Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Mothagam / Kolukkatai


This is the sweet prepared specially for vinayagar chathurthi.

Ingredients:

channa dhal- 2 cup
jaggery- 2 cup
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
cardamom- 4
raisins- 10
cashews-10
rice flour - 2 cups
Salt - a pinch
ghee/oil- 2 tbsp

Pooranam preparation:

cook the channa dhal (kadalai paruppu) to 3/4 boiled stage.
After letting the dhal cool, mash it in blender/ mixie .
Add 1/4 cup water to the crushed jaggery and heat it, so that the jaggery dissolves completely.
Using a strainer, filter the jaggery solution leaving behind the sediments.
Add the jaggery solution to the crushed dhal and start heating it with frequent stirring.
Now add the shredded coconut and crushed cardamom.
Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and add it to the mixture.
Stir the sweet mixture till it becomes manageable.
Now make lemon size balls out of it and keep aside.

Mothagam preparation:

Take the rice flour in a pan.
Roast it in a dry pan to loose all the moisture.
Add water,ghee/oil , salt to the flour so that it becomes like a thick dosa batter.
Now heat the mixture in very low flame and stir continuously, till we get a thick transparent rice dough.
Take off heat and let it cool.
Now take a small ball of rice dough, flatten it in your palm.
Put one sweet pooranam ball over the rice disc and start covering it inside the rice dough.
The rice coating should be thin.Make the shape of a coconut with kudumi.
Now arrange the mothagams/ kozhukattai on a idly baking tray and steam it like idly for 10 minutes.

Makes 25 mothagams.

Note:

The softness of the kolukkattai depends on the consistency of the rice flour after cooking it.It should be a bit thicker than urid dhal vadai mavu and looser than chapathi dough.Adjust the water to get the consistency. Afterwards coat a little water on the palm and spread the dough .Then fill it with sweet core.
After steaming the kolukkattai, protect them inside a vessel and cover it tightly with a lid while they are hot.Don't place them outside. I am sure you will get a soft kolukkattai.

* If you can't cook the rice flour in a pan, try microwaving it till the flour turns to a dough.

*always apply little oil on your palm and make the outer rice flour cover for mothagam. Then only the kolukkattai won't get bursts / split after cooking.

Number:
For 11 mothakam, we may need 3/4 cup flour and equal amount of pooranam (1/2 cup kadalai paruppu + little jaggery+ coconut).

Mutton Kulambu



Ingredients:
Goat meat (with bones)- 1 lb
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
water - 2 cups

Masala 1:
ginger- 2 inch
garlic-5 pearls
cloves-4
cardamom- 2
cinnamon- 1 inch
fennel seeds - 1 tsp
cumin seeds - 1 tsp
pepper - 1 tsp

Grind ginger,garlic,cinnamon, cloves, cardamom,fennel seeds, cumin seeds and black pepper to a fine paste.

Masala 2:

tomato -2 (100 gms)
shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
cashews - 5
poppy seeds- 1 tbsp
coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

In a pan dry roast poppy seeds ,coriander seeds, cashews and keep aside.
Add 1 tsp oil and fry chopped tomatoes.Then grind poppy seeds, shredded coconut, cashews, tomato to a fine paste

other items:

brinji leaves -2
Red onion- 2
curry leaves- 1 brig
cilantro- 1 handful
mint leaves - 1 handful
cooking oil- 3 tsp
chilli powder - 1 tbsp
green chilli- 3
coconut milk - 1 tbsp
potato - 3 (1/2 lb)

Method:
choose goat meat from breast with ribs to make soupy kulambu.
Wash the meat and cut it in to big pieces.Add water , turmeric, 1 spoon of Masala 1 and 1 chopped onion to the meat.
Pressure cook them for 1 whistle and then reduce the flame to minimum. Let it remain in less flame for 10 minutes.Open the pressure cooker after it becomes cool.
In a kadai , heat 2 tsp cooking oil.Add 1/2 tsp fennel seeds and after it turns red add brinji leaves,curry leaves, chopped onion, green chillies, cilantro and mint leaves one by one .
Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
Peel and cut the potatoes in to big chunks.Saute the potato , add the Masala 2 and stir it for 5 minutes.
Add chilli powder,turmeric powder and saute again. Add a cup of water.close the lid and cook till the potatoes get soften.
Add the cooked mutton, salt and coconut milk.
Check for salt and take off heat as soon as the curry starts boiling.
Serve hot with rice or Biryani or fried rice or chapathi or any bread.
Chicken 65 and onion raitha can be a best side dish.

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