpati.
Your detailed recipe is such a great help and I will surely try these your way.
Hi Sandhya, Thank you for such a clearly detailed instructions! I seem to have a black thumb when it comes to desserts and am capable of messing this up! Can you advise on the consistency of the sweet filling and when I should turn off the stove? Last time I tried this, the sweet filling became too rubbery, I am assuming I left it on the stove top for too long.
Jasmine, the coconut filling will come together and start leaving the sides of the pan. It will cook a little further in the heat after we turn it off. Take it out a little early and let it cool and if you can't form balls, you can cook a little more. Also you can change it from the pan you are cooking to another bowl to cool it a little quicker and to avoid cooking further. This definitely comes with a little practice. Keep making small batch and you will become a pro really soon 🙂
This is one of the best and foolproof recipes for kuzhakattai that I have followed multiple times with no issues
Thanks a lot!
hi Sandhya, what rice did you use to make the kozhukkatai.
I use sona masoori raw rice for kozhukattai.
WIl try this method next time, Sandhya ! looks fool proof , especially to amateur kozhukattai makers like me 🙂 I make the open kozhukottais, of karnataka style, but the modakam (conical) shape eludes me a lot..
Thanks for this excellent recipe-I made very good kozhukatais for the first time!I have tried various methods but nobody gave me the exact quantities and proportions. Thanks again!
very delicious and healthy poornam kozhukatai 🙂 well explained dear !!
Loved your pics Sandhya and regularly follow your blog. My mom told me 2 things. She asked me to add about half a teaspoon to the jiggery mixture as it thickens and also while adding the batter to hot water add dissolve a teaspoon to a little cold water add it to the boiling water and then add batter. This helps it not to form lumps.
wow super kozhukattai... today i too prepared in this way but with kadala paruppu poornam... n i wonder how come i missing your post, just now i follow thru GFC, i thought i already following u in GFC... 🙂 Hereafter, i wont miss ur post that am sure akka...
Hey thankx a tonne . I ran out of rice flour and had to do these today at any rate . I found this useful especially the pics. Keep them coming . Visit my blog if and when you can . Its not this nicely presented but I do have some ancient recipes .https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8755689970961147118#allposts
hey - I was looking for a recipe with ground rice and stumbled upon your blog. this turned out great! thanks!
Hi Anju,
Thank you for trying out my recipe (should say my mother's recipe). I am glad that it came out good. Thanks for letting me know your feedback. keep checking for new recipes and Happy Cooking !!
Cheers,
Sandhya