Celebrating Vinayaka Chathurthi

Vinayaka Chathurthi was on the 15th of September and I was thrilled that it was on a Saturday because it meant a leisurely celebration ... especially for this festival, since the preparation of kozhukattais can be rather time consuming.

The outer covering has always been the most daunting aspect of kozhukattais for me. I've tried several methods.. the one with rice flour and water - what a disaster that was. Then my friend Raji and my mom said that the method I use for my Ammini Kozhukattai can be used and that was a shade better but still kind of tough. Recently I saw Viji's recipe which had exact measurements and was similar to my ammini kozhukattai so I set about following that and this time the outer dough was pliable and soft after it was steamed. Thank you so much Viji. I'm sure that I'll master this method in the coming years but for this year, this was a definite improvement from my past attempts. The art of shaping them is yet another thing that needs quite a bit of practice.. all in time.

Here's Viji's recipe :

For the Kozhukattai - maavu:

1) Soak 1 cup Ponni Raw Rice for an hour. Drain. For 1 cup rice, we need 2 cups of water so measure that and keep the water aside.

2) Grind the drained rice in a mixie with water, as required (from the 2 cups measured out) to a very smooth paste.

3) Now, heat the remaining water in a thick pan, with 1 tbsp of oil, 2 tbsp of milk (optional) and a pinch of salt. When it boils, add the ground rice paste and stir. Once a lump is formed, lower the flame and keep stirring for about 15 mins till it's well cooked.

4) Switch off the stove, cover with a damp cloth/tissue and cover with a lid as well. Let this rest for an hour before kneading well and shaping into kozhukattais.

For Sweet Pooranam:

Grated coconut - 1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Elaichi - powdered, a couple pinches.

1) Heat Jaggery with water and once it melts, allow to boil for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the grated coconut and elaichi powder and stir well till it thickens.

For Ulundhu Pooranam: (my favorite filling)

Ulundhu (Urad dhal) - ½ cup
Green chili - 2 small
Ginger - ½ inch
Salt to taste
Coconut - 1 tsp, (optional)

1) Soak Ulundhu for 30 minutes. Grind it coarsely with green chili, ginger and salt.

2) Steam cook it for 5 minutes and crumble it.

3) In a small pan, heat a tsp of oil and temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida, then add the crumbled ulundhu and saute for a few minutes. Finally add shredded coconut and switch off the stove.

Viji, Thanks once again for such a well documented recipe, with so many tips that one can gather only after years of experience.

Here's a snap of the kozhukattais :