Pidi kozhukkattai (sweet dumplings)

Kozhukkattai (kolukkattai), is usually made during pooja days and Hindu festivals. It is the favorite food of Lord Ganesha and there are many beautiful Puranas associated with Him.
South Indians make these kolukkattai as a healthy snack because of no oil content. Hence it is liked by elders also.

Pidi kozhukkattai

Ingredients:

raw Rice / rice flour - 1 cup
(raw rice means pacharisi/ unboiled rice. we can use basmati also)
crushed jaggery (vellam) - 3/4 Cup
shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
sesame - 2 tbsp
dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
moong dhal (pasi paruppu) - 1 tbsp

Method:

If using rice flour: dry roast it till it turns mild red and flavorful.

If using rice: then wash, soak for 1 hour. Remove water, pat dry in kitchen towel, dry in air for 30 minutes and powder it finely.

Then dry roast the obtained flour to mild red and flavorful finish. Keep aside.
Dry roast the sesame till it starts popping. Cover the pan and switch off when it starts to pop , to avoid wastage. The sesame will get roasted in  that stage.
Dry roast the moong dhal to mild red color and aromatic stage. keep aside.
Using a tsp of oil , fry the coconut to get a nice flavor and mild red color. (Using cut coconut pieces is authentic here). Keep aside.

Dissolve jaggery in 1 cup water by heating. Strain and remove any impurities.
Mix this jaggery solution with the roasted rice powder, ginger powder, roasted sesame, moong dhal, coconut, cardamom powder and mix well. If needed add some hot boiling water.

Let it cool, shape them with palms to an oblong shape, with some visible finger impressions.

Steam cook these dumplings in Idly cooker for 10 minutes. (After the steam comes in high pressure, reduce to medium heat and let it stay for 10 minutes).

Sweet pidi kozhukkattai is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as snack.
Makes 15 dumplings, depending on size.
The same base mix can be folded inside palm leaves,tied,  steam cooked and served as panai olai kolukkattai during Karthigai festival.

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I am reposting the following sweets for the Festive food event conducted by Purva and Priti.
Sesame ladoo and mothagam are prepared during the Vinayagar Chathurthi festival. Click the links below to read more.

Sesame Ladoo



Mothagam (kolukkattai):


Wishing you all a very happy Vinayagar Chathurthi!

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).