Kozhukattai is the main neivedhyam for Vinayagar Chaturthi. It is the favorite of Lord Ganesha. Kozhukattai is a simple steamed food with an outer covering of rice flour and an inner filling which may be sweet or savory. In southern parts of India, this is mandatory for Vinayagar Chaturthi. The sweet filling for Kozhukattai can be made with dry fruits, coconut, dals, and many more. Channa dal or Kadala paruppu Poornam is a very traditional one for making kozhukattais. This poornam is a base for many south- Indian sweets like poli, kozhukkattai, and Sugiyan. It might look like it is a time-consuming process to make kozhukattais. But it is worth the time and try when you taste these traditional delicacies. Do try this for this vinayagar chaturthi and get the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
Ingredients
- For Outer Covering
- For the Inner Filling / Poornam
Instructions
- For the filling/ Poornam
- Soak Channa dal for 30 mins. Wash and pressure cook for 3 whistles until it is soft.
- Heat a pan and add 1/4th cup of jaggery powder along with 3 tbsp of water. Let it dissolve completely. Strain the jaggery water for impurities and bring it to a boil.
- Add the cooked channa dal to it and let it cook for 3 - 4 mins until it thickens.
- Add two teaspoons of freshly grated coconut to it. The filling will begin to thicken and form a soft dough.
- Season with freshly pounded cardamom pods and a teaspoon of ghee. Set them aside to cool down while preparing the outer covering.
For the Outer covering - Heat three cups of water in a pan and bring it to boil. Add a dash of salt and a drizzle of gingelly oil to it. When it comes to a rolling boil, add rice flour and quickly mix up. Switch off the flame and keep it covered. Combine together to form a soft pliable dough.
- Shape them to a potli bag with the poornam / filling inside and steam in an Idli pot for 3 - 4 mins. Check if it is done and serve.
Notes
- I have used store-bought rice flour. You can also use kozhukattai or Idiyappam flour to make this kozhukattai.
- I prefer to soak the channa dal for 30 mins before pressure cooking. If you do not have the time, give a couple more whistles to it.
- You can also add jaggery powder to the cooked dal directly if your jaggery is free of impurities.