sweet kozhukattai recipe | chana dal modak recipe

Sweet kozhukattai recipe with step by step photos – South Indian recipe variation of modaks stuffed with a filling of chana dal, coconut and jaggery. I have also shared the traditional Kozhukattai recipe made with coconut and jaggery.

I had prepared these chana dal modaks some days back and so thought of sharing the recipe. The process and method to make these modaks or kozhukattai is the same as the regular Modak. only the stuffing is different.

Since I make the regular coconut+jaggery stuffing always, this time thought of having a variation by adding cooked chana dal.

Preparing modaks does take time, so either you can involve a help or prepare when all your remaining household work is over. If you plan to offer these modaks as a naivedyam to lord ganesha, then don’t taste them while preparing. Prepare with fresh ingredients and with a devotional state of mind and heart.

If you are looking for more Ganesh Chaturthi recipes then do check:

• Puran poli
• Boondi ladoo
• Chocolate modak
• Easy rava modak
• Mawa modak
• Fried modak

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sweet kozhukattai

5 from 4 votes

By Dassana Amit

Sweet kozhukattai is a South Indian recipe variation of modak made with a stuffing of chana dal, coconut and jaggery.

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Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

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Cuisine South Indian

Course: Sweets

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Servings 18 to 20 modaks

Units

Ingredients

for cooking chana dal

• ▢ ½ cup chana dal (husked split bengal gram) or 120 grams chana dal
• ▢ 1 cup water for pressure cooking

cooking the sweet stuffing

• ▢ ⅓ cup grated coconut
• ▢ ½ cup tightly packed grated or chopped jaggery or jaggery powder tightly packed or 120 grams jaggery powder
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cardamom powder (choti elaichi powder) or seeds of 3 green cardamons - powdered in mortar-pestle

for the rice dough

• ▢ 1 cup rice flour or 125 grams rice flour
• ▢ 1.5 cups water
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sesame oil (til ka tel)

Instructions

cooking chana dal

• Rinse 1/2 cup chana dal a couple of times in water. Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 10 to 12 minutes on medium flame. Cooking time depends on quality of dal. If chana dal cooks faster, then add 2/3 to 3/4 cup water while pressure cooking.
• When the pressure settles on its own in the cooker, open the lid and check the dal. If the dal has not softened then you can pressure cook for a few more minutes.
• If there is a lot of water in the dal, then in a strainer, strain the dal and then mash. There was hardly any water in the pressure cooker after the dal was cooked, so I directly mashed the dal in the pressure cooker. Mash the dal well. Some fine bits of whole chana dal are fine. Keep aside.

preparing the sweet stuffing for modak

• In another pan take 1/2 cup tightly packed grated or chopped jaggery or jaggery powder and 1/4 cup water.
• Keep the pan on stove top and on a low flame heat the solution. Stir so that the jaggery melts.
• Simmer till all the jaggery is melted. Just melt the jaggery. No need to thicken the syrup.
• Now through a strainer, filter the syrup and keep aside.
• Now take the mashed chana dal in a pan. Add the jaggery syrup.
• Then add 1/3 cup grated coconut.
• Mix everything very well.
• Keep the pan on stove top and on a low flame, cook this mixture.
• On a low heat, stirring at times, cook the filling till it starts thickening.
• The mixture will begin to leave the sides of the pan and become dry.
• Thats the time when you need to switch off the flame. Do remember not to overcook the mixture as it will become dense.
• Lastly add 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder and mix well. Let this mixture cool down.

preparing the rice dough for modak

• In a pan or vessel take 1.5 cups of water. Place it on a stove top on a medium to high flame.
• Then add 1/4 teaspoon salt & 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.
• Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
• Reduce the flame and then add 1 cup rice flour gradually.
• Quickly begin to stir and mix the flour with water. Mix very well and switch off the gas.
• Cover the pan with a lid and keep for 4 to 5 mins.
• Then transfer the mixture to a thali or plate or you can keep in the same pan.
• Allow the dough to slightly cool down. Knead the dough while its still warm but take care not to burn your fingers.
• The dough should be soft and smooth. Then cover the dough with a damp muslin or cotton cloth. Now allow the dough to rest for 10 to 12 mins.

assembling and stuffing the modaks

• Later make small balls from the dough. They should be smooth. Some may get cracks, so just rub some water on your palm and shape them into balls again which will get rid of the cracks.
• Grease the modak mould with a bit of oil. Close or lock the mould. Put the dough ball in the mould.
• Press the dough along the surface of the mould, so that a cavity or space is made.
• Add the chana dal stuffing.
• Then cover with small piece of dough on top. Press to even it.
• Now open or unlock the mould. Gently remove the modak from the mould. Alternatively you could flatten the ball. Then place the modak filling in the center. Make small pleats bring all the edges together and join. Prepare all the modaks this way.
• Either you could use a steamer pan or you could steam the modaks in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 mins on low flame without the whistle and vent. If using a steamer pan then add 2.5 cup of water to the steamer. Let the water come to a boil. Keep the modaks on a greased steamer plate or on greased idli moulds. Now place the moulds into the steamer pan.
• Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame.
• Once the modaks are steamed remove and keep aside.
• The sweet kozhukattai are ready to be offered to lord ganesha.

