Niya's World: Modak / Modakam / Kozhukatta / Kolukattai

Here's an easy recipe link of Modak / Modakam / Ukadiche Modak (made of rice batter)

Modak / Modakam / Kozhukatta / Kolukattai

Modak is a sweet dish which originated in the Indian state of Maharashtra and it is considered to be the favorite dish of Lord Ganesha. It is customary to offer twenty one or hundred and eight modaks to Lord Ganesha. You can make fried or steamed modak. Coconut - jaggery mixture is the main sweet ingredient which enhances the taste. You can also add dry fruits.

Makes: 6 - 7

Preparation Time: 30 – 45 minutes

Steaming Time: 15 minutes

For Coconut Filling:

1/2 cup ( 125 g ) grated coconut or 9 tablespoon grated coconut

1/2 cup ( 60 g ) melted jaggery or 7 - 8 tablespoon melted and sieved jaggery

1 teaspoon ghee

1 pinch cardamom powder

1 tablespoons chopped dry fruits (optional) raisins or chopped cashew nuts

Method

For Coconut filling:

In a frying pan, heat ghee. Add melted jaggery and fry for 5 minutes on a low heat till fragrant.

Add grated coconut and mix it well. Do not cover with lid. Stir continuously and fry for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat till the coconut - jaggery mixture dries up. Add cardamom powder and keep aside. Sweet filling should be dry in consistency.

Microwave method:

In a microwave safe bowl, mix grated coconut and jaggery and microwave high on 750 w for 2 minutes. Then it will be a thick mixture without water and almost dry in texture.

For Outer Covering:

I'm not recommending to use normal rice flour to make outer covering. If we use normal rice flour, it may break and won't get proper shape. One of my friend told me special rice flour for modak is available in Mumbai. Modak rice flour is not available in Chennai. Another option is to use any good quality Appam / Instant appam mix (those appam flours are in super fine flour category).

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice flour and water (1 : 1 ratio, 1 cup water : 1 cup rice flour / appam flour)

1/2 cup / 100 ml (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity) Nirapara Appam flour (rice flour) or any very good quality rice flour. It is very difficult to prepare outer covering with normal rice flour. Always there is a confusion with the ratio of rice flour and water. I found that Appam flour is very useful to prepare Modak too !!

1/2 cup water (100 ml / 4 oz)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ghee

Extra 1 tablespoon oil

Extra 1/2 cup water

For Outer covering:

Sieve Rice flour.

In a bowl, boil water. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ghee. When the water starts boiling , remove the lid, reduce heat to minimum. Pour sieved rice flour evenly with one hand and simultaneously stir with a spatula with the other hand (like Upma / Uppumaav preparation). Mixing of rice flour in boiling water is very important while making dough. It should be mixed evenly - else it may form lumps - which totally spoils the dish. Switch off the heat. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover with a tight lid. Keep aside for 5 minutes.

Transfer this rice flour mixture to another wide bowl, knead again (sprinkle 1 teaspoon oil if required) and make an extra soft dough. Now the dough is very elastic in structure. You can fold / bind it into any form.

It is also very suitable for the preparation of South Indian Modakam / Kozhukkatta / Kolukattai. (Sweet filling in lemon sized rice flour balls or semi cylindrical or half moon (like momos).

Divide rice dough into 7 portions and make round balls. Prepare modak immediately. Do not keep rice flour balls too long. Apply little oil on your palm. Cover dough with a wet towel. Then it won't be dry.

For Maharashtrian style modak: Flatten each round ball to form a cup (katori) shape. Place 2 – 3 teaspoon coconut - jaggery filling (see the above photo).

Here's the recipe link of '' How to prepare Modak using Modak Mould?"'

Dip thumb and index finger in the oil and make 6 pinches side by side on the outer covering. Bring all the pinches together on top and join. Make perfect modak shape with the help of oil or with little water. Or you can use a modak mould. Dip each prepared modak in water and keep aside carefully. Then the outer covering won’t be dry.

For modakam (round balls): Apply little oil on your palm. Flatten each round ball to form a cup shape ( see the photo above ). Place 2 - 3 teaspoon coconut - jaggery filling – (do not fill too much of the filling) close and again make a perfect ball.

For half moon / semi circle modak (kozhukatta / kolukattai) - Makes: 5- 6 kolukattai

Cut 2 banana leaves (or good quality plastic sheets) into 7 – cm pieces. Grease with ¼ teaspoon oil.

Take a piece of banana leaf. Keep a lemon sized rice dough portion over it. Keep another piece of banana leaf smeared with oil (with oiled portion facing down) the dough. Press evenly to form a thin circle of rice dough (like puri) of approximately 8 - 10 cm (3.5 to 4 – inch) diameter. Carefully remove the leaf on top. Now one will see a thin circle of rice dough.

Keep 1 tablespoon coconut - jaggery mixture in it length wise along its centre. Fold into semi circle and seal the edges tightly.

Repeat this process for the remaining dough / filling.

Final steaming:

In a flat bowl (or in a steamer bowl) grease 1 teaspoon oil. Arrange modak carefully and steam in a steamer / pedavan / pressure cooker ( without weight ) for 15 minutes on medium heat or until done and soft. Serve warm with ghee.

Here's the recipe of Potli Modak