Notes

- can add more jaggery if required.
- chana dal can be soaked for an hour and then cooked.
- you can also cook chana dal in a pan. Just soak the lentils for 1 hour and then cook them in a pot or pan with 1 to 1.5 cups water till they are softened.

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How to make sweet kozhukattai recipe

Preparing the chana dal stuffing:

1. Rinse ½ cup chana dal a couple of times in water.

2. Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with 1 cup water. Pressure cook for 10 to 12 minutes on medium flame. cooking time depends on quality of dal. If chana dal cooks faster, then add ⅔ to ¾ cup water while pressure cooking.

3. When the pressure settles on its own in the cooker, open the lid and check the dal. If the dal has not softened then you can pressure cook for a few more minutes. if there is a lot of water in the dal, then in a strainer, strain the dal and then mash. There was hardly any water in the pressure cooker after the dal was cooked, so I directly mashed the dal in the pressure cooker.

4. mash the dal well. some fine bits of whole chana dal are fine. Keep aside.

5. In another pan take ½ cup tightly packed grated or chopped jaggery or jaggery powder and ¼ cup water.

6. Keep the pan on stove top and on a low flame heat the solution. Stir so that the jaggey melts.

7. Simmer till all the jaggery is melted. Just melt the jaggery. No need to thicken the syrup.

8. Now through a strainer, filter the syrup and keep aside.

9. Now take the mashed chana dal in a pan. Add the jaggery syrup.

10. Then add ⅓ cup grated coconut.

11. Mix everything very well.

12. Keep the pan on stove top and on a low flame, cook this mixture.

13. On a low heat, stirring at times, cook the filling till it starts thickening.

14. The mixture will begin to leave the sides of the pan and become dry. Stir often.

15. Thats the time when you need to switch off the flame. Do remember not to overcook the mixture as it will become dense. The mixture also should be not be too moist, otherwise it will be difficult to stuff the modaks with it.

16. Lastly add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder and mix well. Let this mixture cool down.

Preparing rice dough for sweet kozhukattai

1. In a pan or vessel take 1.5 cups of water. Place it on a stove top on a medium to high flame.

2. Then add ¼ teaspoon salt.

3. Next add ¼ teaspoon sesame oil.

4. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.

5. Reduce the flame and then add 1 cup rice flour gradually.

6. Quickly begin to stir and mix the flour with water.

7. Stir till all the rice flour is mixed with the water.

8. Mix very well and switch off the gas.

9. Cover the pan with a lid and keep for 4 to 5 minutes.

10. Then transfer the mixture to a thali or plate or you can keep in the same pan.

11. Allow the dough to slightly cool down. Knead the dough while its still warm but take care not to burn your fingers.

12. The dough should be soft and smooth. Then cover the dough with a damp muslin or cotton cloth. Now allow the dough to rest for 10 to 12 minutes.

Assembling and stuffing the sweet kozhukattai

1. Later make small balls from the dough. They should be smooth. some may get cracks, so just rub some water on your palm and shape them into balls again which will get rid of the cracks.

2. Grease the modak mould with a bit of sesame oil. Close or lock the mould.

3. put the dough ball in the mould.

3. Press the dough along the surface of the mould, so that a cavity or space is made.

4. Add the chana dal stuffing.

5. Then cover with small piece of dough on top. Press to even it.

6. Now open or unlock the mould. gently remove the modak from the mould. Alternatively you could flatten the ball. Then place the modak filling in the center. Make small pleats bring all the edges together and join. Prepare all the modaks this way.

7. Either you could use a steamer pan or you could steam the modaks in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 mins on low flame without the whistle and vent. If using a steamer pan then add 2.5 cup of water to the steamer. Let the water come to a boil. keep the modaks on a greased steamer plate or on greased idli moulds. now place the moulds into the steamer pan. You can also steam in batches. I steamed in two batches.

8. Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame.

9. Once the modaks are steamed remove and keep aside.

10. The sweet kozhukattai are ready to be offered to lord ganesha.